LaGuardia Community College Awarded $2 Million Federal Grant to Expand Workforce Pell Pathways
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (JANUARY 8, 2026) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY has been awarded $1,998,451 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to launch the LaGuardia Workforce Success Engine for Pell-Eligible Pathways. The funding will enable LaGuardia to develop a menu of non-degree workforce training programs that will be eligible for Workforce Pell.
Workforce Pell is a new federal initiative that makes Pell Grants available to low-income students who enroll in short-term (8-15 week) workforce training programs that lead to well-paying jobs in in-demand fields like tech and healthcare. It represents a notable change in federal student aid policy as it broadens access to financial support for individuals seeking vocational skills development. Programs must be “stackable,” meaning they must offer academic credit that can be applied to a college degree in a related field. Workforce Pell is administered by the US Department of Education.
Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College, described Workforce Pell as a game changer. “By targeting short-term training programs aligned with labor market demand and employer requirements, Workforce Pell will address skills gaps for employers and foster greater economic mobility for students. The requirement that programs must lead to college degrees will encourage people who are ambivalent about college to give it a second look.”
The FIPSE Special Project Program awarded grants totaling $167 million to institutions of higher education, public agencies, and state educational agencies in four areas of national need. Only four grants were awarded in New York State across all areas. LaGuardia was the only institution in New York State awarded a grant in Area of National Need 4: Supporting Capacity-Building for High-Quality Short-Term Programs. Eighteen community colleges across the US received awards.
LaGuardia serves approximately 24,000 students annually in ESOL, pre-college, associate degree, and workforce training programs. It is nationally recognized for its leadership in adult and continuing education.
Key partners in the LaGuardia Workforce Success Engine for Pell-Eligible Pathways include the New York Jobs CEO Council and the CUNY Office of Careers and Industry Partnerships, whose employer networks and workforce training expertise will support skills validation, work-based learning, and job placement.
“Through active engagement with employer partners, workforce intermediaries, and CUNY system leadership, the project will ensure programs are responsive, scalable, and positioned to support long-term economic opportunity,” said Sunil Gupta, Vice President for Adult and Continuing Education.
“This investment reinforces LaGuardia’s role as a leader in workforce innovation and positions CUNY as a key player in Workforce Pell adoption in New York State,” President Adams said. “We will be able to create new pathways to sustained employment and economic mobility for New Yorkers.”
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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