The U.S. Education Department announced priorities for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), directing upcoming grant competitions toward accreditation reform, artificial intelligence, civil discourse and short‑term workforce training. Award sizes range from $7 million to $60 million and applications are due Dec. 3, with awards expected by Dec. 31. Officials say the grants will support workforce‑focused programs, including the new workforce Pell initiative, but the department’s capacity to run the competition is clouded by recent staffing reductions in the Office of Postsecondary Education. Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent framed the agenda as a push to reshape accreditation and expand workforce pathways. Colleges and consortia that pursue FIPSE dollars will face compressed timelines and implementation uncertainty if layoffs remain unresolved, complicating grant management and the roll‑out of any new workforce‑aligned pilot projects.