By EMMA GALLEGOS

EdSource

For the first time, California students in short-term career training programs may begin to receive federal aid through a pilot program this fall, according to the California Student Aid Commission.

During the commission’s Thursday, Aug. 6 meeting at Cal State Los Angeles, executive director Daisy Gonzales and other state agencies discussed a timeline for implementing the new Workforce Pell program. Under the program, students can now use federal aid for workforce training programs lasting between eight and 15 weeks.

Federal aid was recently made available for states’ short-term programs starting July 1. More than two dozen states have launched their programs and opened application windows, according to Opportunity Data, an independent research platform tracking states’ Workforce Pell implementation.

On Wednesday, Aug. 19, a new statewide task force will begin meetings to discuss California’s implementation of its Workforce Pell program. The goal, officials said, is to invite programs the state believes will likely meet eligibility requirements — a list that mostly includes community colleges and public institutions — to a pilot application portal.

“If our task force can get this done in five months, we will be able to test pilot our very first Workforce Pell recipients this fall,” Gonzales said.

The goal, Gonzales said, is to craft emergency regulations for the Workforce Pell program to expand it beyond the pilot phase.

Participating programs must meet these eligibility requirements:

The completion rate must be at least 70% within 150% of the normal time.

The job placement rate must be 70% after 180 days of completion.

Tuition and fees must be equal to or less than the value-added earning for the program.

As many as 3,000 programs in California community colleges could meet the eligibility requirements for the Workforce Pell program, according to Anthony Cordova, vice chancellor of workforce and economic development for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. He said the Workforce Pell program will expand students’ access to job training programs that will help them increase their earning potential and expand their career opportunities.

This kind of program will be important for historically underserved adult learners, such as first generation students, veterans, justice-impacted students and English learners, Cordova said.

Officials described the program Thursday as an entry point, the first in a series of “stackable credentials.” The idea is that a student can get short-term training and discuss a long-term plan where they might consider returning later for an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree, according to Vaniethia Hubbard, vice president of student affairs at Santa Ana College.

“It’s a quick pivot for community colleges,” said Hubbard. “That’s what we do. We’re primed and ready to support (students).”