In December, UW-Stout received about $2 million of round of federal grants for special projects to promote civil discourse, enhance understanding of AI and expand short-term, nondegree training programs.
The university is launching six new programs with the money under UW-Stout FUSE (Fast Upskilling for Skills and Employment) to teach and train students in eight- to 15-week courses, with the goal of achieving a 70% job placement rate within six months.
UW-Stout is expanding its short-term and nondegree programs because students who enroll in the courses for the first time will be able to use federal aid through Pell Grants to cover tuition.
The Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill, passed in July, made several sweeping changes to higher education, including the expansion of Pell Grants — the largest federal aid source for low-income students — to workforce training programs.
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In September, the president announced a $100,000 price tag for H-1B visas, which help employers hire workers in specialty occupations, commonly in the tech field, from abroad.
Before the changes to Pell Grants, which will go into effect July 1, eligible programs had to lead to a certificate or degree and last at least 15 weeks.
“Now (students will) be able to have access to funding to help reduce the financial barriers for them to pursue education,” said Beth Hein, UW-Stout executive director of educational pathways and outreach.
Almost 80,000 Wisconsin students received aid through Pell Grants last year, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Hein said UW-Stout hasn’t settled on which fields will include the short-term programs, but they will be based on the state’s list of high-demand jobs, which includes careers in business, engineering, health care and construction.
The new workforce programs are expected to launch in January 2027.
Students also will be able to use their completed program to return to UW-Stout and put it toward a degree in the future, she said.
“For the last few years, we’ve been focusing on high-demand credentials and creating smaller credentials that are valuable to employees and learners, so I think this grant and the Workforce Pell help expand that opportunity,” she said.
A new Humanities building and other developments UW-Madison has in the works this year
Other projects include revamping a historic building and an upgrade to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.
© 2026 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
