An EMT training course at Iowa Central Community College is the first federally approved career program for a new, expanded version of federal student aid.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling visited Iowa Central Community College’s campus in Fort Dodge on Tuesday to celebrate the Workforce Pell Grant program.
The expanded student aid program was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law last year, but took effect this year on July 1. The funds are meant for low-income students, but unlike the traditional Pell grant program, the money can go toward short-term career-focused training courses and are geared toward addressing workforce shortages.
In April, Iowa became the first state to open applications to postsecondary institutions looking for approval for qualified programs. McMahon said the new program will help students gain job skills on a shorter timeline without taking on debt.
“It's a shift that recognizes what learners and workers have been saying for years: They need faster, more practical routes into real jobs, not a one-size-fits-all system that sidelines talent and delays opportunity,” McMahon said. “Workforce Pell puts that flexibility directly into their hands.”
The U.S. Department of Education estimates Workforce Pell Grants will support approximately 190,000 recipients per year.
Reynolds called the grants a “game changer” for addressing workforce needs like EMTs. The state is projected to have more than 500 EMT job openings in the state within the next five years, she said.
“This program is expanding high-quality career opportunities and paving the way to a stronger, more resilient economy,” Reynolds said. “This opportunity only increases our capacity to serve Iowans in emergency situations, and it also can just literally save lives.”
The expanded Pell grant eligibility comes as the federal Pell Grant program faces a major funding shortfall. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the program will face a $5.5 billion shortfall by the end of fiscal year 2026 alone, and the expanded workforce program is estimated to cost $3.2 billion over the next 10 years.
Programs must meet Department of Education criteria
Iowa Department of Education Director of Communications Heather Doe said nine programs have been approved by the state so far, but the programs will need to apply for final federal approval with the U.S. Department of Education. The nine programs were approved from 20 applications submitted from seven Iowa higher education institutions during the state's first application cycle, Doe said.
Eligible programs must be in high-skill, high-wage and in-demand fields. The programs also must require between 150-599 hours of instruction, be eight to 15 weeks long and meet other criteria, like having a minimum 70% completion rate and a 70% job placement rate.
The nine programs below received state-approval:
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
- Commercial Driver’s License Class A (CDLA) Manual
- Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Entry-Level Technician
- Manufacturing Maintenance Technician
- Residential HVAC Installer
- Iowa Central Community College
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Accelerated Truck Driving
- Iowa Western Community College
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Commercial Driver’s License Class A (CDLA) Truck Driving
The Iowa Department of Education plans to open another application window for institutions later this year.
Interested students can start by selecting an eligible program on the Iowa Department of Education’s website and by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which opens Oct. 1.
Eligible students could start receiving funds for approved programs this fall at the earliest, according to the Iowa Department of Education.
