A lot has changed at the Ed. Dept this year. Some for the better, some perhaps, for the worse. However, one change in particular is most certainly being viewed as a positive by short-term career-based schools: Changes in Pell Grants.
You see, this past summer, Congress passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) which was signed into law by the president on July 4. Now, for the purposes of the business of higher education, much of the act is immaterial…
But parts of it are crucial…
Perhaps among the most crucial parts… changes to the federal student aid system, and the “Workforce Pell Grant Program.”
As you likely know, prior to the OBBBA, Pell Grants were awarded to students who were in long-term, degree-seeking programs with a minimum of 600 hours of coursework, or a minimum of 15 weeks of study.[1]
However, the coursework requirement has changed and changed drastically.
The new Workforce Pell Grant Program (once fully enacted) will allow financial aid for students in short term programs; namely certificate and licensing programs.[2]
Now, while the new Pell program is not slated to begin until the 2026-2027 academic year at the earliest, institutions that offer certificates and licensing programs should already be gearing up their marketing materials for a potential influx of new students.
In a moment, we’ll show you a fantastic way to attract them to your school, even before any changes in the Grant program come into effect.
But first…
The new Pell Grant program still has to go through the “Negotiating Rulemaking” process before it becomes official. Then it’s off to the states and schools to enact.
So, as we said earlier, the 2026-2027 academic year is the soonest it will apply. In fact, a goal was set for the program to begin in July of 2026, just in time for Fall 2026 enrollees to take advantage of.
But there are doubts that this goal will be met.
Megan Walter, senior policy analyst with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, believes the program may be delayed until the 2027-2028 academic year.[3]
“Best case scenario, they could wrap up by the end of March (2026), and then they would have to hand it over to the schools, to the state governments to figure out a way to implement this. I can’t imagine implementation goes really smoothly in a span of four months,” said Walter.
It is our belief, Conversion Media Group, that the program actually beginning next July is not a guarantee.
We hope it goes live in July…
And of course, there is the possibility of it happening, but the slow roll of the federal bureaucracy is always a concern when it comes to meeting deadlines or goals.
For this reason, it is unwise to wait until the program actually takes effect before you begin marketing your licensing or certificate programs…
Because the time to enroll new students is, well, all the time. Starting right now.
Now, we mentioned earlier that we’d show you a fantastic way to attract new students to your school, and to attract them even before any changes in the Grant program come into effect.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re offering licensing/certificate programs, you’re offering trade programs, tech programs, four year-online degrees or online master’s degrees…
Conversion Media Group can help you get more students. Our programs are a fantastic way to attract them. It’s a fact.
How? Three words.
Live transfer leads.
What are live transfer leads, how do they work and how many can we hand off to your enrollment department?
Well, give us a quick call at 1-800-419-3201 and we’ll explain it all. The call will only take a few minutes, and it will be more than worth your time.
[1] Budget Bill Expands Pell Eligibility: What’s Next for Students and Providers? – Jobs for the Future (JFF)
[2] How the Reconciliation Law Changes the Pell Grant Program – The Institute for College Access & Success
[3] More Gen Zers are Opting for Trade School. Here’s How The Government Plans To Support Them