By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
Students enrolled in an EMT course offered by an Iowa community college will be the first allowed to apply for a new class of federal grants. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon was in Fort Dodge yesterday, surrounded by more than two dozen students, to make the announcement
“The Iowa Central EMT program is making history as the first approved ‘Workforce Pell’ program in the nation,” McMahon said, to applause and cheers.
Pell grants were established in 1972 to help low income students seeking college degrees. The Trump Administration has just completed the guidelines for “Workforce Pell” grants, for students who may complete a certification program in as little as eight to 15 weeks. “At a time when too many are saddled with high debt and degrees with limited return, students and workers are seeking faster, more flexible ways to gain the skills that employers need,” McMahon said, “pathways that honor talent, reward effort, and open opportunity without years of schooling and financial strain.”
The Workforce Pell program was authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill President Trump signed in July of last year. Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said his agency helped get the guidelines finished and the program available to this first batch of Iowa Central Community College students who’ve enrolled in the 14-week EMT program. “We are taking that bold step to ‘Make America Skilled Again,’” Sonderling said.
Governor Kim Reynolds said Iowa was the first state to submit an application for the Workforce Pell program. “Like many states, recruiting and retaining workforce for some of our most critical needs continues to be a challenge, ” Reynolds said. “Our need for EMTs in particular remains higher than average, especially in rural areas.”
There will be over 500 openings in Iowa for E-M-T in the next five years, according to the governor. “Recruiting EMTs has been a struggle for many of our communities because of the cost of the training and the time to get certified,” Reynolds said. “And that’s why Workforce Pell is such a game changer.”
Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich said Workforce Pell grants will remove barriers for prospective students who are ready to enter careers. “Workforce Pell is more than just financial aid,” Ulrich said. “For students entering EMS, it is an investment in the people who will answer that call, care for our families and save lives in our communities across Iowa.”
The program forces colleges, like Iowa Central, to assess tuition and fees based on the earnings of program graduates. The U.S. Department of Education is asking governors around the country to evaluate certification and training programs and suggest which ones should qualify for Workforce Pell grants.
