Workforce Pell Advisory Group

New Mexico is Taking Meaningful Steps Toward Workforce Pell Implementation

New Mexico is taking meaningful steps toward implementing these new federal provisions. Since April 2026, the New Mexico Higher Education Department and the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions have convened a biweekly advisory group made up of stakeholders from higher education, workforce development, and industry. The group is focused on developing statewide processes and recommendations related to Workforce Pell implementation, including program approval procedures, eligibility definitions, verification and oversight processes, and approaches to measuring completion rates, job placement rates, and value-added earnings.

Under the final federal rule released in May 2026, eligible workforce programs must be offered by Title IV eligible institutions. However, institutions may partner with certain non-accredited or ineligible entities, such as unions, employers, or apprenticeship training providers, through limited written arrangements that support workforce training components of approved programs. New Mexico’s advisory group is considering how these partnerships may support high-quality workforce pathways while remaining consistent with federal requirements.