Two community colleges have received approval from the U.S. Department of Education to use Workforce Pell grants for qualifying short-term programs.

Iowa Central Community College and Ivy Tech Community College are among the first institutions to gain federal eligibility for these grants, which aim to expand access to accelerated career training programs. This initiative is expected to open up vocational programs, such as emergency medical technical (EMT) and clinical medical assistant, to more students, addressing workforce needs and providing pathways to immediate employment.