The U.S. Department of Education released draft regulatory language this week defining how short-term programs could qualify for the new Workforce Pell Grants created in the summer spending package. The draft requires governors and state workforce boards to certify that programs prepare students for high-skill, high-wage jobs, align with employer needs, and link to credit-bearing certificates or degrees; programs must run at least a year before the Education secretary can approve them. Negotiated rulemaking with students, employers and college officials begins next week to hammer out the details. The department’s draft also proposes outcome metrics that programs would need to hit to remain eligible, putting accountability for very-short programs at the center of approval — a shift that could influence how community colleges, bootcamps and industry providers design credentials.