Maryland measure would let Pell grants fund short-term workforce training, with student protections
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Summary
SB 509 would authorize Maryland to implement the federal Workforce Pell program for short-term workforce and apprenticeship training; sponsors and advocates said the bill includes guardrails to prevent predatory providers and to protect students from excessive debt.
Senator (sponsor) introduced Senate Bill 509 to enable Maryland to approve short-term workforce programs for eligibility under the federal Workforce Pell program and to make the state’s approach apprenticeship-friendly. The sponsor said states must approve the specific programs that can access the federal funds and argued that aggressive state action could draw substantial federal dollars to support training in IT, health care and skilled trades.
"We all are aware of the Pell program to help lower-income kids go to college," the sponsor said, and the new federal law created a "workforce Pell" eligible for short-term, non-degree programs. The sponsor added that Maryland worked with the governor's office, the state Department of Labor and higher education officials to design state rules that would be practical for community colleges and apprenticeships.
Chris Madeo of the Institute for College Access and Success supported the bill and detailed student-level protections in the amended bill, saying it would require transparency when instruction is contracted out, ensure program affordability, and protect students from predatory loan products. "It has other important protections to ensure that students aren't pushed to predatory loan products as well as ensuring that students can transfer their credits to other schools," he said.
Winston Berkman Breen, legal director of Protect Borrowers, urged a favorable report while warning that new eligibility could invite bad actors. He described three guardrails in SB 509: requiring accredited programs for participation, capping program costs at the Pell amount to limit student debt, and ensuring programs provide real skills and transferable credits.
Supporters including the Maryland Workforce Alliance argued the bill would be simple to implement because community colleges already operate many workforce and apprenticeship programs. In committee remarks, a member who identified themselves as Delegate Adelson noted the panel's testimony had clarified the proposed guardrails and signaled support.
The committee heard the testimony and indicated it would move the bill forward; no formal vote or final action is recorded in the transcript.
