The Education Department finalized proposed regulations this week to expand Pell Grants to short‑term workforce training, prompting colleges—especially community and technical institutions—to scramble to build compliance systems ahead of a projected July rollout. The policy expands federal aid to programs as short as eight weeks or 600 clock hours but leaves many implementation details to the agency. Officials and advocates framed Workforce Pell as a major access win for low‑income students seeking career credentials without a multi‑year degree. Campus leaders warned, however, that many institutions lack the data‑tracking, staffing and accreditation alignment needed to verify completion and employment thresholds quickly. Policy experts cautioned that a hurried qualification process could invite low‑quality program proliferation, while proponents said early adopters will capture meaningful enrollment and workforce pipelines. Colleges face a compressed timeline to adapt financial‑aid systems, program design, and employer partnerships to qualify.