Governor Expands Access to Education and Workforce Training Through the Implementation of the Workforce Pell Grant Program
La Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 31, 2026 — Governor Jenniffer A. González Colón yesterday signed Executive Order No. OE-2026-043, through which Puerto Rico adopts and implements the Workforce Pell Grant Program to expand access to new federal funding opportunities for education and workforce training, reduce financial barriers to acquiring occupational skills, and facilitate the entry of qualified workers into the labor market.
This initiative is consistent with the framework established under federal law. It creates the state-level structure for evaluating short-term postsecondary educational programs aligned with high-demand occupations that may qualify for federal funding under this new form of federal financial assistance.
Executive Order No. OE-2026-043 establishes the public policy and procedures through which the Governor, following consultation with the State Workforce Development Board, will make the determinations required under federal law. It also creates an Interagency State Committee to support the evaluation of eligible programs and the development of recommendations, in accordance with the written policies and procedures that the Government of Puerto Rico will establish and publish so that the U.S. Secretary of Education may consider such programs and, if approved, gain access to the corresponding federal funds.
Although the federal framework does not require the issuance of an executive order as a mandatory condition for participation in the program, the Governor determined that issuing Executive Order OE-2026-043 was the appropriate legal and institutional mechanism to formally establish the responsibilities of the relevant agencies, create an objective and transparent evaluation process, and require interagency collaboration. This approach provides legal certainty to the process, aligns Puerto Rico with nationally recommended best practices, and draws from state-level models such as Idaho’s State Workforce Pell Coordinating Council.
The Executive Order facilitates access to federal financial assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by the federal Working Families Tax Cuts Act of 2025 and regulated by the U.S. Department of Education on May 19, 2026. Under this framework, which took effect on July 1, 2026, for the 2026–2027 award year, eligible students may receive grants for workforce training programs ranging from 150 to 599 clock hours and offered over a period of eight to 15 weeks, preparing participants for highly skilled, high-paying, or in-demand occupations.
“Puerto Rico’s economic development requires a workforce prepared to respond swiftly to the needs of our productive sectors. This initiative strengthens the alignment between postsecondary educational offerings and our priorities for industrial development, manufacturing, and infrastructure, while maximizing the use of federal resources available to our students,” said Governor González Colón.
The Executive Order designates the State Workforce Development Board, under the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), as the lead entity responsible for coordinating the implementation of the program and providing technical support to the newly created Workforce Pell Interagency Committee.
The Committee, chaired by the Secretary of DDEC, will include the heads of the Department of Labor and Human Resources, Department of Education, Department of State, Institute of Statistics, the Office of Registration and Licensing of Educational Institutions, the Postsecondary Institutions Board, and the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), as well as representatives appointed by the Governor from the higher education and technical and vocational education sectors.
The Committee will be responsible for adopting unified evaluation criteria based on reliable data on employment, wages, and job openings to ensure that programs provide recognized and portable credentials, enable academic progression toward higher degrees, and demonstrate employer and industry support. Upon completion of the technical evaluation, the group will submit its recommendations to the Governor for the corresponding state certification, which will serve as the basis for final approval by the U.S. Department of Education.
To ensure the effectiveness of workforce training programs and the responsible use of federal funds, the Government of Puerto Rico will maintain a continuous monitoring system measuring key performance indicators, including participant retention rates, credential attainment, job placement and retention, and wage outcomes.
The Committee will also have the authority to recommend the modification, suspension, or withdrawal of certifications for programs that no longer meet established performance standards. Any coordination, submission, or proceeding before the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor will be centrally coordinated through PRFAA.
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