Where South Dakota stands
South Dakota is taking Workforce Pell applications now. The Department of Labor and Regulation's second window is open from September 1 to October 31, 2026, with determinations due December 31, 2026. The inaugural window ran July 1 to August 31, 2026, and determinations on it are due October 30, 2026.
Governor Larry Rhoden announced on July 7, 2026 that Title IV schools could apply, and DLR published a 56-occupation qualifying list. DLR expects to submit the first state-approved programs to the U.S. Department of Education in November 2026.
From 2027 the calendar is fixed: windows run March 1 to April 30 and September 1 to October 31 each year. A program that misses October 31, 2026 waits for March 1, 2027.
Tracker status: South Dakota is accepting or reviewing program applications, as of Sep 1, 2026. The national tracker carries every state.
Who runs Workforce Pell in South Dakota?
the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation administers Workforce Pell under its DLR Workforce Pell Policy. DLR reviews applications with a Workforce Development Council subcommittee, and the Governor or the Secretary of Labor approves them.
State approval is the first step. DLR expects to send the first state-approved programs to the U.S. Department of Education in November 2026, and federal review runs months after that before any student can receive Workforce Pell funds.
What are the South Dakota Workforce Pell dates?
October 30, 2026 for determinations on the first window, and October 31, 2026 for the close of the second window. Determinations on second-window applications are due December 31, 2026.
Starting in 2027, windows run March 1 to April 30 and September 1 to October 31 each year. Federal review follows state approval and runs months, so a program approved in December is unlikely to fund students in the term that starts in January. Treat DLR's November federal submission as the department's stated expectation rather than a guarantee.
Which programs are eligible in South Dakota?
The federal floor applies in every state. A program has to run between 150 and 599 clock hours, deliver that instruction across 8 to 15 weeks, lead to a recognized credential, and hold a 70 percent completion rate and a 70 percent job placement rate.
On top of that, South Dakota published a qualifying list of 56 occupations, so the program has to train for work on that list, and the applicant has to be a Title IV school. DLR has not published how it weights the factors within a review, so build the application around the published list and the 70/70 numbers.
The 70/70 thresholds guide covers how completion and placement are measured, and the final rule guide covers the federal floors every state applies.
What should South Dakota programs do now?
File in the second window before October 31. The window opened September 1, 2026, and determinations on it are due December 31. Missing it moves the next chance to March 1, 2027.
Check the 56-occupation list before you build anything else. South Dakota's qualifying list defines what DLR can approve. A program that trains for an occupation outside it will not clear state review, no matter how strong its outcomes are.
Build the completion and placement record now. The 70/70 thresholds are measured on outcomes, and a South Dakota program that cannot show a verified placement rate for its last cohort is guessing ahead of a December determination.
The reviewer's bar in every state is a defensible outcome record. See outcome verification software for the mechanics and the South Dakota WIOA guide for how the ETPL and training accounts work alongside Workforce Pell today.
Sources
Sources for this page, from the state tracker. Primary sources are the agency, governor, or legislature; secondary sources are reporting or third-party trackers.
For the national picture across all 52 jurisdictions, see the Workforce Pell status page, last refreshed October 2, 2026.