Pell, a grant established in the 70’s, is helpful for low income students going to go to a university or college. According to the Huffington Post, Pell grant can not be used for anything that is not a two-year or four-year college or university.

Students who are going to trade schools are not eligible for Pell because not enough hours in the classes they are taking. Some colleges are considering padding different programs with less than the 600 hours needed for eligibility for Pell Grant, which would mean extra work and more classes.

This action has been deemed unethical by community college administrators and could cause trouble. Schools have been penalized for taking money from Pell-funded students for courses that did not teach the skills promised.

A program launched last fall, EQUIP (Educational Quality in Innovative Partnerships) tests the use of Pell Grant for training programs by community colleges. However, programs still are required to at least have a minimum of 450 hours, which still leaves a gap for those who are studying in a program with less hours than that. Information is still being gathered on EQUIP according to the Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pell-grant-rules_us_56c34862e4b0b40245c7eb0c?utm_hp_ref=college