Bipartisan Progress on Pell Grant Expansion, but Hurdles Remain

As Congress gears up to head home for the holiday season, proponents who have hoped to see a breakthrough on the long-running issue of expanding Pell Grants to career-training programs lasting fewer than 15 weeks have received an early gift—a bipartisan deal in the House. Key lawmakers in both parties have wrangled for years over the expansion, with talks breaking down over whether to include for-profit institutions and how to ensure the programs are of high quality. Supporters of what’s commonly referred to as short-term or workforce Pell say it will help low-income students access training programs they need to find better-paying jobs. Opponents have questioned whether the Pell Grant should be used as a workforce development tool—and whether the short-term programs actually pay off.