(Radio Iowa) – Students enrolled in an E-M-T course offered by an Iowa community college will be the first allowed to apply for a new class of federal grants. U-S Education Secretary Linda McMahon was in Fort Dodge yesterday (Tuesday), surrounded by more than two dozen students, to make the announcement.
Pell grants were established in 1972 to help low income students seeking college degrees. The Trump Administration has just completed the guidelines for “Workforce Pell” grants, for students who may complete a certification program in as little as eight to 15 weeks.
The Workforce Pell program was authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill President Trump signed in July of last year. Acting U-S Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling says his agency helped get the guidelines finished and the program available to this first batch of Iowa Central Community College students who’ve enrolled in the 14-week E-M-T program.
Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa was the first state to submit an application for the Workforce Pell program.
There will be over 500 openings in Iowa for E-M-T in the next five years, according to the governor.
Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich says Workforce Pell grants will remove barriers for prospective students who are ready to enter careers.
The program forces colleges — like Iowa Central — to assess tuition and fees based on the earnings of program graduates. The U-S Department of Education is asking governors around the country to evaluate certification and training programs and suggest which ones should qualify for Workforce Pell grants.
