Employers

Workforce Pell

Workforce Pell Grant Application

Application for governor’s approval to utilize the federal Workforce Pell program . All eligible institutions may apply here, but partner institutions to the Alabama Community College System and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education should coordinate with their respective agency to provide a substantively similar application.

Before applying, please review the eligibility requirements and the FAQ.

If you have inquiries about this form, please contact ADOW at wfp@workforce.alabama.gov. If you encounter issues and would like to submit an electronic or paper copy of the below application, please submit completed applications via email wfp@workforce.alabama.gov or mail to:

Office of the Secretary of Workforce
50 North Ripley Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130

Program Structure

Institution(Required)

Your institution must be eligible for federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Select from the from the list of Title IV-eligible providers.

Program name(Required)

Please use the name that appears in your organization’s academic/program catalog. You should only enter one program at a time. If you intend to submit multiple different (even if related) programs, you will need to complete multiple applications.

Program description(Required)

Program CIP Code(Required)

Please list the applicable CIP code for the program.

Program URL(Required)

Provide the specific program URL where the public can find details about the program. Do not give the generic URL for your institution.

Program length in weeks(Required)

Eligible programs have a duration of at minimum 8 weeks but less than 15 weeks. If your program does not fit in this range, it is not eligible for Workforce Pell.

Program length(Required)

A “clock hour” is defined as “a period of time consisting of (1) A 50- to 60-minute class, lecture, or recitation in a 60-minute period; (2) A 50- to 60-minute faculty-supervised laboratory, shop training, or internship in a 60-minute period.” Programs eligible for Workforce Pell have between 150 and 599 clock hours of instruction. If your program does not fit in this range, it is not eligible for Workforce Pell. Programs that are credit-bearing and measured in semester, trimester, or quarter hours must be: at least 4 but less than 16 semester or trimester hours; or at least 6 but less than 24 quarter hours;

Clock Hours(Required)

Please enter a number from 150 to 599.

Semester Hours(Required)

Please enter a number from 4 to 15.

Trimester Hours(Required)

Please enter a number from 4 to 15.

Quarter Hours(Required)

Please enter a number from 6 to 24.

How long has your organization offered this program?(Required)

Eligible programs have been in operation for at least one year. Being in operation refers to when your organization began delivering instruction to students formally enrolled in the program and does not include the period of program development or recruitment of students prior to delivering instruction. If your program has not been in operation for a year, it is not eligible for Workforce Pell at this time. Please check back once the program has been in operation for at least a year.

Less than one year

Between one and two years

Between two and five years

More than five years

Eligible Delivery

Indicate whether your program is delivered thorough one of the following ineligible formats (correspondence, direct assessment, or study abroad). If “yes” is selected for any, the program is not eligible for Workforce Pell.

Note that a distance education program is not the same as a correspondence program, which is comprised of correspondence courses. Distance education programs may be eligible, where correspondence programs are not. The following federal definition may help clarify: Correspondence course: (1) A course provided by an institution under which the institution provides instructional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the materials, to students who are separated from the instructors. Interaction between instructors and students in a correspondence course is limited, is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the student. (2) If a course is part correspondence and part residential training, the Secretary considers the course to be a correspondence course. (3) A correspondence course is not distance education [34 CFR 600.2].

Note that direct assessment programs are also not eligible for Workforce Pell. The following federal definition may help clarify: Direct assessment programs: (1) A direct assessment program is a program that, in lieu of credit or clock hours as the measure of student learning, utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others. The assessment must be consistent with the accreditation of the institution or program utilizing the results of the assessment [34 CFR 668.10(a)(1)].

Correspondence program(Required)

Yes

Direct assessment program(Required)

Yes

Study-abroad program(Required)

Yes

Does your organization operate this program in partnership with another entity that contributes to instructional activities?(Required)

Yes, partnership with another Title IV-eligible institution

Yes, partnership with a non-Title IV entity

Yes, in partnerships with multiple entities

No, we deliver this program on our own

Please indicate which of the following conditions apply to the partnership operation of this program.

A Title IV institution can partner with other Title IV and non-Title IV entities to deliver a Workforce Pell program, so long as there are written agreements detailing the operations of the program and confirming that at least 75% of the program’s instruction is provided by the Title IV institution. If you answer “no” to either of the questions, your program is not eligible for Workforce Pell.

We have written agreement(s) that govern the management of this program.(Required)

Yes

Our organization offers at least 75% of the instruction for this program.(Required)

Yes

Is this program on the Alabama Credential Registry?(Required)

All programs seeking approval for Workforce Pell must be registered with the Alabama Credential Registry, which is part of the statewide talent marketplace known as the Alabama Talent Triad. If your program is not yet registered, you will be required to register it before being approved for Workforce Pell. You can start the registration process by signing up as a credential partner through this link: https://www.alabamatalenttriad.com/ and signing up as a credential contributor.

Yes, this program is already listed on the Alabama Credential Registry.

No, I will make sure this program is registered prior to Workforce Pell approval.

Published Tuition + Fees(Required)

Please list the total cost of this program’s Tuition and fees, as published on the institution’s website at the time the program was offered.

Program Employment Pathways

Is this program on Alabama's Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL)?(Required)

The Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) is a list of workforce training programs approved by a state to receive federal funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Information about Alabama’s ETPL, including the current list of approved programs, can be found at https://wioa-alabama.org/eligible-training-provider-list/ . Note that it is not required for a Workforce Pell program to be on the Alabama ETPL, but if it is, the program may automatically fulfill certain Workforce Pell eligibility requirements.

Yes, this program is included on the ETPL.

No, this program has never been on the ETPL.

No, this program was previously on the ETPL but isn’t now.

No, but the institution has applied to be included on the ETPL.

Does this program fulfill the Related Technical Instruction (RTI) component of a DOL Registered Apprenticeship?(Required)

Individuals engaged in Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship or Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA) programs receive related instruction that complements on-the-job learning. This instruction delivers the technical, workforce, and academic competencies that apply to the job. It can be provided by a community college, a technical school, an apprenticeship training school, or by the business itself. Education partners collaborate with business to develop the curriculum based on the skills and knowledge needed by apprentices. Note that it is not required for a Workforce Pell program to be embedded within a DOL Registered Apprenticeship, but if it is, the program will automatically fulfill certain Workforce Pell eligibility requirements.

Yes, all students in the program are participating in a DOL or AOA Registered Apprenticeship.

No, this program is not part of a DOL or AOA Registered Apprenticeship.

Maybe, some students will use this program to complete their apprenticeship RTI, but not all.

Is this program offered for academic credit?(Required)

Workforce Pell is designed for programs that fall below the credit-bearing threshold for traditional Pell grants (at least 30 semester credit hours long). A program can be eligible for Workforce Pell so long as it meets the program length requirements and leads to academic credit. Programs that do not carry academic credit or articulate to academic credit are not eligible.

Yes, the program is offered for credit at my institution.

No, but the program articulates to academic credit at my institution.

No, but we have an articulation agreement with another institution to award credit.

No, but the program is being evaluated for credit articulation.

No, academic credit is not available to program completers.

Does this program lead to employment within an occupation listed on the current Alabama Statewide In-Demand Occupation List?(Required)

To be eligible for Workforce Pell, a program must prepare graduates for employment in an in-demand occupation as defined by the state. The Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways (ACCCP) uses a five-part rubric to determine which occupations meet the demand criteria for Alabama. The methodology and list of occupations is published by the Alabama Department of Workforce at [LINK]

Yes

Please provide up to ten (10) SOC codes for which this program trains workers.(Required)

If you would like to identify more than ten (10), email wfp@workforce.alabama.gov with documentation of additional codes.

Does your institution have the ability to track the following outcomes for this program?

Programs are only eligible for Workforce Pell if they can show that at least 70% of those enrolled complete the program. In addition, programs must track their completers into the workforce and show that at least 70% of completers are employed in related occupations. ADOW will conduct a preliminary evaluation of these metrics.

Our institution has the data infrastructure to track enrollment and completion data for this program.(Required)

Yes

Our institution has data sharing agreements in place to track employment outcomes of program completers.(Required)

Yes

Our institution tracks employment outcomes through personal contacts with program completers.(Required)

Yes

Our institution tracks employment outcomes through personal contacts with employers.(Required)

Yes

We have data showing that this program meets the requirement for 70% completion rate.(Required)

Yes

We have data showing that this program meets the 70% employment requirement.(Required)

Yes

Program Details and Documentation

When did your program first begin operating?(Required)

Approved Programs must be offered and meet all criteria for at least twelve (12) months. Indicate the approximate date on which your program first began operating using the format MM/DD/YYYY. The initial date of operation will be when you first began delivering instruction to students, not the date the program was approved or first advertised. If the exact date is unknown, you can use the first day of a given month within a given year. Your answer should match the timeframe you indicated in the initial section for program structure.

Has your program met all the criteria described in the eligibility requirements for the preceding twelve (12) months?(Required)

Yes

Program Curriculum(Required)

Upload a document showing the curriculum and any other requirements for completing the program. For credit-bearing programs, be sure to include the required coursework and student learning outcomes. For non-credit bearing programs, include a list of instructional content, assignments, and assessments. Curriculum must match publicly available information and must substantiate the total number of clock hours provided above.

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.

Credit articulation agreement(s)(Required)

You previously indicated that you have an articulation agreement for completers to be awarded credit at another institution. Please upload a copy of the articulation agreement, along with any explanatory information.

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 20 MB, Max. files: 2.

Proposed credit articulation(Required)

You previously indicated that this program is being evaluated for credit articulation at your institution or another institution. Please describe the proposed articulation and provide a timeline for when the decision will be made. If a draft articulation agreement is under consideration, please provide an overview. You will be asked to provide the agreement once it is executed.

Program partnership agreement(s)(Required)

You previously indicated that your institution operates this program in partnership with one or more entities and that you maintain written agreements governing the program operation. Please upload copies of the agreement(s) as one document. If desired, you may include a description of the program management structure as well. It must be evident from the agreements that your institution provides 75% or more of program instruction.

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 20 MB, Max. files: 2.

Program Value: Stackability(Required)

A credential is considered stackable when it is part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to build up an individual’s qualifications and help them to move along a career pathway or career ladder to different and potentially higher-paying jobs. Programs that result in a terminal (i.e., not stackable) postsecondary credential can meet this requirement if there is only one postsecondary credential that leads to target occupation and a more advanced award does not exist for that occupation. Please describe how your program meets the requirements for stackability, including specific references to how it fits with other credentials leading to professional advancement.

Program Value: Portability of Skills

A credential is considered portable when it is recognized and accepted as verifying the qualifications of an individual in other settings—such as other geographic areas across the country, other educational institutions, or other industries or businesses. Portability ensures that completers can apply the skills they have acquired in multiple employment settings, not just with one employer. Please provide names of at least two “industry validators” (potential employers, industry intermediaries, or other industry partners) who have provided letters which attest to the program’s ability to meet the hiring needs of employers. Please upload one PDF per industry validator. At least two letters must be from employers which employ individuals in the occupations towards which this program trains.

Industry Validator Name 1(Required)

Industry Validator Letter 1(Required)

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Industry Validator Name 2(Required)

Industry Validator Letter 2(Required)

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Industry Validator Name 3

Industry Validator Letter 3

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Industry Validator Name 4

Industry Validator Letter 4

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Industry Validator Name 5

Industry Validator Letter 5

Max. file size: 10 MB.

By selecting “Submit” below, you certify that:

the applicant is an eligible institution
the program is an eligible program
the program has existed in its current form for the preceding 12 months
the institution agrees to provide any additional information required for approval or reapproval