Pennsylvania Workforce Pell
Live: Approved List Posted (2 of 40). Last documented action: Jul 8, 2026.
Drawn from Pennsylvania’s row in the Workforce Pell State Implementation Record, which tracks all 52 jurisdictions from primary sources: state agency pages, board minutes, statutes and U.S. Department of Education releases.
Where Pennsylvania stands on Workforce Pell
- Status
- Live: an operational approval process underway, an open application window, a pilot cohort accepting programs, or an eligible-program list being finalized and submitted to ED (the Record’s definition).
- Phase
- Approved List Posted (2 of 40)
- Lead agency
- PA Department of Education + State Workforce Development Board
- Current holdup
- PDE / SWDB
- Approved list posted: 2 of 40 submitted programs approved for 2026-27; denied institutions may appeal within 30 days of notification; federal approval still required before Workforce Pell funding; an AY 2027-28 timeline on the page sends a new occupation list to the State Workforce Development Board in November 2026 and an eligible programs list in May 2027
- State portal
- www.pa.gov
What the record documents
PDE posted the final approved program list for 2026-27 on its published July schedule (page updated July 8, 2026): 11 institutions submitted 40 programs, and 2 were approved, both heavy and tractor-trailer truck driving programs (Douglas Education Center's Commercial Driver's License and Rosedale Technical College's Truck Driving; CIP 49.0205, SOC 53-3032). Institution applications had run March 9 to April 17, 2026 against PDE's 19-occupation list (entry wage at least $23,475 and 100+ projected annual openings), one of the most curated in the country. The PA Workforce Development Board's August 5 briefing book publishes the May 19 minutes: PDE reported 40 programs received from 11 institutions, presented the two that met all criteria, and the board voted unanimously to endorse them ahead of the Governor's approval; the August 5 agenda carried no Workforce Pell item, and the board next meets November 10. Denied institutions may appeal within 30 days of notification; appeals may not challenge the underlying regulation, and denied programs may reapply in later cycles. PDE notes that placement on the commonwealth list does not by itself authorize Workforce Pell funding absent subsequent federal approval. The PDE page also carries an AY 2027-28 timeline (present in the October 22 Wayback capture): regional working groups meet September to October 2026 to identify key occupations, the occupation list goes to the State Workforce Development Board in November 2026 (the board's November 10 meeting is the likely venue), an applicant webinar runs in December 2026, data collection runs January to March 2027, and the eligible programs list goes to the board in May 2027. Source, approved list (xlsx)
Verified against the sources on November 6, 2026.
Key dates for Pennsylvania
From the Record’s key-dates panel, recent milestones and upcoming deadlines.
| When | Date | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Recent | Apr 17 | Pennsylvania institution application window closed |
| Recent | Jul 8 | Pennsylvania posted its final approved list (2 of 40 programs) |
| Upcoming | Nov 2026 | Pennsylvania's workforce board meets Nov 10 |
Eligible occupations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 19 occupations on the state’s eligible-occupation list. Open the state’s list. Its list design, side by side with the other published frameworks, is in the State Approval Comparison.
- Approved programs (state / federal)
- 2 state, of 40 submitted (Jul 8)
- List philosophy
- Tight, targeted initial list
- High-wage definition
- Median entry wage at or above 150% FPL (~$23,475)
- Skill and demand logic
- Wage + demand (100+ annual openings) + credential
- Lead and approver
- Governor + PA Workforce Development Board + PDE
- List refresh
- Initial phase
Approved Workforce Pell programs in Pennsylvania
No Pennsylvania program appears in the Record’s approved-programs table (U.S. Department of Education announcements and state rosters of federally approved programs) as of November 5, 2026.
Sources
Every primary source the record cites for Pennsylvania, last checked November 6, 2026.
- State Workforce Pell portal (www.pa.gov)
- 19-occupation list (www.pa.gov)
- August 5 briefing book (www.pa.gov)
- approved list (xlsx) (www.pa.gov)
- Pennsylvania in the State Implementation Record: the national record of all 52 jurisdictions, with this row in context.
- State Approval Comparison: how each state defines eligible programs and occupations.
- Workforce Pell for Students: approved programs, costs and how to apply.
- Workforce Pell by state: every jurisdiction’s page.
- Nearby states: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia.