"The four-year college degree no longer has the same pull it once did - and the Trump administration agrees. The Department of Education concluded its negotiations on the Workforce Pell program on December 12, a new initiative included in President Donald Trump's "big beautiful" spending legislation. The program would extend Pell grants to low-income borrowers in short-term certification programs, with the intention of providing more funding for alternative paths to a four-year college degree or trade school."
"Nicholas Kent, the department's undersecretary, acknowledged during remarks at the beginning of negotiations that a standard four-year college degree is losing its value. "Americans are questioning whether the value of higher education is worth the cost. Polling also shows that students do not believe they are graduating with the specific skills that they need," Kent said. He added that skepticism about college degrees has led to students "showing more interest in pathways that get them into the labor force more quickly and without unnecessary debt.""
The Department of Education finalized negotiations on the Workforce Pell program on December 12 to expand Pell grant eligibility to short-term certification programs. The program aims to provide Pell grants to low-income borrowers pursuing short-term credentials as alternative paths to four-year degrees or trade school. Officials cited declining public confidence in the value of a standard four-year degree, student concerns about graduating without needed skills, and rising student debt as drivers of interest in faster workforce pathways. College still leads to higher earnings and social benefits, but demand for short-term credentials and trades is growing.
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