5How SFP handles Pell Grants for 2026-2027 and future aid years

Starting with the 2026-27 Award Year, the One Big Beautiful Bill introduces a new category of students who may qualify for a Workforce Pell Grant if they're enrolled in programs that meet specific criteria.

For example, Workforce Pell programs must be between 150-600 clock hours, or the credit hour equivalent, run for 8-15 weeks, be approved by the state governor, and address in-demand jobs and employer needs.

These students can't receive both regular Pell and Workforce Pell Grant at the same time.

Institutions can now configure Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) discrepancy logic to trigger an ISIR correction that notifies the US Department of Education that the student is enrolled in a Workforce Pell-eligible program. The student is then packaged with Workforce Pell after receipt of the ISIR correction.

If set in the configuration workbook or through the UI, SFP also communicates Workforce Pell tuition and fees associated with the student's program in Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) communications.