This page will continue to be updated as the State of Rhode Island rolls out the application. Please check back regularly for new information.
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act (Public Law 119–21, July 2025) expanded federal Pell Grant eligibility to short-term workforce training programs for the first time. Eligible programs must be:
Rhode Island’s Goal: Use Workforce Pell to expand access for Rhode Islanders to quality, good-paying jobs while aligning credentials to employer needs.
Rhode Island is launching Workforce Pell Grant eligibility through a pilot process to protect students’ Pell lifetime eligibility, ensure programs lead to quality jobs, and build the data infrastructure needed for oversight. The first year will focus on refining the process to improve outcomes for students, employers, and institutions.
To qualify, programs must align to one of Rhode Island’s 20 priority occupations (listed below), each meeting the state’s high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand criteria.
SOC Code | Occupation | In-Demand (10-Year Projected Openings) | High-Wage (2024 Median Wage) | High-Skill (WIOA Definition) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
47-2031 | Carpenters | 4,673 | $29.09 | ✔ |
53-3032 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,352 | $28.71 | ✔ |
47-2111 | Electricians | 2,849 | $33.73 | ✔ |
47-2152 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 2,576 | $31.07 | ✔ |
51-4121 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 2,460 | $27.40 | ✔ |
15-1232 | Computer User Support Specialists | 1,482 | $28.57 | ✔ |
33-3051 | Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | 1,476 | $37.15 | ✔ |
29-2061 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 1,457 | $37.47 | ✔ |
23-2011 | Paralegals and Legal Assistants | 1,432 | $26.22 | ✔ |
49-9021 | Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | 1,431 | $30.57 | ✔ |
33-2011 | Firefighters | 1,340 | $33.41 | ✔ |
51-4041 | Machinists | 1,195 | $28.60 | ✔ |
43-5061 | Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 977 | $30.37 | ✔ |
49-9041 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 936 | $30.71 | ✔ |
43-4031 | Court, Municipal, and License Clerks | 933 | $28.16 | ✔ |
35-1011 | Chefs and Head Cooks | 909 | $38.06 | ✔ |
49-3021 | Automotive Body and Related Repairers | 872 | $28.65 | ✔ |
31-2011 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 781 | $30.57 | ✔ |
49-3051 | Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians | 781 | $26.69 | ✔ |
15-1231 | Computer Network Support Specialists | 762 | $38.57 | ✔ |
ANY Related Technical Instruction for a Registered Apprenticeship |
Final Federal Regulations released, to go into effect July 20,2026
Initial Multi-Tiered Review includes:
Step 1: Programmatic compliance review to ensure that programs meet all federal and state requirements. Programs will be notified if they meet these requirements and move onto step 2.
Step 2: Program Data Verification: Programs will need to submit student- level data to verify that the program meets federal performance baselines of at least a 70% within 150% of the normal time to completion and a 70% job placement rate within the second quarter after completion.
Review of applications, including consultation with the Governor’s Workforce Board.
Formal Certification Letters of Approval or Notices of Application Denial to the applying institutions.
Institutions whose programs were denied may submit their formal written appeal and all supporting evidence.
The state guidelines and determination processes for Workforce Pell 2026-2027 are provided here in a PDF, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions document. Please download both for details before submitting an application.
Instructions for institutions applying for Workforce Pell program eligibility:
To receive a Workforce Pell Grant, you must qualify for traditional federal Pell Grants. Key things to know:
To apply for a Pell grant, direct loan, Parent PLUS loan or other federal aid, you must go to Federal Student Aid website and create an account. Obtain an FSA ID, then complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Here is a handy form to help you organize your application details before you start the FSA ID process.
FAFSA is the first step in the process for applying for financial aid for college. The United States government, through the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Office, provides approximately $112 billion in grant, work-study, and loan funds each year to help pay for college or career school. Their website is chock-full of excellent details about student financial aid and loans. The FAFSA application form opens annually on October 1 (2023 and 2024 were anomalies due to recent changes in the form.)
In Rhode Island, some students who qualify but who are unable to complete a federal financial aid application (FAFSA) due to circumstances may apply using this form (The downloaded file will contain both the English and Spanish versions of the application).
Choosing the college that matches your abilities, ambitions, preferences, and wallet is critical. There are literally thousands of choices and this website, the College Scorecard, from the U.S. Department of Education, is one method to try to compare all the degree-granting colleges and universities.
Mapping Your Future is another financial aid resource to check out. They are a neutral, non-proprietary, and non-commercial resource of information and services for students, families, and schools; and they will not require anyone who uses their site to participate in any loan program, or use any guarantor or lender. Another helpful resource is FinAid. Their site offers a comprehensive look at all of the available resources to consider when financing postsecondary education.
Locally, the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority, through its College Planning Center, can assist with counseling and more. The agency is a non-profit, quasi-state authority that provides state-based education loans and assists with the college planning process, such as educating families on how to obtain financial aid, providing tools that help families make informed and responsible borrowing choices for college.
If you want to consider and apply for scholarships, try searching via FastWeb. It’s a free scholarship search platform that connects students to scholarships and financial aid tools. Locally. The Rhode Island Foundation’s online tool lists all the scholarships available from local organizations. And the College Planning center at the R.I. Student Loan Authority also offers a database of Rhode Island-based scholarships.
One other important bit of information…if you want to enroll in a public college or university but the degree you want to major in isn’t offered locally, check out this list of institutions in Tuition Break. Through an agreement with the New England Board of Higher Education, eligible Rhode Island students (undergraduate and graduate) can matriculate at other public institutions in New England at a tuition rate that is significantly less than the out-of-state tuition rate normally charged. New England Board of Higher Education’s Transfer Guarantee Program helps eligible R.I. students lower their tuition costs when they transfer into a bachelor’s program at an out-of-state, public, four-year college or university. Students are eligible when they enroll in an approved program that is not offered by the public colleges and universities in their home state – and sometimes they’re eligible when they live closer to an out-of-state college.
In your journey to earn a postsecondary degree or credential, there is help available to you as you navigate the financing options.
The Governor has designated the Rhode Island Office of Postsecondary Commissioner as the designee. Questions and concerns can be directed to workforcepell@riopc.edu