Short-Term Pell Already Exists - Commentary

Rachel Fishman, acting director with the Education Policy Program, New America, wrote: 

Many high school graduates with no further education have limited economic opportunities. That’s why it is imperative that postsecondary education and workforce training offer multiple pathways beyond a traditional college degree—including non-degree certificate programs—to good jobs and economic security. Federal lawmakers think they have the answer to helping pay for this type of training: the Pell Grant, the cornerstone of need-based financial aid for all of higher education. Employers want individuals with some postsecondary training, would-be employees need access to specialized postsecondary training, and so-called “short-term Pell'' seems like the perfect solution to fill that gap. The result is proposed legislation—the JOBS Act and the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act—to expand the Pell Grant to short-term training programs.