Workforce Pell Grant Program

State Approval Eligibility Evidence

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Executive Summary

Workforce Pell Eligibility Assessment

This report provides labor market evidence supporting Workforce Pell program eligibility under H.R. 1, Section 83002 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). State workforce boards must verify programs align with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations and meet employer hiring requirements.

Eligibility Finding

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Workforce Pell State Approval Requirements (H.R. 1, Sec. 83002)

Programs must be approved by the state governor (in consultation with the state workforce board) as aligned with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations, and must meet the hiring requirements of potential employers.

Section 1

Workforce Pell Eligibility Overview

Full Eligibility Framework

Workforce Pell eligibility under H.R. 1, Sec. 83002 requires programs to satisfy multiple criteria across different authorities. This report provides the labor market evidence needed for state governor and workforce board approval. Other eligibility requirements are verified separately by the institution and the Department of Education.

✓ This report covers: High-wage verification, in-demand occupation evidence, employer hiring requirements alignment

✓ This report covers: Regional labor market demand from employer job postings and BLS data

— Verified by institution/ED: 70% completion rate and 70% job placement rate thresholds

— Verified by institution/ED: Institutional accreditation, program length (150–599 clock hours), credential stackability & portability

Section 2

State Approval Criteria

Under Workforce Pell regulations, state workforce boards must verify the following criteria. This report provides evidence for labor market alignment requirements.

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High-Wage Occupation Evaluating wage data…

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In-Demand Occupation Positive growth or significant openings

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Meets Employer Hiring Requirements Task alignment with regional postings

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Stackable, Portable Credential Credential stackability and portability must be attested by the institution (see below)

Credential Stackability & Portability Attestation

Under Sec. 83002, programs must lead to a recognized postsecondary credential that is stackable and portable. Institutions should confirm the following before submitting for state approval:

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Credential articulates or stacks into a higher-level degree or credential program

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Credential is recognized by employers across the state or region (not institution-specific)

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Credential is an industry-recognized certification, state license, or certificate with articulation agreement

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Institution holds institutional accreditation recognized by the Department of Education

Note: Completion rate (70%) and job placement rate (70%) requirements are verified by the Department of Education using institutional data, not covered in this report.

Section 3

High-Wage Evidence

Under WIOA definitions used by Workforce Pell, "high-wage" typically means earnings at or above the median wage for all occupations in the state or region. The following wage data demonstrates this program's target occupation meets high-wage criteria.

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National Median Annual Wage

$—

Entry-Level (10th %ile)

$—

Experienced (90th %ile)

High-Wage Finding

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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. National all-occupation median wage: $48,060. Validated against BLS source files ›

Section 4

In-Demand Evidence

Under WIOA definitions, "in-demand" occupations are those with positive growth projections, significant job openings, or identified as priorities by state/regional workforce boards.

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Projected Growth

2024-2034 (national)

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Annual Openings

National (thousands)

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Regional Postings

Analyzed

Metric	Value	Interpretation
Employment (2024)	—	Current national employment
Employment (2034)	—	Projected employment
Change (number)	—	—
Annual Openings	—	Growth + replacement needs

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034. Validated against BLS source files ›

In-Demand Finding

Section 5

Employer Hiring Requirements Alignment

Workforce Pell requires programs to "meet the hiring requirements of potential in-demand industry or sector employers." This section documents alignment between regional employer requirements and O*NET occupational standards.

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Employers

In sample

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Task Coverage

O*NET alignment

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Tasks Confirmed

of — O*NET tasks

Hiring Requirements Finding

Regional employer requirements show alignment with O*NET occupation profile, confirming the program meets employer hiring requirements.

Confirmed O*NET Tasks

The following canonical occupation tasks were confirmed in regional job postings:

Certification Requirements

Certifications mentioned by regional employers:

Certification	% of Postings	O*NET Mapped

Technology & Tools Requirements

Tools and technologies employers require:

Technology/Tool	% of Postings	O*NET Mapped

Section 6

Regional Employer Evidence

The following employers in the region have posted positions for this occupation, demonstrating active labor market demand:

#	Employer	Position Title	Status

Regional Demand Evidence

Analysis of regional job postings confirms active employer demand from multiple organizations in the service area.

Upcoming Regulatory Changes

Value Added Earnings Test (Year 4 of program eligibility): Programs must demonstrate that graduates' median earnings exceed those of high school graduates in the state, based on wage-record data. Programs should begin tracking completer earnings early to prepare for this threshold.

Placement Metric Tightening (Starting 2029): The 70% placement rate will narrow to count only graduates employed in occupations relevant to their training, rather than any employment. Programs in broad or cross-cutting fields should evaluate how closely their completers' employment aligns with the target SOC code.

These requirements do not affect initial eligibility but will impact ongoing program participation. Institutions and state boards should plan ahead for compliance.

Data Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development
CIP-SOC Crosswalk, National Center for Education Statistics
Regional job postings analysis via Semantic Insight

Generated by Semantic Insight · semanticinsight.tech

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