Workforce Pell Deep Dive
Where each state stands on Workforce Pell certification. Because governor and workforce board approval runs state by state, availability is local and moving. This page tracks the process for all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and is refreshed monthly.
Last updated: July 11, 2026
32
2
6
12
0
Every state, DC, and Puerto Rico as an equal tile. Color shows how far along each jurisdiction is, from no verified activity through to launched, not how large the state is. Hover a tile for the status, click it for the note and source, or filter by a status below.
Select a state to see where it stands, the date the intel is anchored to, and the source behind it. Or use the status filters above to isolate a group.
Workforce Pell is a federal program with state-level gates. Before a student in your state can use Workforce Pell at a specific program, that program has to clear two approvals: certification by the state's governor in consultation with the state workforce development board, and approval by the U.S. Department of Education. See the complete Workforce Pell overview for the mechanics.
This tracker reports the state-side status. Every row shows where that state currently stands: whether the state has published a certification process, whether programs are accepting Workforce Pell aid, and where to find the state's list of certified programs when it exists. The federal approval side is a separate step, and a state entry moving from "programs published" to "actively enrolling" means both gates have cleared.
The tracker is refreshed monthly and dated at the top of the page. In this early phase of the program, expect movement almost every month.
Federal artifact
On July 1, 2026, Federal Student Aid published the state Workforce Pell certification form that governors must submit to certify eligible programs. This is the federal artifact the states cited here are working against.
FSA Electronic Announcement (July 1, 2026)No verified public activity from the state on Workforce Pell yet.
Verified movement short of a public process. Enabling legislation signed, a bill with committee hearings, or a governor's announcement, but no application path is published yet.
State has published an implementation framework, eligible-occupations list, or written guidance for institutions. Applications may not yet be open.
State is actively accepting or reviewing Workforce Pell program applications from institutions.
State has approved Workforce Pell programs actively enrolling students.
Fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Rows are alphabetical. Notes summarize the concrete state action; the update date is the date the note is anchored to, so readers can gauge how fresh each row is.
Showing 52 of 52
| State | Status | Notes | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlabamaAL | Accepting applications | Gov. Ivey and the Alabama Department of Workforce launched the state approval process on June 30; institutions apply program-by-program against ADOW's in-demand occupations list (identified via the Five-Star Demand Rubric), with state approval preceding federal submission. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| AlaskaAK | No verified activity | — | — |
| ArizonaAZ | No verified activity | — | — |
| ArkansasAR | Guidance published | The Division of Higher Education opened its initial institution application window with a June 30 deadline, per NPR and independent tracker reporting. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| CaliforniaCA | In progress | AB1534 was amended in Senate on June 15, 2026 after clearing the Assembly (amendments March 5 and March 19). The bill requires postsecondary institutions to obtain gubernatorial approval before disbursing Workforce Pell funds (effective July 1, 2026), creates an advisory board, and sets a July 1, 2028 requirement that at least 50% of Adult and Dislocated Worker participants receive workforce training. Not yet signed into law. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| ColoradoCO | No verified activity | — | — |
| ConnecticutCT | No verified activity | — | — |
| DelawareDE | No verified activity | — | — |
| District of ColumbiaDC | No verified activity | — | — |
| FloridaFL | No verified activity | — Source:FLDOE Workforce Pell page | — |
| GeorgiaGA | No verified activity | — | — |
| HawaiiHI | No verified activity | — | — |
| IdahoID | Accepting applications | The Workforce Development Council is accepting applications for a limited pilot, per NPR and independent tracker reporting. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| IllinoisIL | No verified activity | — | — |
| IndianaIN | Accepting applications | Gov. Braun opted Indiana in on July 1, approved Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University as the first institutions to apply, and opened applications through the Commission for Higher Education, with year one targeted at public two-year colleges. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| IowaIA | Accepting applications | The Department of Education launched what it calls the first state Workforce Pell application in the nation; applications opened April 1 with a May 15 priority deadline and a published H3 occupations list with SOC-CIP crosswalk. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| KansasKS | No verified activity | — | — |
| KentuckyKY | No verified activity | — | — |
| LouisianaLA | No verified activity | — | — |
| MaineME | No verified activity | — | — |
| MarylandMD | In progress | The General Assembly passed SB0509 (Higher Education — Workforce Pell Grant Program — Implementation), which the Governor signed May 26, 2026 as Chapter 724. The law empowers the Governor's Workforce Development Board to review programs and work with the Governor on approvals. Application process not yet published. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| MassachusettsMA | No verified activity | — | — |
| MichiganMI | Guidance published | The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity published full determination policies with an approved occupations list; the first application cycle closed June 15, with approval decisions due by August. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| MinnesotaMN | Guidance published | The Office of Higher Education launched an application portal June 4 with a full determination policy and priority occupations list; the first application cycle closed June 30 and reviews are advancing to the Governor for certification. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| MississippiMS | Accepting applications | Gov. Reeves designated AccelerateMS (the state Office of Workforce Development) as the coordinating entity; it began accepting institutional applications July 1, working with the State Workforce Investment Board, with priority sectors in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| MissouriMO | No verified activity | — | — |
| MontanaMT | No verified activity | — | — |
| NebraskaNE | Accepting applications | Gov. Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Labor opened the application portal in early July with a published occupations list and policies; institutions submit ahead of quarterly workforce board meetings, and Metropolitan Community College is the first institution with programs in the pipeline. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| NevadaNV | Accepting applications | The Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) opened Phase 1 of the application process July 1, limited to Nevada System of Higher Education institutions, with Phase 2 to follow for non-credit providers; applications are submitted by email to DETR. Source:OWINN: Workforce Pell | Jul 11, 2026 |
| New HampshireNH | No verified activity | — | — |
| New JerseyNJ | Guidance published | The Department of Labor and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education collected institutional program data through May 1, and the Governor submitted New Jersey's eligible program list to the U.S. Department of Education at the July 1 launch. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| New MexicoNM | No verified activity | — | — |
| New YorkNY | No verified activity | — | — |
| North CarolinaNC | Accepting applications | Gov. Stein designated the NCWorks Commission as lead agency, and the Commission began accepting Workforce Pell program applications on June 23, with quarterly review cycles. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| North DakotaND | No verified activity | — | — |
| OhioOH | Accepting applications | The Department of Higher Education is accepting program applications year-round, with a published policy, readiness checklist, and eligible CIP code list; programs must align with Ohio's Top Jobs list. | Jul 8, 2026 |
| OklahomaOK | No verified activity | — | — |
| OregonOR | No verified activity | — | — |
| PennsylvaniaPA | Guidance published | The Department of Education published a full implementation framework with an initial 19-occupation eligible list; the 2026-27 program application window ran March 9 to April 17, and PDE posted its first approved-program determinations in early July, with denied programs able to appeal within 30 days. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| Puerto RicoPR | No verified activity | — | — |
| Rhode IslandRI | No verified activity | — | — |
| South CarolinaSC | Accepting applications | The Department of Employment and Workforce opened its Workforce Pell process effective July 1, running quarterly application windows (the first 15 business days of each quarter) against a pilot list of 24 eligible occupations. Source:SC Works: Workforce Pell | Jul 11, 2026 |
| South DakotaSD | Accepting applications | Gov. Rhoden and the Department of Labor and Regulation opened the inaugural application window July 1 through August 31, with determinations due by October 30 and the first applications expected to reach the U.S. Department of Education in November. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| TennesseeTN | Accepting applications | The Department of Labor and Workforce Development, with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, launched the program July 1; the application portal is live for institutions, and approved programs will be posted to the state Workforce Pell page as they clear review. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| TexasTX | Guidance published | The Higher Education Coordinating Board published program guidelines with an eligible-occupations list and ran an institutional application window that closed June 19; the THECB review team is evaluating submissions before Gov. Abbott certifies programs for federal submission. | Jul 11, 2026 |
| UtahUT | No verified activity | — | — |
| VermontVT | No verified activity | — | — |
| VirginiaVA | No verified activity | — | — |
| WashingtonWA | No verified activity | — | — |
| West VirginiaWV | No verified activity | — | — |
| WisconsinWI | No verified activity | — | — |
| WyomingWY | No verified activity | — | — |
If you are a student or advisor: the Workforce Pell application guide walks the FAFSA path and closes with a section for advisors on how the intake conversation has changed.
If you run a program: the final rule explainer covers what actually changed between the NPRM and the final version and what the Department left open — those are the operational questions state certification submissions need to answer.
Or run the free Workforce Pell Readiness Scorecard — six dimensions, under 10 minutes, green/amber/red on the operational infrastructure you'll need to submit under the 70/70 accountability regime.
Behind this tracker
We build the readiness and outcome infrastructure workforce programs run on: baseline-to-graduation skill data, job-readiness scoring, and the evidence chain that Workforce Pell and WIOA reporting depend on. The team that maintains this tracker builds the platform.
If your state has published Workforce Pell guidance, a program application form, or a certified program list that isn't reflected here, send it over and we will get it into the next monthly refresh. Direct links from state workforce boards, higher-ed agencies, or governor's offices are ideal.
What Workforce Pell is, which programs are eligible, the approval gates, and what to do now.
The student-facing FAFSA path in four steps, plus a section for advisors on how the intake conversation has changed.
The mechanics of each of the three accountability thresholds and what the two-year lockout means for substantially similar programs.
The rules read as an engineering specification: the four data capabilities a program must hold continuously.
The AHEAD Committee rulemaking history, the three significant changes from the NPRM, and the questions the rule left open.
See it on your programs
A 30-minute walkthrough of how Capstone Workforce captures baseline, growth, and readiness data as a byproduct of the training itself, so the 70/70 evidence chain is built continuously instead of reconstructed at deadlines.
Last updated: July 11, 2026