The new aid, known as short-term or workforce Pell Grants, expands the long-running federal Pell Grant program, which provides need-based aid to college students for tuition and living costs. For the first time, federal grants will be available for students in certain short-term workforce programs, including fields such as automotive technology and computer training, many of which last about 10 weeks.

Both public and private institutions may qualify. Federal officials have not finalized all details, but the average student is expected to receive between $1,000 and $3,000.

The change could have significant implications for California community colleges, including those across Southern California and the Inland Empire, where many students pursue career technical education in health care, skilled trades, technology and public safety. But state officials say California does not yet have the systems in place to administer the new aid smoothly.

Daisy Gonzales, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, has said in legislative hearings and in an interview with CalMatters that students likely will not receive the grants until weeks or possibly months after the federal start date. She described financial aid systems as “extremely complex” and said California lacks the infrastructure needed to meet the federal timeline.

Creating a new financial aid program requires coordination between federal officials, the state, colleges and local districts. California must build new administrative systems, enter into agreements with schools and ensure programs meet federal requirements before students can receive funds.

The grants are part of a bipartisan national push to better connect higher education with workforce needs. Supporters say the money could help students quickly train for jobs without taking on debt. But critics and policy experts warn that short-term job training programs have produced uneven results, especially when public dollars flow to programs that lead to low wages or unstable work.

In 2024, CalMatters reported on how California job centers used federal funds to help low-income and unemployed adults attend short-term training programs, including at for-profit schools. Public subsidies supported training for truck drivers and nursing assistants, occupations that can involve low pay, difficult working conditions and high turnover. Some for-profit schools were under investigation for various violations while enrolling students. CalMatters also found that most truck-driving schools had little oversight, and some nursing assistants earned less than $30,000 after completing their programs.

The new short-term Pell Grants include federal rules intended to limit those risks. Eligible programs must show that graduates earn more than the federal poverty level in a high-demand occupation, and only certain accredited schools will qualify. California lawmakers are also weighing a proposal that would further narrow which programs can receive the new funding.

Because neither the state nor the federal government closely tracks short-term workforce training programs, it remains unclear how many programs exist or how many students could benefit. The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office told CalMatters in an email that it is too early to provide estimates.

Gonzales pointed to Cal Grant C, a state program for students enrolled in career training programs that last at least 15 weeks, as one indication of potential demand. This year, about 225,000 students were potentially eligible for Cal Grant C. But the program has a relatively small budget and serves just under 7,800 students annually. The new federal Pell expansion could eventually bring billions of dollars in federal spending nationally.

In San Diego County, Southwestern College President Mark Sanchez said the grants could be especially important for students who work full time but still struggle to cover basic living expenses. At the Chula Vista campus, he said, some students, including U.S. citizens, live in Tijuana because housing is more affordable and cross the border each day to attend classes in California.

Sanchez has promoted the new Pell Grants to state and local officials, arguing they could help students move into better-paying careers. Southwestern College estimated that about 1,500 students could qualify across roughly 50 programs, ranging from music to accounting.

To participate, schools will have to work with state and federal agencies to prove that at least 70% of graduates from eligible programs are employed and earning wages above the federal poverty threshold. But education and workforce data are often scattered, incomplete or not collected at all, said Su Jin Jez, executive director of California Competes, an education policy nonprofit.

State records may show, for example, that a college graduate works for a school district and how much that person earns, Jez said. But the data may not show whether the graduate is working as a teacher, secretary, attorney or custodian.

“Our state invests billions in aligning higher education with the labor market, and we don’t have a good way of knowing whether those investments are paying off,” Jez said.

California Competes is sponsoring two bills this year. One, by state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Napa, would require state workforce agencies to collect more data. The other, by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, would regulate which programs qualify for the new short-term Pell Grants. Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, is a co-author of Irwin’s bill, and the Institute for College Access & Success is a co-sponsor.

The governor’s office has separately drafted emergency legislation that includes proposed regulations for the new grants. The California Student Aid Commission does not take formal positions on pending bills, but Gonzales has publicly praised Irwin’s legislation and criticized the governor’s proposal, saying it risks creating a fragmented system.

State officials are also looking to avoid the mistakes of a recent financial aid program that failed to gain traction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature created the Learning-Aligned Employment Program, intended to provide millions of dollars in aid to working students and help them secure jobs related to their fields of study.

Gonzales, who was then vice chancellor of the community college system, said the program fell short. It relied on one-time funding and had only three years to succeed, she said, but lacked the professional development and technical assistance needed to help colleges and students use it effectively.

“You can’t just introduce a new tool and say, ‘Students, apply,’” Gonzales said.

By the end of the three-year period, few students had applied, and state lawmakers chose to cancel the program. Nicole Kangas, a spokesperson for the Student Aid Commission, said in an email to CalMatters that the Learning-Aligned Employment Program should serve as a warning as California implements the new Pell Grants.

Congress approved the Pell expansion last summer, but the U.S. Department of Education did not finalize its rules until last month, leaving states less than two months before the July 1 launch. California now must complete a long list of administrative and regulatory steps, including agreements between the state and each participating college district or university.

When the Student Aid Commission created similar agreements with colleges for the Middle Class Scholarship, the contracts ran 60 to 120 pages and took about nine months to complete, Gonzales said.

“We are really behind,” she said, adding that several other states have already passed legislation related to the new grants. Measures such as Irwin’s bill, she said, could give California “an opportunity to catch up.”

For Sanchez at Southwestern College, the challenge will not end once the grants are available. Colleges will still have to make sure current and prospective students know the aid exists and are encouraged to apply.

Many community college students face financial hardship, including some who are homeless, but large numbers either are unaware of financial aid, hesitate to apply or submit incomplete applications. Fewer than half of California community college students applied for financial aid last year, and state data show that even fewer received it.

Original source: CalMatters

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The U.S. Department of Education is expected to expand Pell Grants beginning July 1 to cover certain short-term workforce training programs — courses that often last about 10 weeks and prepare students for jobs in fields such as automotive technology, information technology, health care, skilled trades and public safety. The change could affect students at community colleges and other eligible institutions across California, including campuses throughout Southern California and the Inland Empire.

But the California Student Aid Commission, the state agency responsible for administering financial aid, says the state does not yet have the systems in place to launch the program on the federal timeline.

Daisy Gonzales, the commission’s executive director, has said in legislative hearings and in an interview with CalMatters that students likely will not see the new grants until weeks or possibly months after the July 1 start date. Financial aid systems are highly complicated, she said, and California lacks the infrastructure to move that quickly.

The new awards, known as short-term Pell Grants or workforce Pell Grants, are an expansion of the long-running federal Pell Grant program, which provides need-based aid to low-income college students for tuition and living expenses. Until now, students in many brief job training programs generally have not qualified for federal student aid.

Under the new program, eligible students are expected to receive roughly $1,000 to $3,000, though final details are still being worked out. Public and private institutions may qualify if their programs meet federal requirements.

The grants are part of a broader bipartisan effort to connect higher education more directly with employers’ workforce needs. Supporters say the aid could help students quickly gain skills for better-paying jobs. But California’s past experience with publicly funded workforce training has also raised concerns about oversight, job quality and whether students benefit enough from the programs.

CalMatters previously examined how California job centers used federal funds to help low-income and unemployed adults enroll in short-term training programs at for-profit colleges. Public money supported training for careers such as truck driving and nursing assisting, fields that can be associated with low wages, difficult working conditions or high turnover. Some schools receiving students were under investigation for violations, and oversight of many truck-driving schools was limited. Some nursing assistants earned less than $30,000 after completing their programs.

The new federal Pell Grants include rules intended to prevent those problems. Programs must show that graduates earn wages above the federal poverty line and are entering fields considered in demand. Schools also must meet verification requirements. California lawmakers are considering additional restrictions on which programs should be allowed to participate.

A major challenge is that neither state nor federal officials have a comprehensive accounting of short-term workforce programs. That makes it difficult to know how many programs exist or how many students could benefit.

California’s 116 community colleges are likely to be among the main participants because they already offer many job-focused certificate and training programs. But the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office told CalMatters it is too early to estimate how many students might qualify.

One point of comparison is Cal Grant C, a state program for students in career education programs lasting at least 15 weeks. About 225,000 students were potentially eligible this year, according to state data. But Cal Grant C is much smaller than the new federal effort, serving fewer than 7,800 students annually.

In Southern California, college leaders say the aid could be especially important for students facing high housing and living costs.

At Southwestern College in Chula Vista, President Mark Sanchez said many students work full time but still struggle to cover basic expenses. Some students, including U.S. citizens, live across the border in Tijuana because housing is more affordable there and commute to campus in San Diego County.

Sanchez has urged state and local officials to support the new grants, saying they could help students move into higher-paying work. Southwestern College officials estimate about 1,500 students could be eligible across roughly 50 programs, from musicianship to accounting.

To qualify for the grants, colleges will need to prove to state and federal agencies that at least 70% of graduates from eligible programs are employed and earning above the federal poverty line. That requirement could be difficult because the necessary employment and wage data are scattered, incomplete or not collected in some cases.

Su Jin Jez, chief executive of the education nonprofit California Competes, said the state lacks the tools to fully evaluate whether workforce education investments are producing good results. For example, state data may show that a graduate works for a school district and how much that person earns, but not whether the graduate is employed as a teacher, secretary, attorney or custodian.

California Competes is sponsoring two bills this year aimed at improving workforce education accountability. One bill, by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Napa, would require state workforce agencies to collect more data. Another, by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, would regulate which programs can qualify for the new short-term Pell Grants. Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, is a co-author of Irwin’s bill, and The Institute for College Access & Success is a co-sponsor.

The governor’s office also has proposed emergency legislation with regulations for the new grants. The California Student Aid Commission does not take formal positions on bills, but Gonzales has praised Irwin’s proposal and criticized the governor’s plan, saying it could create a fragmented system.

State officials say they are trying to avoid repeating the problems of a pandemic-era financial aid initiative known as the Learning-Aligned Employment Program. Created by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature, that program was intended to provide aid to working students and help them find jobs connected to their studies.

Gonzales, who was then deputy chancellor of the community college system, called the program a failure. It relied on one-time funding and had only three years to succeed, she said, but lacked the professional development and technical support needed to make it work. Few students applied, and lawmakers eventually cut the program.

Nicole Kangas, a spokesperson for the Student Aid Commission, said in a statement that the experience should serve as a warning for the rollout of workforce Pell Grants.

Although Congress approved the expanded Pell Grants last summer, the U.S. Education Department finalized its regulations only last month, leaving states less than two months to prepare before the July 1 launch date. California officials and colleges still must complete a lengthy list of administrative steps, including agreements between the state and individual college districts and universities.

When the Student Aid Commission created similar agreements with universities for the Middle Class Scholarship, Gonzales said, the contracts ran 60 to 120 pages and took about nine months to finalize.

“We really are behind,” Gonzales said, noting that several other states have already adopted legislation. She said new state regulations, including Irwin’s bill, could help California catch up.

Even after the grants become available, college leaders say another hurdle remains: making sure students know the money exists and helping them apply.

Sanchez said Southwestern College will need to reach both current and prospective students with information about the new aid. Many community college students face serious financial hardship, including homelessness, but either do not know about financial aid, are reluctant to apply or submit incomplete applications.

State figures show that less than half of California community college students applied for financial aid last year, and fewer ultimately received it.

Original source: CalMatters

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Apply for financial aid.

During a Wednesday, Oct. 8, event at San Bernardino Valley College, they launched the Cash for College campaign.

It aims to encourage students and their parents to fill out financial aid paperwork through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the California Dream Act Application.

The event organized by the California Student Aid Commission, the San Bernardino Community College District and KVCR Public Media  brought together local educators — and mascots from Inland colleges and universities.

“We know it’s getting harder to save for college and many families feel they haven’t saved enough,” Diana Rodriguez, the district’s chancellor said, according to a news release. “Financial aid is here to help, especially for working and middle-class families.”

Last year, about 44,000 Inland Empire high school seniors  — 7 in 10  —  applied for aid, but 3 in 10 missed out, the release states.

“That means thousands of families left money on the table,” said Angel Rodriguez, a member of the commission and a San Bernardino college district associate vice chancellor. “Cash for College is how we change that and make sure every family knows help is here.”

To locate free in-person or online workshops and guidelines on applying, students and families can visit IECashForCollege.org or CSAC.ca.gov.

The application period began Wednesday, Oct. 1, and has a priority deadline of March 2.

Families also can call the California Student Aid Commission at 888-224-7268.

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Awards range from $1,000 to more than $5,000, with many scholarships being renewable. The application deadline is 5 p.m. April 15.

While scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors and current college students, undergraduate or graduate, adult re-entry students and students with financial needs — including middle-income families — can apply.

Students attending community colleges or career/technical schools or four-year universities are also encouraged to apply.

A diverse range of scholarships is available.

Qualifications include: a minimum 2.0 GPA; a commitment to education, potential college success; participation in community service, extracurricular activities and/or work experience; being a current residence in San Bernardino or Riverside counties for at least one year; and demonstrating a need for assistance to pay for school.

Another significant requirement is to submit a completed FAFSA or CA Dream Act and Student Aid Report (SAR). IECF requires that information from all applicants.

Scholarship success stories abound.

In 2024, Kyra Boyle was a recipient of the Safe Schools Desert Cities Burton/May Pride Award. The unique award recognizes outstanding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or intersex (LGBTQI) youth who have helped foster a positive self-image among other LGBTQI youth. The key scholarship factors included demonstrating participation, dedication and initiative.

“There are a lot of scholarships out there, and if a student is stressed about finances the way I was, I’d recommend reaching out to the college financial aid centers for guidance,” Boyle said of her process.

Then there’s IECF’s own board chair, Jesse Melgar. Determination drove Melgar’s college pursuits, but so did community support. He was able to secure $15,000 in scholarships, including one from IECF, which, at the time, was known as The Community Foundation.

Thanks to the funding, he was able to attend UCLA, where he became the first in his family to graduate from college.

Flash forward several years, and Melgar went on to earn a full-ride scholarship for his master’s degree at UC Riverside. A return to the Inland Empire followed, along with a big push to give back.

In addition to serving as IECF’s Board Chair, Melgar is also the founder of the CIELO Fund, which has been instrumental in uplifting Latino-led organizations and initiatives in the region.

Learn more at iegives.org/students/overview.

The Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org.

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Immediate and conditional admission will be offered to high school seniors who are on track to meet college preparatory courses before they have even started their application process.

The pilot, launched in partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education and the CSU, expects to admit 12,000 to 10 different CSU campuses by way of a brochure that has been mailed to their homes.

Then, students must use CaliforniaColleges.edu to select their preferred CSU campus and acceptance letters will be sent directly by the universities.

“We want students to know that the door to college opportunity is open to them, and to help relieve some of the stress and uncertainty about applying for college,” said April Grommo, the university system’s vice chancellor of enrollment. “Riverside County is an excellent location for this first-ever program for the CSU, as it is ethnically and economically representative of the diversity of California, and many of the students the CSU is so proud to serve.”

Here are the campuses available for the pilot:

• San Bernardino
• Channel Islands
• Chico
• East Bay
• Humboldt
• Maritime Academy
• Monterey Bay
• San Francisco
• San Marcos
• Sonoma.

When students receive admittance, they must continue to meet A-G requirements to graduate high school. Once the official acceptance letter is granted by their university of choice, students should confirm their intent to enroll by the given campus deadline.

Here’s how students can apply for financial aid: Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) no later than the deadline, which has always been March 2. But, the sooner the better.

“As one of the fastest growing regions in California, the need for college-educated professionals will continue to soar, and this partnership will remove barriers to higher education, welcoming more college-ready students to the CSU system through this innovative direct admission program,” said Edwin Gomez, Riverside County superintendent of schools.

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Citlali Lopez, a second-year psychology student at Sacramento State, found out a few months ago she had $500 sitting in a California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) account. Although she’s been eligible to use the funds since she graduated high school in 2022, she had no idea until her sister, who works at a nonprofit that supports low-income students with scholarships and financial aid, told her to check her eligibility. Lopez was skeptical at first, but found she was eligible and registered her account.

“I was just really surprised that I was able to get some extra help,” she said.

Financial aid had been top of mind for her and guided her decision to go to Sacramento State. She plans on using the money to finish general education classes over the summer if financial aid will not cover it.

So who gets money? Under CalKIDS, all babies born in California receive a sum. Babies born between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 received $25 deposits, and all babies born after July 1, 2023 receive $100 deposits.

As part of the program, all low-income first grade students receive a one-time deposit of $500. First-graders who are in foster care receive an extra $500 and homeless first-graders receive $500 more, totalling $1500 for some students. All the accounts are tax-free, and the money is invested whether or not families claim their accounts.

Additionally, the state spent $1.8 billion in the 2021-22 budget to provide a one-time deposit to all low-income students in grades 1 through 12 in 2022.

Yet, of the 4.3 million student accounts created, only 313,445 accounts have been claimed by families, meaning they have registered online and seen the amount in their accounts. Only 6.3 percent of newborn accounts have been claimed and 7.4 percent of student accounts have been claimed as of March 2024.

The state is slowly building awareness about college savings

CalKIDS is run by a three-person team led by Julio Martinez, the executive director of the Scholarshare Investment Board, an agency within the State Treasurer’s Office. It administers the state’s 529 college savings accounts, which allow families to invest money tax free to cover education related expenses in the future. The team is responsible for creating the accounts, notifying families about the accounts and explaining what CalKIDS can provide to families.

“With these programs, it takes time to kind of build brand awareness, and also to break down the skepticism that often exists when you get a letter in the mail that says you have free money,” Martinez said. CalKIDS staffers go to college fairs and financial aid nights and host online informational sessions to reach families and students.

The state allocated $22 million in the 2022 and 2023 budgets to market the program. In Los Angeles, Riverside, Fresno, and Sonoma counties, CalKIDS program info is sent to all families that request a birth certificate, according to Joe DeAnda, the director of communication at the State Treasurer’s Office. During the first three months of this year, registration in the newborn program has more than doubled, from 20,608 to 42,312 newborns.

In April, CalKIDS began targeting high school seniors, through social media, email and direct mail, according to DeAnda. By May, the number of claims among high school seniors increased by 74%. They have partnered with school districts, such as Hawthorne School District in Los Angeles County, where 87% of seniors have claimed their accounts.

Still, most of the funds for marketing CalKIDS remain unused. The 2023-24 California state budget reappropriated $8 million to CalKIDS for a statewide media campaign, and the Scholarshare Investment Board is currently soliciting proposals for marketing services, which were anticipated to start on April 1, but have not begun.

“If families are not aware of this program, then it’s not going to have the impact that we think it’s going to have,” Martinez said.

The fact that many families don’t start thinking about college until high school is one cultural obstacle that college savings programs like CalKIDS run up against, says Willie Elliott, a professor of social work and founder of the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion at the University of Michigan.

“So, we can’t expect that we put one of these programs in place, and, instantly, people get it and start functioning in that way,” Elliott said.

Elliott has helped develop state and local college savings programs in Pennsylvania, New York City and Washington, D.C. He says that enrollment is not the best measure of success of programs like CalKIDS, especially this early on in the program.

“What you have in place in California is the infrastructure and now you have to do the work of making communities aware,” Elliott said.

He suggests that creating a culture around college savings through programs like CalKIDs will lead to positive outcomes. Those include increased account enrollment, more family conversations about going to college, and generally less stress for families who will be hopeful for their children’s future.

The conversations about college are as important as the amount of money actually in the account, Elliott said. Elliott’s research has shown that low-income students with a college savings account are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate than students without an account.

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The April 2 deadline to apply for the need-based Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship that California funds will be pushed by a month, giving students more time to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The Democratic governor’s move is the latest in a series of attempts across the country to blunt the impact of widespread issues with the new form — from processing delays to technical problems — which have drawn Republican fury on Capitol Hill and frustrated parents and students.

The extension will “help ensure more California students are able to complete the FAFSA, avail themselves of state Cal Grant or Middle Class Scholarship financial aid, and enable them to access the financial resources to begin fulfilling their dreams of achieving higher education,” said Democratic Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, who authored the bill.

The bill was fast-tracked through the state Legislature last week and backed by the state’s public university systems. It’s meant to help applicants who have so far been unable to fill out the FAFSA — especially students whose parents are undocumented who for months couldn’t complete the form due to technical glitches.

The U.S. Department of Education resolved the issue for families of mixed immigration status this month, but took another step backward last week when it announced it had made errors in calculating around 200,000 student aid offers.

The near-constant technical problems with the online form have caused such a significant dropoff in applications in California that the state student aid commission estimates as much as $100 million could be awarded to students who apply over the next month. The two state aid programs award more than $2 billion each year, supplementing federal scholarships like the Pell Grant.

California public universities had already given students at least two extra weeks, until May 15, to commit to attending as they await backlogged financial aid offers. Processing delays in Washington, D.C., have caused colleges to receive students’ financial information later than usual, prompting several other universities across the country to delay decision day to June 1.

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