Rising to Challenges, Forsyth Tech Leads Nation in Approved Workforce Pell Programs

Forsyth Technical Community College has become the first college in North Carolina to receive U.S. Department of Education approval for the newly created Workforce Pell program. With six approved programs, Forsyth Tech now has more federally approved Workforce Pell programs than any other college in the country. This makes North Carolina the fifth state in the nation with federally approved programs.

That approval could make a real difference for students like Sydney Webb. The 26-year-old bartender returned to school to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Webb saved for months to pay for Forsyth Tech’s CNA program. On top of the registration fee, she paid for a background check, scrubs, a stethoscope and the state certification exam, all while cutting her work hours in half to attend class. 

Because the program lasts only eight weeks, Webb could not use a need-based Pell grant to help cover costs. For decades, Pell grants have been limited to programs lasting at least 15 weeks, leaving students in shorter workforce training programs to pay their own way. For working adults like Webb who need to start earning quickly, that gap can put job training out of reach.

Workforce Pell was designed to close that gap. Signed into law on July 4, 2025 as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it expands the Pell grant program to cover shorter training programs. When the rollout began in July 2026, Forsyth Tech President Dr. Janet N. Spriggs thought the hardest part was over. She had expected the toughest step to be getting the law through Congress.

However, federal standards are strict and colleges nationwide are finding Workforce Pell difficult to put into practice. Every program needs approval from both the state and the U.S. Department of Education. To earn approval, a program must last 8 to 15 weeks, lead to stackable credentials and have a year of successful operation. The college must deliver 75% of the instruction, 70% of students must complete the program and 70% of graduates must be employed within six months. Meeting those benchmarks requires close tracking of student outcomes and, in some cases, restructuring programs entirely.

Although North Carolina has approved 364 eligible occupations, one of the broadest lists in the country, each college must still prove that its programs lead to good jobs. Few have been able to do so quickly. Former North Carolina Community College System President Jeff Cox estimated that only about 4% of the NC community college system’s existing short-term programs qualify. As of mid-September, only 16 of the state’s 58 community colleges had even applied.

Approval is only part of the picture. Many of the people Workforce Pell is meant to help do not know it exists. At a community event this spring, Devin Purgason, who leads marketing and outreach at Forsyth Tech, met a woman who was caring for her mother, working part time and hoping to start a health care career without taking on debt. When Purgason mentioned that Forsyth Tech’s eight-week certified CNA program might soon qualify for federal financial aid, she was surprised. She had assumed Pell grants were only for traditional college students.

Her reaction stayed with him. “The policy is real. The funding is real. The awareness is not,” Purgason noted. Improving awareness of the program is Forsyth Tech’s next priority. The awareness strategy starts with a simple message: College could cost you nothing. To get this message out, Purgason developed an advocacy strategy well before Forsyth Tech programs were approved. Now, Forsyth Tech is putting its plan into action, including sharing that message on social media platforms, doing outreach year-round and partnering with employers, congregations, community groups and state efforts such as NC Reconnect. The strategy focuses on reaching adults who do not think of themselves as college students or who assume they do not qualify for aid.

Forsyth Tech has been able to meet these challenges head-on and emerge as a national leader. The high bar required for Workforce Pell approval is what makes Forsyth Tech’s success so significant. For Dr. Spriggs, that success means new opportunities for students who need fast, affordable paths to good jobs.

Interested in Workforce Pell? Take a look at Forsyth Tech’s six approved short-term workforce training programs here. To get started:

• Check eligibility requirements and take a look at the Federal Student Aid Handbook.
• Create a StudentAid.gov account and complete the FAFSA. Even if you already have a bachelor’s degree or are not eligible for traditional Pell grants, you may still qualify for Workforce Pell.
• Talk with a Forsyth Tech advisor about which of the programs fit your career goals and how to enroll.
• Plan ahead for your Pell grant limit. Workforce Pell counts toward your lifetime Pell grant limit, so if you may pursue a degree later, discuss your plans with an advisor first.