Education Code section 69872
(a)
The commission, on behalf of the Governor, shall determine whether a participating institution’s short-term program meets the requirements established pursuant to this article and shall consult with the California Workforce Development Board on the process that will be used to make those determinations.(b)
Before approving any short-term program pursuant to this article, the commission shall consult with the California Workforce Development Board and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency on the short-term programs that the commission is proposing to approve, which may include, but not be limited to, presenting at a meeting of the California Workforce Development Board a list of short-term programs that the commission is proposing to approve.(c)
(1)A participating institution seeking a determination that one or more of its short-term programs meets the requirements of the Workforce Pell Grant program shall provide all of the following to the commission in a manner prescribed by the commission:(A)
Documentation that the short-term program meets all requirements set forth in Section 83002(b) of Public Law 119-21 and any applicable federal or state law or regulation.(B)
Documentation that demonstrates the methodology and implementation plan for maintaining ongoing compliance with all requirements set forth in Section 83002(b) of Public Law 119-21, including a description of how and what data will be collected to demonstrate ongoing compliance.(C)
A completed Workforce Pell Grant program application, as developed by the commission, and any associated documentation, data, and certifications that are required as part of its submission in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission pursuant to Section 69873.(D)
Documentation that the short-term program does all of the following:(i)
Provides an education aligned with the requirements needed for work in the sectors or occupations identified pursuant to Section 69871, including identifying the specific sector or occupation on the list the program aligns with.(ii)
Meets the hiring requirements of employers in the sectors or occupations identified pursuant to Section 69871.(iv)
Prepares students to pursue one or more certificates or degrees at a postsecondary educational institution by ensuring that, upon completion of the short-term program and enrollment in a related certificate or degree program, a student will receive academic credit that an institution will accept toward that certificate or degree and the academic credit will be accepted toward meeting the certificate or degree program requirements.(2)
The office of the Chancellor of the California State University and the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall, and the office of the President of the University of California is requested to, coordinate the submission of applications seeking Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility for the institutions under their authority rather than the institutions separately submitting applications directly to the commission. This coordination is intended to improve efficiency in the submission and processing of applications and to eliminate duplicative submissions. All other submissions shall be made directly to the commission.(d)
(1)A participating institution seeking a determination that one or more of its short-term programs meets the requirements of the Workforce Pell Grant program shall collect all of the following data:(A)
Program-level data, including all of the following:(i)
The name of the short-term program.(ii)
The Classification of Instructional Programs code and title.(iv)
The total cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, and the average cost of the short-term program.(v)
The median earnings and percentage of graduates who are employed.(vi)
The number of students who completed the short-term program that are employed in a position related to the short-term program and a list of the positions and employers that are considered to be in the program’s field of study, if available. To the extent that the list would result in individual students becoming readily identifiable, that information shall be treated similarly to student-level data and confidential data pursuant to subparagraph (C).(B)
Student-level data necessary for participating institutions to perform calculations demonstrating a program meets federal and state Workforce Pell Grant program requirements, including, but not limited to, both of the following:(i)
Demographic information, including, but not limited to, student identifiers, names, and dates of birth.(ii)
Financial aid information, including, but not limited to, aid amounts, including federal, state, and institutional aid, Pell Grant recipient status, net cost, tuition, and fees.(C)
Program-level and student-level data shall be used by participating institutions seeking Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility to demonstrate that they meet all state and federal requirements. To protect student privacy, participating institutions seeking eligibility shall provide to the commission only program-level data and calculations performed using student-level data. Individual student-level data and any confidential data may only be shared with the commission if it is deidentified by the participating institution and critical to demonstrating Workforce Pell Grant program initial or continued eligibility.(D)
Participating institutions shall continue to collect program-level and student-level data necessary to demonstrate initial and continued eligibility to ensure the institutions are able to provide sufficient evidence, upon request of the federal government, that they meet federal program performance, outcome, and other requirements. To the extent that such data is needed by the commission to verify continued Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility, the data-sharing limitations described subparagraph (C) shall apply.(2)
(A)(i)Participating institutions shall use data available under the authority provided in Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code to demonstrate compliance with federal and state Workforce Pell Grant program requirements. To the extent necessary to carry out the activities described in this section, data agreements executed under the authority provided in Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code may be modified to include data necessary to determine Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility.(ii)
The office of the Chancellor of the California State University and the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall, and the office of the President of the University of California is requested to, coordinate data sharing with the Employment Development Department on behalf of the participating institutions under their authority using data available pursuant to Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.(B)
(i)Participating institutions interested in seeking Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility without existing data-sharing agreements with the Employment Development Department pursuant to Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code to demonstrate compliance with federal and state Workforce Pell Grant program requirements shall submit a letter of interest to the commission and the Office of Cradle-to-Career Data on or before December 15, 2026, and on or before December 15 of each year thereafter, to the extent that legislation described in clause (iii) has not yet been enacted, expressing their interest in seeking Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility. The letter of intent shall indicate the number and name of the programs seeking eligibility, the specific sector or occupation on the list prepared pursuant to Section 69871 each program aligns with, and the average class size for each program.(ii)
To the extent letters of interest are submitted, the commission and the Office of Cradle-to-Career Data shall jointly submit a report to the Department of Finance and the Legislature summarizing those letters. The report may also include a recommended plan for how data equivalent to the data described under Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code may be provided to participating institutions seeking data to demonstrate initial or continued Workforce Pell Grant program eligibility by meeting all federal and state requirements. The commission and the Office of Cradle-to-Career Data may consult with the Employment Development Department if a recommended plan is developed. This report shall be submitted to the Department of Finance and the Legislature pursuant to Government Code Section 9795.(e)
The commission shall not authorize a participating institution to receive Workforce Pell Grant program funds for a short-term program unless all of the following conditions have been met:(1)
The commission determines that the short-term program meets the requirements set forth in Section 83002(b) of Public Law 119-21, and as implemented through any applicable federal or state law or regulation.(2)
The participating institution has met the requirements of subdivisions (c) and (d).(3)
The participating institution is accredited by an agency that is recognized and approved by the United States Department of Education and that reviews and provides accreditation for short-term programs.(4)
The short-term program has been offered by the participating institution for at least one year before the date that the participating institution submitted its request for an eligibility determination pursuant to this article.(f)
(1)The commission shall make a determination on the approval of a participating institution’s eligibility for the Workforce Pell Grant program and provide written notice of its decision, including any reasons for disapproval, within 90 days of receiving the participating institution’s application for an eligibility determination and completed participation agreement.(2)
(A)(i)The commission shall establish an appeal process for an otherwise qualifying institution that fails to satisfy the requirements of subdivision (c) or (d), or both, for participation in the Workforce Pell Grant program.(ii)
The commission shall only consider an appeal on the basis of a technical error in the reporting of data required for an eligibility determination for participation in the Workforce Pell Grant program pursuant to subdivision (c).(B)
The commission shall respond to an appellant within 60 days of receiving the appeal and all associated documentation, including any updated data, that is relevant to the appeal. The commission may request additional information from the institution as necessary to complete its review of the appeal. The 60-day deadline may be extended upon agreement of the commission and the appellant, or upon a demonstration of good cause by the commission.(g)
The commission shall revoke the approval of a short-term program related to the Workforce Pell Grant program if any of the following occurs:(1)
The participating institution fails to meet the requirements of subdivision (c) or (d) in any award year.(2)
The participating institution is determined by a court or the California State Auditor to have engaged in unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business acts or practices, including unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading statements related to the short-term program.(3)
The participating institution fails to provide data to the Office of Cradle-to-Career data pursuant to Section 69875.(h)
The commission shall publicly notify students enrolled in qualifying short-term programs of their rights as recipients of a Workforce Pell Grant.
Source:
Section 69872, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=69872. (updated Jul. 13, 2026; accessed Jul. 27, 2026).
