Implementation determines whether Workforce Pell succeeds—or fails.

Passing Workforce Pell was a major win — and it’s just the beginning. The real test will be whether it’s implemented in a way that delivers on its promise: expanding opportunity for working people and helping employers hire with confidence. NSC's fact sheet has a timeline for implementation and advocacy, and steps advocates can take to influence decision making.

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Campaign Blogs

Jan 13, 2026

Getting Workforce Pell Right for Young People – What We’ve Learned from Career Technical Education

Brooke DeRenzis, Kate Kreamer,

Dec 19, 2025

Workforce Pell is moving Forward: Advocates must help shape what comes next

Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Caroline Treschitta,

Dec 18, 2025

Lessons from Listening: How Student and Worker Voices Strengthen Our Advocacy

Michael Richardson,

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Sign the Petition

With the passage of Workforce Pell, we’ve taken a historic step toward modernizing higher education policies. For the first time, students will be able to use Pell Grants for high-quality, short-term training programs that lead to in-demand careers. It’s a major win for working people, local businesses, and our economy! But passing the law is just the beginning.

Petition

Voices for Skills Leadership Council, Second Cohort

In January 2026, NSC welcomed the second cohort of the Leadership Council, made up of nine current and former students who are now (or have been) enrolled in career-focused programs at community or technical colleges. The Leadership Council will continue to inform NSC’s policy research, advocacy, and recommendations as part of our Making College Work Campaign and our larger Voices for Skills network.

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Charting a Course to Quality: A Navigator’s Handbook to a Robust Non-Degree Credential Data Ecosystem

Issues:

Higher Education

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Workers weigh in on supports needed when restarting a career

Denise shares about her path into the health field, what it’s like to start over in your late 40s, and how policymakers can better support workers (especially those who are a little bit older) who want to train for a better job and make a career transition.

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It's time to make college work for working people

Voters support the need of modernize higher education policies to ensure equitable college access, completion, and connection to quality careers that lead to economic mobility—and help businesses thrive by training talented workers that can fill in-demand jobs.

Public Opinion Research

Campaign Staff

Lindsey Reichlin Cruse

Director of Research

Michael Richardson

Director, Worker and Student Voices

Seanniece Bamiro

State Network Manager

Yasmin Fallahkhair

Senior State Network Manager

Caroline Treschitta

Senior Government Affairs Manager

Our Network in Action

See what the experts and organizations across all of NSC's networks are doing to make college work for working people, business, and our economy.

Comments Submitted to Department of Education on Short-Term Pell

NSC submitted comments to the Department of Education on its proposed rulemaking to implement changes to Title IV of the Higher Education Act under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In particular, NSC addressed the AHEAD Committee’s work on establishing eligibility requirements for the new Workforce Pell Grant, which will support students in short-term programs leading to recognized credentials with strong outcomes.

Calling on Congress to mark up the JOBS Act

A collective letter, Feb 2025, to encourage the the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) to markup legislation to expand federal Pell Grant program eligibility to high-quality, shorter-term education and training programs.

Short term Pell Letter to Senate HELP Committee

A collective letter, Feb 2024, to encourage the Senate to consider legislation to expand Pell Grant eligibility to high quality short-term education and training programs following bipartisan efforts to prioritize this issue in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce which advanced a bill out of committee December 2023.

JOBS Letter to Senate HELP

Under NSC's federal advocacy for the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to shorter-term education and training programs, this letter was sent to the Senate HELP Committee ahead of the legislation markup.

Network Letter to Department of Education on Gainful Employment

NSC and the undersigned organizations submits comments to the Department of Education's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding financial value transparency and gainful employment.

Letter to Department of Education on Gainful Employment

Comments to the Department of Education's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding financial value transparency and gainful employment. Our comments highlight NSC’s state quality assurance framework, and requests that the department revise certain proposals to ensure that the regulations are accurately targeting bad actors while limiting adverse impacts for students and supporting investments in programs with strong outcomes.

JOBS Letter to Congress

National organizations, state coalitions, and local businesses signed on to a letter urging Congress to expand Pell Grant eligibility to shorter-term education and training programs.

College Transparency Act Letter

NSC and 8 other national organizations sent a letter to the Senate to urge support for the College Transparency Act (S. 839) related Motion to Instruct (MTI).

Letter to Department of Education on Quality Non-Degree Credentials and Low Value Programs

Comments to the Department of Education's request for information regarding creating a list of low financial value programs. Our comments highlight NSC’s work on quality non-degree credentials, the importance of data and consumer information, and responds to specific inquiries from the Department of Education.

Recent Press

Check out the most recent news on making college work.

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