WINSTON-SALEM — Forsyth Technical Community College has received federal Workforce Pell approval for six short-term programs, making federal grant aid available to eligible students in those programs beginning in January 2027.
The North Carolina Community College System said Forsyth Tech is the first college in the state to receive the federal approval. The six programs are Emergency Medical Technician, Fire Academy, Welding, Certified Nursing Assistant I, Certified Nursing Assistant II and Electrical Lineworker.
The approval extends Pell eligibility to qualifying short-term training that previously fell outside the traditional grant program. For Forsyth Tech, that creates a new financing path for students seeking credentials tied to health care, emergency response, construction and utility work.
The college said its approved programs met federal standards tied to earnings, completion and job placement. Its announcement says eligible students can begin using Workforce Pell for the six programs in January.
The approval does not provide a fixed grant to every enrollee. Individual aid will depend on federal student-aid eligibility and the applicable award calculation, and students will still need to complete the financial-aid process.
The U.S. Department of Education’s final rule established the federal framework for using Pell grants in eligible short-term workforce programs. The Forsyth Tech approval is a completed eligibility action, not an announcement of new campus construction, employer commitments or a guaranteed enrollment increase.