Former Trump official: Washington finally let Pell Grants pay for welding school, then buried the idea in 85 pages of red tape
·2 min read
Compiled by KHAO Editorial
— aggregated from 1 source + 9 references discovered via search.
See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Ask anyone trying to staff a plant floor, a job site, or a service fleet what keeps them up at night, and near the top of the list is the same answer: they cannot find enough skilled hands.
Key facts
At least 70% of its students must complete it within 150% of the normal time to completion
Then Congress and the rule-writers surrounded a simple idea with an 85-page regulatory framework and an approval process built like an obstacle course
And its tuition cannot exceed what its graduates earn above 150% of the poverty line, an earnings test so complex it won’t be calculated for the first time until 2030
At least 70% of those completers must be employed by the second quarter after they finish
Summary
That is set to change July 1. The timing could hardly be better, because higher education has its own version of the shortage. But the same Washington nearly buried it. To qualify, a program must win the approval of its governor, who must first consult the state workforce board, and then clear a second review by the U.S. Secretary of Education. At least 70% of its students must complete it within 150% of the normal time to completion. And its tuition cannot exceed what its graduates earn above 150% of the poverty line, an earnings test so complex it won’t be calculated for the first time until 2030.