New Op-Ed: Workforce Pell Can’t Leave Rural Communities Behind
In a new op-ed for Inside Higher Ed, Kristin Hultquist calls on policymakers to implement Workforce Pell in ways that strengthen access to education and training for rural communities.
Responding to the recently approved accountability framework, Hultquist reaffirms its goals while advancing a critical principle: no community left behind. Drawing on data from Virginia’s FAST Forward program, she highlights how accountability systems—if not designed with equity and local context in mind—can disadvantage rural and capacity-constrained regions.
The op-ed underscores the urgency of closing middle-skills gaps, which are most acute in rural areas. From healthcare roles like certified nursing assistants and EMTs to skilled trades such as welding and machining, these workers are essential to local economies and community well-being. Yet many rural training pathways—often delivered through high schools, extension networks, and community-based providers—remain ineligible for Pell support. She writes:
Rural learners, institutions and taxpayers need additional ways to describe return on investment and make data-informed choices about programs that need to be improved, shut down or developed. If this oversight isn’t addressed, rural students will be left out of this life-changing opportunity by design.
As Workforce Pell moves from policy to practice, Hultquist argues that success should be measured not only by speed and scale, but by who benefits. She calls for federal leadership to ensure that short-term Pell supports rural middle-skills pathways, alongside state implementation that reflects rural realities such as limited program availability and long travel distances.
Hultquist, who served as the primary negotiator representing public colleges and universities on the federal Workforce Pell accountability committee (AHEAD), offers a pragmatic roadmap for balancing strong outcomes with broad access.
