To qualify for Workforce Pell, a program must meet all of the following requirements and be offered by an eligible institution — one that has not been subject to any suspension, emergency action, or Title IV termination in the preceding five years.

Duration and credit-hour requirements 34 CFR § 690.91

• 150–599 clock hours
• 8–less than 15 weeks of instruction required
• 4–15 semester / trimester hours
• 6–23 quarter hours

Additional requirements:

• Trains students for a high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupation on ADOW’s annually published list, as identified by the Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways (ACCCP) using Alabama’s Five-Star Demand Rubric.
• Leads to a recognized postsecondary credential that is stackable and portable — or is the sole recognized credential for the target occupation.
• Meets the hiring requirements of employers in the target occupation — evidenced by at least one employer letter of endorsement, or by conferring an industry-recognized credential (IRC) as defined under WIOA.
• Demonstrates a completion rate ≥ 70% within 150% of normal program time, and a job placement rate ≥ 70% within 180 days of program exit. 34 CFR § 690.94
• Has operated in its current form for the preceding 12 months as of the application date.
• Meets annual value-added earnings requirements as defined in 34 CFR § 690.95. Registered Apprenticeship RTI components automatically satisfy the in-demand and employer-aligned criteria.
• Programs are not eligible if delivered via correspondence courses, as study abroad, or as credit/clock-hour equivalencies under a direct assessment program. 34 CFR § 600.2

The Alabama Department of Workforce (ADOW) administers the state application process. Institutions submit applications through the ADOW portal; The governor makes all final approval decisions.

Both state and federal approval must be in place before students can receive Workforce Pell funds. Institutions should apply early — federal approval timelines are outside ADOW’s control.

Required application contents

Each application must include the following for every program submitted:

Program Information

Full program description; CIP code; SOC code(s) for target occupations; program length; tuition and fees. 

Outcomes Evidence

An agreement to provide data necessary to evaluate completion and placement metrics; documentation supporting ≥ 70% rates on both measures. 

Credential Alignment

Evidence of stackability and portability; employer letter(s) of endorsement; or evidence of industry-recognized credential status under WIOA. 

Eligibility Info

Information evidencing federal program eligibility; accreditation verification; signed statement that the program has operated for the preceding 12 months. 

Certifications

Signed certification that the applicant is an eligible institution; signed certification that the program is an eligible program under 34 CFR §§ 690.90–690.97.

State review & governor approval

Once submitted, applications move through a structured review process before reaching the governor.

• ADOW completeness and compliance review
  • ADOW reviews submissions for completeness and compliance with federal and state requirements 34 CFR §§ 690.90–690.97, using available administrative data including wage records. ADOW’s review covers:
    • Compliance with applicable federal and state laws, this application process, and all relevant CFR provisions.
    • Completion and placement rates, using the methodology determined by Alabama’s P20W Council. Documentation is available in the FAQ.
    • Whether the program trains for an occupation on ADOW’s published In-Demand Occupations list.
    • Whether the program meets hiring requirements of potential employers in Alabama’s in-demand occupations.
    • Whether the program leads to a recognized postsecondary credential that is stackable and portable — or the sole credential for the target occupation.
    • Whether the program prepares students for further credentials by awarding academic credit toward related certificate or degree requirements.
    • Whether the program is a Registered Apprenticeship RTI component (automatically satisfies in-demand and employer criteria).
• Secretary of ADOW recommendation
  • ADOW forwards complete applications to the governor with a formal recommendation from the Secretary of ADOW, after consultation with the chair of the Alabama Workforce Board (AWB), as to whether the governor should approve or deny the application.
  • Governor’s review and decision
  • The governor reviews the application and ADOW’s recommendation. If the program has met the requirements of 34 CFR § 690.93 for the preceding 12 months, the governor may approve the program and issue a certificate of approval to the institution. The governor provides notice of the decision to both the applicant and ADOW.
• Federal approval
  • Governor-approved programs are submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Education for final federal program eligibility determination. Students cannot receive Workforce Pell funds until federal approval is also in place.

The governor’s approval expires at the expiration of the institution’s program participation agreement under 34 CFR § 668.13. Prior to expiration, the governor may issue a certificate of continued eligibility. If the governor withdraws approval, the institution, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Labor will be notified within 15 calendar days.

Applicants may appeal a denial within 14 calendar days from the date notice of denial was received. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the governor and the Secretary of the Department of Workforce and must include any relevant information supporting the appeal. The governor may reconsider the denial and issue a written determination within 60 calendar days of receiving the appeal.

Submit an appeal

Appeals may be submitted by mail or email:

Find a state-approved program

A list of Alabama-approved Workforce Pell programs will be posted on AlabamaWorks once approvals are issued. Contact your local Alabama Community College System (ACCS) institution or AlabamaWorks! partner to learn about eligible programs in your area.

Complete the FAFSA

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.

Enroll and receive your award

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

ADOW does not disburse funds. Students must contact their institution regarding disbursement.

High-Skill, High-Wage, and In-Demand Occupations

The Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways (ACCCP) provides Alabama workforce and education programming with a unified definition of occupations considered high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand. An occupation must meet criteria 1, 2, 3, and either 4 or 5 to appear on a Workforce Development Region’s In-Demand Occupations List. Occupations qualifying on at least three regional lists are added to the statewide list. The list is updated every two years on the schedule of ADOW’s Occupational Projections. Median wages are based on ADOW’s administration of the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Survey; growth and openings data from the BLS Projections Managing Partnership. For more information, see the In-Demand Occupations Methodology .

Meeting the hiring requirements of employers

A program meets employer hiring requirements when at least one employer in the community that employs individuals in the target occupation provides a letter of endorsement. Programs conferring a credential that meets the definition of “Industry-Recognized Credential” (IRC) under WIOA are also considered to meet this requirement.

Stackable credential

A credential that is part of a sequence of credentials accumulated over time, helping individuals build qualifications and move along a career pathway or career ladder toward potentially higher-paying jobs.

Portable credential

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.

Programs awarding academic credit

Workforce training programs that are part of an articulation agreement awarding credit hours toward a related certificate or degree program at one or more Alabama institutions.

Cohort period

The award year that ends three full award years prior to the beginning of the award year for which value-added earnings are being determined.

Earnings measurement period

The first full tax year following the award year in which the student completed the eligible workforce program.

Tuition and fees

The institutional charges for an eligible workforce program.

Recognized postsecondary credential

A credential consisting of an industry-recognized certificate or certification; a certificate of completion of a Registered Apprenticeship under 29 CFR part 29; a license recognized by the State of Alabama or federal government; or an associate or baccalaureate degree.

Eligible institution

An institution that, during the five years preceding the date of determination, has not been subject to any suspension, emergency action, or termination of Title IV programs.

At the discretion of the governor, Alabama may enter into bilateral agreements with other states to either recognize programs approved by those states as eligible under Alabama’s Workforce Pell framework or to allow Alabamians in programs in other states to receive Workforce Pell dollars, in compliance with 34 CFR S 690.93(h). Agreements will be published here once executed.

To request a bilateral agreement, submit a written request to:
Office of the Governor
State Capitol, Montgomery, Alabama 36130

All bilateral agreement requests must include the requesting state’s applicable program approval framework and evidence of alignment with 34 CFR § 690.93(h).

Email ADOW — Workforce Pell

wfp@workforce.alabama.gov
Alabama Department of Workforce
50 North Ripley Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130

ADOW Workforce Pell portal

workforce.alabama.gov/employers/workforce-pell-grants

In-demand occupations list

ADOW Labor Market Information