On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) will open applications for Workplace Pell grants through the website portal www.highered.ohio.gov/workforcepell.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with no anticipated date of closure.
Workforce Pell signed into law on July 4, 2025, expands federal Pell Grants to short-term programs, with high completion and job placement rates that yield high wages relative to their cost, that earn stackable credit.
Workforce Pell eligibility is limited, by federal law, generally in the following manner:
Accreditation: Programs must be offered at a Title IV eligible institution
History: The program must have existed for at least one year before applying
Duration: 150-599 clock hours (or credit equivalent) across 8-14 weeks
Success: Completion (within 150% of time) and job placement must both reach 70%+
Alignment: Programs must align with WIOA/Perkins (aka the “Ohio Top Jobs” list)
Credit: Programs must lead to stackable credit without additional tests or barriers
Wages vs. Cost: value-added earnings must exceed program cost
In light of federal requirements, the State of Ohio has taken an expansive view of its role. In general, you will notice that Ohio’s authorized programs are maximally inclusive (i.e. all programs aligned to the “Ohio Top Jobs” list). Federal requirements narrow eligibility.
Please remember that students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for any form of Pell grant funding. This includes Workforce Pell.
Attached is Ohio’s Workforce Pell Certification Policy and an application checklist. Final federal regulations, if modified from draft form, may require ODHE to adjust this policy. Please monitor our website.
ODHE staff will attempt to answer as many questions as possible on our website, take your calls and emails, and discuss solutions. Our program inbox is workforcepell@highered.ohio.gov.