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New grants could bring aid to Florida students — but only in certain fields

tampabay.com · 1d · first reportShare

Do you want to become a firefighter in Florida? Or a police officer? Or a nursing assistant? Low-income students can soon receive federal money for short-term job training under a program called Workforce Pell. Workforce Pell, which went into effect in July, is an expansion of the Pell Grant program, which provides need-based financial aid for students. Congress passed funding for it in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. By 2034, the program is expected to give around 100,000 students training for high-demand jobs about $2,200 apiece, according to a congressional estimate. Every state is scrambling to roll out the program in its own way. Some have deemed hundreds of jobs eligible. Others haven’t even started their lists. Florida’s Department of Education put together a relatively short list of around 30 programs, rather than jobs. The list focuses largely on two sectors — law enforcement and healthcare — that reflect state workforce priorities espoused by Gov. Ron DeSantis. By c