On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce advanced, in a 37-8 vote, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act. The bill would expand the use of Pell funding for short term, high quality credentials. Currently, Pell grants can only be used for programs with a 15-week minimum, but the bill would allow its use for programs offered during a minimum of eight weeks, but less than 15 weeks. To pay for the expansion, the bill would end federal student loans, starting next July, at the 50-60 institutions that are subject to the federal endowment tax, a controversial proposal not included in the Senate’s workforce Pell bill, the JOBS Act, which does not yet have a Committee markup date scheduled.
On Tuesday, the Committee also advanced, in a 44-1 vote, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, which would reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bill would codify the Strengthening Community Colleges Workforce Development Grant Program to improve and expand high-quality workforce development programs at community colleges, and would authorize the program for each of the Fiscal Years 2025 through 2030 at $65 million.
The bills and and a recording of the markup may be accessed here. Coverage from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here and here.