Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (Round 6)

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has released the sixth round of the Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC) Training Grants, designated as FOA-ETA-26-40. This initiative builds on earlier rounds and aims to empower community colleges across the United States to enhance their capacity to deliver short-term, industry-aligned training programs eligible for the newly authorized Workforce Pell Grants. The grants emphasize system-level capacity building and statewide collaboration to support education-to-employment pathways and drive economic mobility through workforce development. Funding under this round totals approximately $65 million, with the potential for an additional $65 million contingent on the availability of FY 2026 appropriations and the volume of qualifying applications received. At its core, SCC Round 6 focuses on helping community colleges develop and scale high-quality, short-term training programs—those ranging from at least 150 to less than 600 clock hours, or 8 to 15 weeks in duration. These programs must demonstrate job placement success and align with the hiring needs of employers in high-demand sectors such as advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, nuclear energy, shipbuilding, and information technology. Grantees are expected to collaborate with employers in program development, including curriculum design and competency mapping. The goal is to ensure these programs lead to stackable, portable credentials that offer clear career progression and integrate with broader career pathways. This funding round mandates the formation of statewide consortia led by public or state-controlled community colleges as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act. To be eligible, a consortium must include at least 50% of the community colleges in a state and secure participation from required partners including employers and public workforce system entities such as WIOA state or local boards. Institutions must be accredited and are required to demonstrate capacity for data integration between education and workforce systems, a key eligibility criterion for Workforce Pell Grants. Letters of support from designated state officials are also required to confirm statewide coordination and support. Allowable uses of the grant include program development, faculty professional development, employer engagement, curriculum design, and equipment purchases directly tied to grant outcomes. However, direct tuition support is not an allowable cost. Grantees must also fund a third-party developmental evaluation of their project, not to exceed 5% of the total award, and openly license all intellectual property created with grant funds. Emphasis is placed on aligning with state Eligible Training Provider Lists (ETPLs) to ensure Workforce Pell-eligible programs are accessible to broader workforce populations, including those using WIOA-funded Individual Training Accounts. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on May 20, 2026. A pre-recorded prospective applicant webcast will be made available on March 4, 2026, to assist applicants with submission preparation. Required components of the application package include the SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a detailed project narrative (maximum 25 pages), a project work plan, budget narrative, letters of commitment from consortium members, and a procurement plan for third-party evaluation. Each proposal will be evaluated on clear criteria including the extent of employer engagement, quality of proposed career pathways, data integration strategies, and the capacity to achieve measurable workforce outcomes. The anticipated period of performance is 48 months, starting on or around September 1, 2026. Grantees are expected to begin enrolling students into programs seeking Workforce Pell eligibility by at least month 12 of the project. Key reporting requirements include quarterly performance indicators and capacity-building metrics such as the number of new programs developed, credentials created, and programs added to the ETPL. Questions about this funding opportunity should be directed to Sarah Medley at [email protected]. Only one grant will be awarded per state. Institutions considering application are strongly encouraged to subscribe to Grants.gov for updates regarding this funding opportunity.

Demonstrate strong employer partnerships; prioritize statewide data integration; align programs to Workforce Pell eligibility and ETPL inclusion requirements.