Workforce Pell in Missouri: First MDHEWD Round Closed, 29 Approved Occupations

Missouri opened and closed its first Workforce Pell institutional application round, with submissions due August 7, 2026. The Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development runs the process against a 29-occupation approved list. Programs must run 150 to 599 clock hours over 8 to 14 weeks and meet 70 percent completion and 70 percent placement within 180 days. The U.S. Department of Education makes the final eligibility decision.

At its September 1 and 2, 2026 quarterly meetings, the State Workforce Development Board received Workforce Pell updates. No approved-program list has been published, and Missouri has not announced a second round.

Missouri is one of the few states to publish the placement window in its own rule: 180 days. That is a tighter measurement than the federal second-quarter-after-exit frame, and it is the number a Missouri applicant has to be able to document.

Tracker status: Missouri is accepting or reviewing program applications, as of Sep 3, 2026. The national tracker carries every state.

Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD). MDHEWD runs intake and review in consultation with the State Workforce Development Board and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, then recommends programs to the Governor, who certifies them. The U.S. Department of Education decides eligibility through E-App.

Institutions submit an interest form first, then complete the application through a unique link with the Workforce Pell Student Data Template. The department's Workforce Pell page carries the occupation list, the program requirements, and the round dates.

Not announced. Round one closed August 7. The first-round programs are in state review, and no approved-program list has been published. A second round would most likely open after the first determinations post; institutions that missed August 7 should prepare a complete file and watch the MDHEWD page.

First-round programs that clear state and federal review could enroll Workforce Pell students in spring 2027.

Programs leading to one of the 29 approved occupations, running 150 to 599 clock hours over 8 to 14 weeks (Missouri set 14, one week under the federal 15), with 70 percent completion and 70 percent placement within 180 days of completion.

The 180-day placement window is the Missouri-specific requirement. A program that measures placement at the second quarter after exit under WIOA is measuring later than Missouri will; the record has to show placement inside six months.

The 70/70 thresholds guide covers how completion and placement are measured, and the final rule guide covers the federal floors every state applies.

If you submitted in round one, prepare the financial aid setup. State review is running and federal review follows. The program should be enrollable the term after approval posts.

If you missed August 7, build the file for round two. Occupation match against the 29-occupation list, hours inside 150 to 599 over 8 to 14 weeks, the Workforce Pell Student Data Template, and the outcome record.

Measure placement at 180 days. Missouri's window is shorter than WIOA's. Track each completer's placement date and verify it with the employer so the 180-day rate is a number, not an estimate.

The reviewer's bar in every state is a defensible outcome record. See outcome verification software for the mechanics and the Missouri WIOA guide for how the ETPL and training accounts work alongside Workforce Pell today.

Sources for this page, from the state tracker. Primary sources are the agency, governor, or legislature; secondary sources are reporting or third-party trackers.

• DHEWD: Federal Workforce Pell Grant
• State of Missouri Workforce Pell Program Eligibility Requirements and Policies
• DHEWD: CBHE and SWDB convene (Sep 3, 2026)

For the national picture across all 52 jurisdictions, see the Workforce Pell status page, last refreshed October 2, 2026.