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NM Workforce Pell Application

History

Workforce Pell was enacted via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) on July 4, 2025, to expand federal Pell Grant eligibility and address workforce shortages.

Program Goals 

The goal of Workforce Pell is to help low-income students access short-term, career-focused training without needing a full degree, boosting employability in in-demand sectors such as health care, manufacturing, IT or skilled trades.

Student Benefits 

Students can receive prorated amounts from the maximum Pell award (currently $7,395, adjusted annually). There is no repayment required, and eligibility for stackable credentials can lead to further education.

The Workforce Pell eligibility requirements and New Mexico criteria provided on this webpage are final and reflect the U.S. Department of Education’s final federal rule. While each program must be reviewed individually for compliance with these requirements, the eligibility criteria are not interim or preliminary and should be used by institutions to determine whether a program is appropriate for submission

Click Here to Apply

How to apply using the Academic Affairs online portal 

How to Register 
  1. Click Request Account
  2. Required Information: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Password, Confirm 
  3. You will then need to wait for approval to be able to proceed. 

Click here to view a PDF preview of the New Mexico Workforce Pell application before creating and submitting your application.

The following requirements reflect the final Workforce Pell regulations published by the U.S. Department of Education on May 19, 2026. To qualify for Workforce Pell, programs must meet all applicable federal and state requirements.    

Program Requirements

  1. Program Lenth: At least 8 weeks but less than 15 weeks.
  2. Instructional Hours: 150–599 clock hours, 6–23 semester hours, or 9–35 quarter hours.
  3. Institutional Eligibility: Offered by a Title IV eligible, accredited public or private institution.
  4. Program History: Offered in its current eligible form for at least one year.
  5. Instructional Provider: Have at least 75% of the program provided by the higher education institution. An outside entity may generally provide up to 25% of the program through a written arrangement, regardless of where the instruction physically takes place. A limited exception applies to the related instruction component of Registered Apprenticeship Programs, for which an outside entity may provide up to 49% of the program.
  6. Program Modality/Coursework: No correspondence, study-abroad, or direct-assessment programs. An eligible program must not include remedial coursework.
  7. Institution History: No suspension, emergency action, or termination of programs during the preceding five years.

State and Workforce Requirements

The Governor, in consultation with the State Workforce Development Board, must determine that the program:

  1. Prepares students for a high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupation or industry sector;
  2. Meets the hiring requirements of potential employers;
  3. Leads to a recognized postsecondary credential that is stackable and portable, or a credential required for employment in the relevant occupation; and
  4. Provides students with a pathway toward additional certificate or degree programs, including through transferable academic credit.

New Mexico's definitions and established workforce criteria for these requirements are provided in the “Definitions” and “NM Workforce Criteria” sections of this webpage.

Program Outcomes and Final Federal Approval:

Programs must also satisfy federal accountability requirements, including:

  1. A completion rate of at least 70%;
  2. A job placement rate of at least 70%; and
  3. The federal value-added earnings requirement.

​​​​​​Institutions must provide NMHED with the program-level data necessary to verify these requirements as part of the Workforce Pell application and review process. NMHED and NMDWS will review and verify all submitted program data before an application proceeds to the next stage of review, regardless of the level of approval required.

After completing the required state review and receiving Governor certification, the institution must submit the program to the U.S. Department of Education for final approval before students may receive Workforce Pell Grants for enrollment in the program.

Find a state-approved programComplete the FAFSAEnroll and receive your award 

A list of New Mexico-approved Workforce Pell programs will be posted on the NMHED Workforce Pell Website once final approval is issued.

 

 

 

 

Apply at StudentAid.gov 

Apply early; deadlines vary by institution. Students who already hold a bachelor's degree must have their Workforce Pell eligibility manually verified in the federal system by their institution's financial aid office.

Students who have earned, or are enrolled in a program leading to a graduate credential, are not eligible.

Once enrolled in an approved program, your institution will confirm eligibility and award funds. Students may not receive a Workforce Pell Grant and a standard Pell Grant concurrently. Awards count toward the 12-semester lifetime Pell limit. 

NMHED does not award funds. Students must contact their institution regarding awards. 

 

High-Skill Occupations

  1. Occupations that have a typical education needed for entry higher than a high school diploma or equivalent; or

  2. Occupations that have a typical education needed for entry equal to a high school diploma or equivalent and typical on-the-job training of moderate-term on-the-job training, long-term on-the-job training, apprenticeship, or internship/residency

High-Wage Occupations

Occupations with a median wage that is greater than or equal to the median wage across all occupations within the state.

High-Wage Sectors

Industries at the two- or three-digit industry (NAICS) code that have an average weekly wage that is greater than or equal to the average weekly wage across all industries within the state. 

In-Demand Occupations

Occupations that have projected annual openings greater than or equal to the openings of at least 75 percent of all occupations (top 25th percentile for openings) for the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or workforce region, and that have a projected percentage growth of employment that is higher than or equal to the average percentage growth for all occupations in the area.

In-Demand Sectors 

Stackability 

A credential is considered stackable when it is part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build an individual’s qualifications and support advancement along a career pathway or career ladder, including progression to different or potentially higher-paying jobs.

Portability

A credential that is recognized and accepted as verifying an individual’s qualifications in other settings — such as other geographic areas, other educational institutions, or other industries or businesses.

Credit Articulation 

Credit articulation refers to the process by which learning completed through a noncredit workforce program or credential can be recognized for academic credit and applied toward a credit-bearing certificate or degree program. Articulation provides students with a pathway to continue their education without unnecessarily repeating equivalent coursework or competencies.

SOC Code 

The 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.

CIP Code 

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) provides a classification structure that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity. 

New Mexico uses high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand workforce information when reviewing programs for Workforce Pell eligibility. View the definitions and occupational data used in the review process.

Which types of institutions are eligible for Workforce Pell?

Only accredited higher education institutions that are already authorized to participate in federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act are eligible to offer Workforce Pell programs. Independent, non-Title IV training entities cannot participate on their own but must partner with an eligible Title IV school.

What does the New Mexico approval process look like?

Once an institution submits an application, it will follow the process described below. An application may be denied at any point in this process.

Initial NMHED and NMDWS staff review → NMHED and NMDWS Leadership review → Workforce Pell Committee of State Workforce Board → Governor’s Office review and approve → U.S. Department of Education final review and approval.

How long will it take for a program to receive Workforce Pell approval?

NMHED expects the full approval process to take at least 4-6 months, although a definitive timeline cannot yet be provided. Workforce Pell is a new process at both the State and federal levels, and timelines will depend on required State review and consultation processes, the meeting schedules of reviewing entities, Governor certification, and final review by the U.S. Department of Education.

While the U.S. Department of Education processed some initial Workforce Pell program submissions quickly, there is not yet enough information to determine whether those processing times will be typical as submission volume increases. Institutions are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible.

What are the application deadlines, review timeline, and notification process?For the first year (AY 2026-2027), applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The review process may take several months from initial submission to final federal approval. NMHED will be inform higher education institutions of the status of their application at each phase in the process.
What happens after a program receives state certification?The institution must submit it to the US Department of Education for final approval. 
How does an institution apply?

Higher education institutions must request an account on NMHED’s Academic Affairs portal, which they will be prompted to do when clicking the link. The application will become available once that account is requested and subsequently approved. 

Workforce Pell Application 

If my institution is using Workforce GRO funds to support a program, can we use Workforce Pell dollars too?No, the current legislative language for Workforce GRO specifies that it may only support programs not otherwise eligible for financial aid. Therefore, if a program were to become Workforce Pell eligible, it would lose Workforce GRO eligibility. 

Can Workforce Pell funds be combined with WIOA funding?

Yes. Workforce Pell may be combined with funding available through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), subject to applicable WIOA and federal student aid requirements. The U.S. Department of Education has encouraged coordination between Workforce Pell and WIOA funding to help students cover eligible education and training costs not fully covered by the Pell Grant.

If a program is approved,  will award amounts vary for each student?No. Students must complete a FAFSA application that will determine Workforce Pell eligibility. Not every student will be eligible for Workforce Pell. Not all awards will be the same amount for each student. 

Are students required to provide a Social Security Number (SSN) to receive Workforce Pell?

Yes. Workforce Pell is a federal Pell Grant program, and students must meet federal student aid eligibility requirements. To receive federal student aid, a student is generally required to provide a valid Social Security number (SSN) through the FAFSA process.

The only exception to the student SSN requirement is for eligible citizens of the Freely Associated States:

Federated States of Micronesia;

Republic of the Marshall Islands; and

Republic of Palau.

Eligible students from these three countries who do not have an SSN may be assigned an identification number by the U.S. Department of Education for federal student aid purposes.

This exception does not extend to other students who do not have an SSN. Students who are otherwise required to provide an SSN must satisfy the federal SSN requirement to be eligible for Workforce Pell.

Does Workforce Pell count toward a student's lifetime Pell eligibility? Yes.
What does the aid award process look like?Similar to other forms of aid, once the student completes the FAFSA and determines their eligibility, the higher education institution will package that into the student’s total financial aid.

Can a new program qualify if it does not yet have completion, job placement, or earnings data?

No. Programs have to show a 70% completion rate and a 70% job placement rate.

Is it up to the institution or the State to determine whether an occupation or sector qualifies as high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand?

No. It is not up to individual institutions to determine whether an occupation or sector qualifies as high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand for Workforce Pell purposes. New Mexico has established     the definitions and workforce criteria that will be used to evaluate programs.

The State-established definitions are available under the “Definitions” accordion on the NMHED Workforce Pell webpage (the webpage you are currently on). Institutions should also refer to the “NM Workforce Criteria” accordion, which provides the occupational and sector data used by New Mexico to determine which occupations and sectors meet the high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand criteria.

Institutions should use these State-established definitions and criteria when determining whether a program is appropriate to submit for Workforce Pell consideration.

Do institutions have to provide evidence that a program is stackable AND portable?

Yes. 

Will the state gather completion or employment data, or will the institution supply that data?

The institution will supply the data.
Is there a minimum cohort requirement for programs to apply?According to the final federal rule, there must be at least 30 program completers in a cohort for value-added earnings calculations.

Does the requirement that an institution provide at least 75% of a Workforce Pell program apply to both credit and noncredit programs?

What if an outside partner provides instruction on the institution’s campus?

Yes. The requirement applies to eligible Workforce Pell programs regardless of whether the program is offered for credit or as a noncredit program measured in clock hours.

An eligible institution may enter into a written arrangement with an outside entity, such as an employer or training provider, to provide no more than 25% of an eligible Workforce Pell program. The requirement is based on which entity provides the instruction, not where the instruction physically takes place. Therefore, instruction provided by an outside company's instructors is generally attributable to the outside entity even when that instruction takes place on the higher education institution's campus.

Accordingly, an outside partner generally may not provide the majority of instruction for an eligible Workforce Pell program. The eligible institution must provide at least 75% of the program.

A limited exception applies to the related instruction component of a Registered Apprenticeship Program, for which an outside entity may provide more than 25%, but less than 50%, of the eligible workforce program, subject to applicable federal requirements.

When can an institution begin advertising that a program is Workforce Pell eligible? 

Once the program receives federal approval.
Will a statewide list of approved programs be accessible?Yes, this will be available on the NMHED website as programs are approved.

Participation in Workforce Pell carries ongoing data collection and reporting responsibilities. Higher education institutions are expected to maintain the data infrastructure necessary to support federal and state reporting requirements, demonstrate program effectiveness, and facilitate ongoing program evaluation. As part of the application process, institutions will be asked to attest that they can collect and report the data needed to administer Workforce Pell and evaluate program outcomes.

Student-Level Reporting 

Students enrolled in for-credit Workforce Pell programs must be reported through all applicable eDEAR files in accordance with existing reporting requirements. Workforce Pell awards for these students must also be reported in the annual eDEAR Student Financial Aid file using the designated Workforce Pell award code.

Students enrolled exclusively in non-credit Workforce Pell programs must also have their Workforce Pell awards reported in the annual eDEAR Student Financial Aid file using the designated Workforce Pell award code. However, these students should not be reported in the eDEAR Student, Student-Course, or Degree files, and courses taken exclusively by non-credit students should not be reported in the eDEAR Course file.

Higher education institutions seeking wage matching for students enrolled exclusively in non-credit programs must contact NMHED to obtain access to the secure server and instructions for submitting the required Social Security numbers.

Data for non-credit students, including Social Security numbers, must never be submitted through unsecured methods, such as the Academic Affairs and Policy Portal or email.

Questions about the state application process should be directed to NMHED. Questions about federal requirements or Title IV should be directed to the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office. 

  

Email NMHED

nmhed.policy@hed.nm.gov

Email DWS

nmdws.economicresearch@dws.nm.gov

Upcoming and Past Webinars 

To further familiarize New Mexico higher education institutions with Workforce Pell and support institutions interested in participating, the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) will host two informational webinars this fall. These sessions will provide an overview of Workforce Pell, program eligibility requirements, the program submission and approval process, and other key implementation information. Institutional representatives will also have an opportunity to ask questions and receive additional guidance from NMHED staff.

Please RSVP using this form: Click Here 

Institutions are invited to attend either of the following sessions:

Tuesday, September 8 | 1:30–3:00 p.m.

Click here to view the slides from the September 8th, 2026 Workforce Pell Webinar.

Thursday, October 15 | 10:00–11:30 a.m.

Microsoft Teams Meeting
Click to Join Meeting
Meeting ID: 265 331 696 752 143
Passcode: qa9Sm9ix

We encourage institutions interested in submitting programs for Workforce Pell approval, as well as those seeking additional information about the initiative, to attend.