A dated snapshot of Workforce Pell implementation across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Certification tier, active application windows, occupation counts, verification methodology, and lockout risk indicators for institutions preparing to submit programs.
As of the August 2, 2026 snapshot, Workforce Pell remains a two-speed rollout, with more states crossing into active intake since July. One state (Pennsylvania) has a final approved program list. Twenty-five states are actively accepting or reviewing applications. One state (Oregon) has finalized its state policy but not yet opened its application portal. Nineteen states have legislative or agency movement but no application path published. Six jurisdictions have no verified public activity. No state has yet enrolled students under Workforce Pell; the earliest disbursements are expected between late 2026 and January 2027.
Institutional planning implication
Programs in the 25 accepting states that have not yet submitted should treat the next 60 days as the critical window. The states with quarterly cadences (NC, SC, TN, CO, MI, MD) all have follow-on windows in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. States with closed-and-reviewing windows (IA, PA, IN Window 1) will not reopen until 2027 in most cases; Texas reopened its window July 24.
| Tier | What it means |
|---|---|
| Launched | State has approved programs actively enrolling students under Workforce Pell. |
| Accepting | State is actively accepting or reviewing program applications. Programs can submit; approvals not yet final. |
| Guidance | State has published an implementation framework, eligible-occupations list, or written policy, but is not yet accepting applications (portal or window pending). |
| In progress | Verified movement short of a public process. Enabling law signed, bill with committee hearings, or governor's announcement, but no application path published. |
| No activity | No verified public activity from the state as of the snapshot date. Absence of a source does not mean absence of activity; verify locally before citing. |
| State | Status | One-line note |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Accepting | Program-by-program approval via ADOW launched June 30; 231-occupation In-Demand list. |
| Alaska | In progress | ACPE and AWIB building submission/oversight process; ACPE commission met July 23; no portal or list. |
| Arizona | Accepting | OEO opened state certification window July 31 (deadline August 24); approval notifications after September 17. |
| Arkansas | Accepting | ADHE initial window June 1-30 closed; 245 occupations; no review timeline posted. |
| California | In progress | AB 1534 passed Senate Labor 5-0 July 1; Senate Appropriations hearing August 3; last passage day August 31. |
| Colorado | Accepting | CWDC window July 15-August 15; 434 occupations (largest list in the country). |
| Connecticut | In progress | Gov. Lamont designated OWS lead March 19; still drafting guidance. No movement since March 19. |
| Delaware | No activity | No verified public activity. |
| District of Columbia | In progress | Deputy Mayor for Education leading; draft policy (31 occupations) comment closed July 21; first submissions due September 30. |
| Florida | Accepting | State-identified model: 31-program inventory published; certification via WorkforcePell@fldoe.org. |
| Georgia | Accepting | TCSG application open at apply.workforcepellga.com; no posted deadline. |
| Hawaii | In progress | DLIR/WDC working group; SB 3282 died May 8; next board meeting September 10. |
| Idaho | Accepting | EO 2026-05 created State Workforce Pell Coordinating Council June 10; pilot cohort applications open. |
| Illinois | Accepting | ICCB opened first round July 15-August 31 for AY 2026-27 and 2027-28; 195 occupations. |
| Indiana | Accepting | Ivy Tech CCMA (18 of 19 campuses) submitted for USED review; funds could flow as early as late October; Vincennes/Plainfield target January 2027. |
| Iowa | Accepting | First state to open (April 1); Iowa Dept. of Education approved nine programs (July 27) pending USED; 243 occupations. |
| Kansas | In progress | HB 2485 enacted; agency rulemaking pending. |
| Kentucky | Accepting | Emergency regulation 787 KAR 2:050E effective June 30; KWIB online application live; 30-day review. |
| Louisiana | Accepting | LWC state-originated Year 1 list; no institutional applications until AY 2027-28; UI wage record verification. |
| Maine | In progress | SWDB met July 30 to vote on revised determination policy; July 20 federal effective date pending USED. |
| Maryland | Accepting | GWDB Policy Issuance 2026-01 (July 10); rolling applications via Maryland Workforce Exchange; ~274 occupations; first determinations August 2026. |
| Massachusetts | No activity | No verified public activity. |
| Michigan | Accepting | Window 1 closed June 15, letters August; Window 2 January 15-February 12, 2027; 267 occupations. |
| Minnesota | Accepting | OHE provider window extended to August 15 noon; 22 priority occupations. |
| Mississippi | Accepting | AccelerateMS applications open July 1; ~15 potentially eligible programs; first offerings expected ~January 2027. |
| Missouri | In progress | SB 1196 and HB 2585 died May 15; MDHEWD preparing administratively. |
| Montana | In progress | SWIB developing program standards under 406 JOBS; certification later in 2026. |
| Nebraska | Accepting | NDOL portal opened July 8; 40 occupations across 97 program categories; submissions due 45 days before quarterly NWDB meetings. |
| Nevada | Accepting | GOWINN Phase 1 opened July 1 for NSHE institutions only; Phase 2 undated. |
| New Hampshire | In progress | Gov. Ayotte signed HB 1774 July 2; approval process not yet established. |
| New Jersey | Accepting | OSHE and NJDOL collected program data May 1; list due to USED July 1; no public confirmation of submission. |
| New Mexico | In progress | NMHED and NMDWS advisory group; a tracker reports rolling submissions, but no primary source confirms an open application path. |
| New York | In progress | NY DOL posted draft plan; no formal lead agency designation. |
| North Carolina | Accepting | NCWorks first window closed July 15, review August 12; ~116 programs from 29 colleges; 364 occupations. <1 percent of NC community college programs meet all requirements (Assembly, July 9). |
| North Dakota | No activity | No verified public activity. |
| Ohio | Accepting | ODHE accepts applications year-round; 352 occupations on Top Jobs list. Only rolling-intake state. |
| Oklahoma | In progress | Workforce Commission named as coordination venue December 2025; no process announced. |
| Oregon | Guidance | HECC finalized the Oregon Workforce Pell Policy July 29; program-approval portal "coming soon," review expected August 2026. |
| Pennsylvania | Launched | First state with final approved list July 8: 2 of 40 programs approved from 11 institutions (5% approval rate). Appeal window lapsed with no second window as of August 2. |
| Puerto Rico | No activity | No verified public activity. |
| Rhode Island | No activity | No verified public activity. |
| South Carolina | Accepting | DEW implementing via SCWOS; State Instruction 25-18 effective July 1; quarterly windows, next ~October 1; 24-occupation pilot list. |
| South Dakota | Accepting | DLR inaugural window July 1-August 31, determinations by October 30, first to USED November 2026; 56 occupations. |
| Tennessee | Accepting | TDLWD and THEC portal opened July 1; 393 CIP to 306 SOC crosswalk; board to consider first approvals August 28 and November 6. |
| Texas | Accepting | Gov. Abbott extended THECB window July 24; 60+ programs submitted; first state certifications July 23 (Weatherford College); 25 occupations. |
| Utah | In progress | SB 195 authorizes delegation to Board of Higher Education; USHE drafting framework. |
| Vermont | In progress | OWSD and SWDB taskforce; pilot targeted mid-2027. |
| Virginia | In progress | VCCS prioritizing FastForward ($40M) over Workforce Pell; named with Virginia Works in draft WIOA plan; no process published. |
| Washington | In progress | Workforce Board, SBCTC, WSAC cross-agency steering committee; no process published. |
| West Virginia | In progress | Gov. Morrisey signed SB 490 (effective July 1); WV Workforce Development Board authority; board meeting reported September 16. |
| Wisconsin | In progress | DWD is lead and stood up an informational Workforce Pell Portal; no application start date or occupation list published. |
| Wyoming | No activity | No verified public activity. |
First state with a final approved list, published July 8. Two of forty submitted programs approved from eleven institutions (5 percent approval rate). Both approvals are commercial truck driving. Nineteen-occupation eligible list. Application window ran March 9 to April 17, closed. The 30-day appeal window has now lapsed, with no second window or additional approvals posted as of August 2. The Pennsylvania cycle remains the first hard data point on how many programs actually clear the DOL bar.
Program-by-program approval via Alabama Department of Workforce (ADOW) launched June 30. 231-occupation In-Demand list. State wage-record verification uses P20W methodology (Preschool-to-Workforce longitudinal data system), which distinguishes Alabama from most other states that will rely on UI wage records only.
Source: Governor Ivey Announcement
The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) opened its state certification window July 31, with an August 24 deadline and approval notifications after September 17. Programs must run under 15 weeks and clear the 70 percent completion, 70 percent placement, and wage-gain tests. Arizona moved from in-progress to accepting this month.
Source: The Bee News: Arizona opens Workforce Pell certification
Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) window July 15 to August 15 via coloradoetpl.org. 434 occupations — the largest occupation list of any state in the country. Ongoing technical assistance office hours. Colorado's scale reflects a permissive statewide approach; the corollary is more application volume for CWDC to process.
Source: Colorado CWDC: Workforce Pell
State-identified model rather than institutional applications: FLDOE published a 31-program inventory. Certification via WorkforcePell@fldoe.org. Structurally different from occupation-list states — the state has pre-designated which programs are eligible, institutions then submit for participation rather than for approval.
Source: FLDOE Workforce Pell
Gov. Braun signed HEA 1266 to align state and federal processes after SB 161 died February 27; Ivy Tech and Vincennes were approved July 1 for AY 2026-27. Ivy Tech's Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (18 of 19 campuses) has now been submitted for USED review, with Pell dollars potentially flowing as early as late October 2026. Vincennes CCMA and a Plainfield electrical-maintenance bootcamp target January 2027. Pilot limited to public two-year institutions; five priority sectors.
Source: Indiana CHE: Workforce Pell
Maryland's Governor's Workforce Development Board issued Policy Issuance 2026-01 on July 10, opening rolling institutional applications through the Maryland Workforce Exchange. Quarterly determinations (August, November, February, May) with the first due August 2026. Roughly 274 eligible occupations. SB 0509 took effect June 1. Maryland moved from in-progress to accepting this month.
Source: MD Governor's Workforce Development Board: Publications
Window 1 closed June 15, approval letters going out in August. Student data due to MiTC by August 1. Window 2 opens January 15 to February 12, 2027. 267 occupations. Michigan's cadence is one of the tighter multi-window rollouts, with quarterly-scale intake.
AccelerateMS applications opened July 1. Preliminary list of ~15 potentially eligible programs published (inclusion is not approval; institutions must still submit and complete review). Three priority sectors: construction, manufacturing, healthcare. 15-business-day appeal window. No programs are enrolling yet; Mississippi Today reported July 31 that first offerings are expected around January 2027.
Source: AccelerateMS: Workforce Pell
NCWorks first window closed July 15, review August 12. Quarterly cycle with the next window October 15 to November 18 review. 364 occupations, with roughly 116 programs submitted from 29 community colleges. Notable: the North Carolina General Assembly reported July 9 that fewer than 1 percent of NC community college programs meet all Workforce Pell eligibility requirements, revised down from a 4 percent February estimate. NC is the leading data point on how narrow the compliant program set actually is.
Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) accepts applications year-round, reviewed as received. Only rolling-intake state in the country. 352 occupations on the Top Jobs list. The rolling model reduces institutional pressure to hit a fixed window but requires ODHE to sustain a continuous review capacity.
Source: Ohio DHE: Workforce Pell
TDLWD and THEC portal opened July 1. 393 CIP codes crosswalked to 306 SOC codes. Placement defined as employment within 180 days after program completion. The State Workforce Development Board is slated to consider its first approvals August 28 and November 6. The 180-day definition is more generous than the federal Q2 threshold and gives Tennessee institutions extra measurement runway.
Source: TN DLWD: Workforce Pell Launch
Gov. Abbott extended the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) application window July 24 (originally closed June 19); rolling submissions continue, with more than 60 programs submitted. First state certifications were reported July 23 (Weatherford College HVAC and machining). 25 occupations mapped to approximately 363 CIP codes. Gov. Abbott certifies programs before federal submission.
Source: Office of the Governor: Abbott extends Workforce Pell applications
HECC finalized the Oregon Workforce Pell Policy July 29, following a July public comment period. The occupation framework draws on the 2026 Oregon Talent Assessment (15 sectors). The program-approval portal is still marked "coming soon," with program review expected to begin in August 2026 — a published state framework but not yet an open application path, which is why Oregon sits in the guidance tier rather than accepting.
Source: HECC: Workforce Pell in Oregon
Nineteen states with legislative or agency movement but no application path published as of August 2. Includes: Alaska, California (AB 1534 in Appropriations), Connecticut, District of Columbia (draft policy, comment closed July 21), Hawaii, Kansas (HB 2485 enacted), Maine, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire (HB 1774 signed July 2), New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia (SB 490 effective July 1), Wisconsin. Each entry in the summary table above cites the specific status.
Watching for movement
California AB 1534 has its Senate Appropriations hearing August 3 (last passage day August 31); Maine's SWDB voted on its revised determination policy July 30; Oregon's approval portal is expected to open in August; and Wisconsin's criteria are still being set. These are the most likely to shift tier within the next monthly refresh.
Six jurisdictions with no verified public activity as of the snapshot date: Delaware, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Wyoming. Absence of a source does not mean absence of activity; institutions in these states should verify directly with their state higher-education or workforce agency.
This tracker is refreshed monthly. Sources are ranked primary (state agency, governor's office, state legislature) over secondary (news reporting, third-party trackers). Where a state has both a primary source and a secondary source, only the primary is cited in the deep-detail entries. Where a state's public activity is limited to internal committee work not documented in an accessible source, the entry reads "No verified public activity" rather than assuming absence.
Institutional planners should treat this tracker as the anchor for the state's overall posture but confirm specific application deadlines, occupation lists, and verification methodologies directly with the state agency named in each entry. State portals and eligible-occupations lists change more frequently than a monthly snapshot can reflect.
For the underlying calculation of whether an institution's programs will clear the 70/70 thresholds under any state's cycle, use the free browser-based projection tool at capstoneworkforce.com/workforce-pell-70-70-projection-tool. It runs the same math the compliance module uses; no account, no data submission.
Capstone Workforce's Workforce Pell compliance module computes the WIOA six primary indicators and the Workforce Pell 70/70 thresholds continuously from the same enrollment record your program already runs on. Per-CIP-SOC lockout-risk tracking, certification-ready exports, and an intervention queue that populates when a cohort drifts below threshold.
© 2026 Capstone Tech. Reproduction with attribution and a link to capstoneworkforce.com/resources/workforce-pell-state-implementation is welcomed. Snapshot dated August 2, 2026; check the live tracker for the current state.