Sydney Webb scrimped and saved to pay for an eight-week certified nursing assistant program at a North Carolina community college.
On top of the $255 registration fee, the 26-year-old bartender also had to pay for a background check, scrubs, a stethoscope, special shoes and a state certification exam—all while working half as much to make time for her classes.
“It shocked me a little bit how expensive it was,” said Webb, an aspiring ultrasound operator.
Other students in the Forsyth Technical Community College program might soon have access to additional support. The school in Winston-Salem is among many around the country seeking approval for a new federal grant program, Workforce Pell, to aid students enrolled in short-term job training.
For decades, Pell grants have helped low- and moderate-income students attend college, but eligible programs had to be at least 15 weeks and a minimum of 600 hours. The expansion makes some shorter-term programs eligible, too.
The federal government began accepting applications in July and has approved the first programs—an emergency medical technician program in Iowa and a medical assistant program in Indiana. Dozens of other programs in states, including Louisiana, are awaiting federal approval. They prepare students for careers as truck drivers, electrical line workers, phlebotomists, IT support technicians, firefighters, welders and more.
The expense of a short-term class can often be an obstacle for cash-strapped students who need it to get a job or a wage increase, says Chandler LeBoeuf, executive vice president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
“That’s what excites me about Workforce Pell,” he says. “Is it every program? No. Are there limitations? Yes. But ultimately, over time, we will be able to work on those aspects where barriers exist.”
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