What is the same in every state?
Every state runs the same federal program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: free career services and grant-funded training (never a loan) through a network of American Job Centers, with an Individual Training Account paying an approved provider directly. Eligibility doors are federal too: the Adult program (18 or older, priority of service to public assistance recipients, other low-income individuals, and the basic-skills deficient), the Dislocated Worker program (laid off or notified, on or exhausting unemployment insurance), and the Youth program (14 to 24 with barriers, most funding to out-of-school youth 16 to 24). Veterans and eligible spouses have priority everywhere.
What varies is everything operational: the agency in charge, the job-center brand on the door, the online portal, the Eligible Training Provider List, the in-demand occupation list the training must map to, and now each state's Workforce Pell process. That is what the table below compares; the state directory carries the deep dives.
All 50 states plus DC, compared
Workforce Pell status is live from our state tracker (last updated September 8, 2026); the guide links open the step-by-step application walkthrough for that state.
| State | WIOA agency / job center brand | Workforce Pell status | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Department of Commerce, Workforce Development Division / AlabamaWorks | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Alaska | Department of Labor and Workforce Development / Alaska Job Centers | In progress | coming |
| Arizona | Department of Economic Security / ARIZONA@WORK | Accepting applications | coming |
| Arkansas | Division of Workforce Services / Arkansas Workforce Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| California | Employment Development Department / America's Job Center of California | In progress | State guide |
| Colorado | Department of Labor and Employment / Colorado Workforce Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Connecticut | Department of Labor / American Job Centers CT | In progress | State guide |
| Delaware | Department of Labor / Delaware Division of Employment & Training | Accepting applications | coming |
| District of Columbia | Department of Employment Services / DC Works | Accepting applications | coming |
| Florida | CareerSource Florida (policy board) + Department of Economic Opportunity / 24 local CareerSource boards | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Georgia | Technical College System of Georgia, Office of Workforce Development / WorkSource Georgia | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Hawaii | Department of Labor and Industrial Relations / American Job Centers Hawaii | In progress | coming |
| Idaho | Idaho Department of Labor | Accepting applications | coming |
| Illinois | Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity / Illinois workNet | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Indiana | Department of Workforce Development / WorkOne | Programs approved | State guide |
| Iowa | Iowa Workforce Development / IowaWORKS | Programs approved | coming |
| Kansas | Department of Commerce / KANSASWORKS | In progress | coming |
| Kentucky | Education and Labor Cabinet / Kentucky Career Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Workforce Commission | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Maine | Department of Labor / Maine CareerCenters | Accepting applications | coming |
| Maryland | Department of Labor / Maryland Workforce Exchange | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Massachusetts | Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development / MassHire | In progress | coming |
| Michigan | Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity / Michigan Works! | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Minnesota | Department of Employment and Economic Development / CareerForce | Accepting applications | coming |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Department of Employment Security / WIN Job Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Missouri | Office of Workforce Development / Missouri Job Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Montana | Department of Labor & Industry / Montana Job Service | In progress | coming |
| Nebraska | Department of Labor / NEworks | Programs approved | coming |
| Nevada | Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation / Nevada JobConnect | Accepting applications | State guide |
| New Hampshire | Department of Business and Economic Affairs / NH Works | In progress | coming |
| New Jersey | Department of Labor and Workforce Development / One-Stop Career Centers | Programs approved | coming |
| New Mexico | Department of Workforce Solutions | Accepting applications | State guide |
| New York | Department of Labor / New York Career Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| North Carolina | Department of Commerce / NCWorks | Programs approved | State guide |
| North Dakota | Job Service North Dakota | No verified action | coming |
| Ohio | Department of Job and Family Services / OhioMeansJobs | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Employment Security Commission / Oklahoma Works | In progress | coming |
| Oregon | Higher Education Coordinating Commission & Oregon Employment Department / WorkSource Oregon | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Pennsylvania | Department of Labor & Industry / PA CareerLink | Programs approved | State guide |
| Rhode Island | Department of Labor and Training / netWORKri | Accepting applications | coming |
| South Carolina | Department of Employment and Workforce / SC Works | Accepting applications | State guide |
| South Dakota | Department of Labor and Regulation / DLR Job Service | Accepting applications | coming |
| Tennessee | Department of Labor and Workforce Development / American Job Centers TN | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Texas | Texas Workforce Commission / Workforce Solutions | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Utah | Department of Workforce Services | Guidance published | coming |
| Vermont | Department of Labor / Vermont Job Centers | In progress | coming |
| Virginia | Virginia Works / Virginia Career Works | In progress | State guide |
| Washington | Employment Security Department / WorkSource Washington | In progress | State guide |
| West Virginia | WorkForce West Virginia | In progress | coming |
| Wisconsin | Department of Workforce Development / Wisconsin Job Centers | Accepting applications | State guide |
| Wyoming | Department of Workforce Services | No verified action | State guide |
Which states approved the most occupations for Workforce Pell?
The size of a state's eligible-occupation list is the widest early signal of how broadly short-term training funding will flow. The largest published lists as of September 8, 2026:
- Colorado: 434 occupations, the largest list in the country.
- North Carolina: 364 occupations, with 43 programs already state-approved.
- Ohio: 352 occupations on its Top Jobs list, with year-round intake.
- Maryland: about 274 occupations, rolling applications.
- Michigan: 267 occupations.
- Arkansas: 245 occupations.
- Iowa: 243 occupations on its H3 list, and home to the nation's first two federally approved programs.
- Alabama: 231 occupations.
- Illinois: 195 occupations.
At the narrow end, pilot-first states published short lists on purpose: Rhode Island (20), Minnesota (22 priority occupations), South Carolina (24), Missouri (29), and Pennsylvania (19).
Which states take training-program applications on a rolling basis?
For institutions deciding where to submit first, these states run open-ended Workforce Pell intake rather than fixed windows as of September 8, 2026:
- Ohio: year-round, reviewed as received.
- Maryland: rolling via the Maryland Workforce Exchange, quarterly determinations.
- New Mexico: rolling via the NMHED portal.
- New York: rolling via the NYSDOL portal (opened August 24), monthly advisory-committee review.
- Oregon: open portal (HECC Partner Portal), no posted deadline.
- Wisconsin: rolling via DWD's online form.
- Georgia: portal open with no posted deadline (not formally rolling; the window could close with notice).
Which states run a single statewide workforce area?
Most states split WIOA delivery across local workforce boards; a handful run one statewide area, which shortens the chain between a training provider and the state's negotiated performance levels. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Idaho each operate as a single statewide area (Idaho with its Workforce Development Council as the board). In those states, the state's WIOA targets apply directly to programs, and one agency holds both program data and the wage records that verify employment outcomes; the "how states measure success" series covers Wyoming, North Dakota, and Idaho individually.
How do you use this page?
Job seekers: find your state in the table, open the state guide, and follow its application steps; every path ends at your local American Job Center and an ETPL-listed program. Program staff and institutions: the Workforce Pell column tells you whether your state is taking program applications now; the application guide explains the two-layer certification, and the deadline calculator turns any cohort end date and state into the full reporting calendar.