You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
A cross-party coalition of representatives introduced a new bill Tuesday that would set aside Pell Grant funding for short-term postsecondary degree programs, with the goal of “aligning education opportunities with workforce needs,” according to an email from a congressional spokesperson.
Aside from assisting high-need students in obtaining quick, employment-focused credentials, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act would create a quality assurance system for participating degree programs, establish a process for existing and new accreditors to oversee the programs, and enforce a guarantee on price alignment, which the bill says would ensure “students and taxpayers receive a positive return on investment.”
The legislation comes at the end of several years of discussion among policymakers from both sides of the aisle about the need for colleges to invest more heavily in skills-based education. It builds on a $20 billion aid package for institutions’ workforce development programs passed by the House of Representatives in 2021.
The act’s sponsors include Education and Workforce Committee chair Virginia Foxx and House conference chair Elise Stefanik, both Republicans, as well as Democratic representatives Bobby Scott and Mark DeSaulnier. It was announced during a marathon hearing held by the House Education and Workforce Committee Tuesday in which representatives grilled three university presidents over their alleged tolerance for campus antisemitism in the midst of widespread student protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
