The state’s first approved courses train emergency medical technicians and phlebotomists. Together, seven institutions submitted 20 applications; only five programs passed the state review. The grants could cover about $2,200 a year in educational costs for eligible students.

Workforce Pell, launched in July, extends federal Pell aid beyond traditional college programs to certain short-term job training. To qualify, programs must take eight to 14 weeks to complete, have a completion rate of at least 70%, place at least 70% of graduates in jobs within six months and show that graduates earn higher wages.

Those requirements have proved difficult for Colorado colleges to meet, in part because institutions must gather and report detailed completion and employment data. Some programs also fall outside the required length. State and federal officials have designed the rules to steer aid toward programs that produce strong outcomes, but the limited approvals mean students have few choices for now.

Trinidad State College received approval for two emergency medical technician certificate programs. Colorado Mountain College won state approval for one EMT program and one phlebotomy program, while Arapahoe Community College’s phlebotomy course was its only approved application.

Arapahoe had also applied for certificates in early childhood education, nurse aide and emergency medical technology. College officials had initially hoped the aid could support a broader range of noncredit training, including cybersecurity boot camps and apprenticeships, but concluded those offerings might not meet the federal rules.

Colorado Mountain College has more than a dozen programs that could potentially qualify, including courses in real estate, baking arts and welding. The college submitted four applications in this first round to learn the process, said Karla Hardesty, dean of academic support. Two were denied because they did not meet state standards for completion and job-placement data.

The state’s approval is only the first step. Applications are vetted by state agencies and the governor’s office before federal review. Colorado’s five approved programs have not yet received federal sign-off, and the state has not announced when it will accept applications in another round. A Colorado Department of Labor and Employment spokesperson said the state will help programs that were rejected meet the requirements for future cycles.

Dustin Eicke, president of Trinidad State College, said the reporting process was demanding but could help ensure programs meet consistent standards. Michael Itzkowitz, who leads the college research organization the HEA Group, said the requirements are intended to keep public money from going to low-quality programs. With only 21 programs approved in six states since the program launched, he said, it is too early to judge its broader impact.

At Arapahoe, vice president of economic mobility and workforce innovation Julie Beggs hopes students may be able to use the grant as early as summer. She said financial support could help lower-income students enter training and continue into longer-term education.

Kendall Bingenheimer, 35, is studying phlebotomy at Arapahoe and received some state aid for the course. She will not benefit from Workforce Pell, but said she has seen how federal Pell grants can open educational opportunities: she used them while earning a biology degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“Not everybody is born into money,” Bingenheimer said. “If you can really allow people access to school, make it more accessible, more people will do it, and then you have more people joining the workforce.”