Illinois Workforce Pell Planning Survey: Responses Due October 30

10/26/2026

Dear colleagues,

As we continue improving Illinois' Workforce Pell implementation process, we are seeking input from institutions of higher education, particularly financial aid administrators, on the timing of our application process. We want to ensure institutions have sufficient time to prepare for implementation once a program is determined eligible for Workforce Pell and that it complements the cadence of other institutional planning processes.

We recognize that notification timing may affect several institutional processes, including federal financial aid packaging and awarding, student recruitment and marketing, course scheduling, enrollment planning, and coordination among financial aid, academic affairs, and other campus offices.

To help inform our approach, please consider the following questions before answering the survey.

Notification timeline: How far in advance of a term or academic year would your institution ideally need to receive confirmation that a program is eligible for Workforce Pell?
Financial aid processing: What lead time is needed to incorporate an eligible program into financial aid processes, including student eligibility review, packaging, and awarding?
Marketing and recruitment: How much advance notice would your institution need to communicate the availability of Workforce Pell to prospective and current students?
Internal coordination: Are there institutional approval, scheduling, registration, or other processes that would affect your ability to implement an eligible program?
Key deadlines: Are there specific dates or milestones in your academic or financial aid calendar that should inform the timing of notifications?

We understand that timelines may vary by institution and program type. Our goal is to identify 2-3 application cycles per year that support institutional planning while allowing students to receive timely information about potential Workforce Pell opportunities.

Please share your feedback by using this survey by Friday, October 30.

As a reminder, information about program implementation in Illinois, including a feedback form, is available at the Illinois Workforce Pell hub (https://www.iccb.org/programs-and-initiatives/workforce-pell/).

Thank you!

Illinois Workforce Pell Steering Committee

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