Last week, Iowa led the nation with the first Workforce Pell Grant program in the country approved by the U.S. Department of Education. According to a press release from the Department, it is “a major milestone in expanding faster, more affordable pathways to careers in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds explained that “Now, the Workforce Pell program will allow schools to fast-track students within eight to 15 weeks into rewarding careers with little-to-no debt, expanding high-quality career opportunities and paving the way to a stronger and more resilient economy.”
Director of the Iowa Department of Education McKenzie Snow said, “With the nation’s first Workforce Pell application, Iowa will identify postsecondary programs with the best completion, employment, and earnings outcomes, ensuring students get a strong return on their investment and employers have the skilled talent pipelines they need here in Iowa.”
For years, states have talked about education innovation. Iowa is taking strides toward making that happen with reforms that expand opportunity, strengthen workforce development, and empower families.
While many states continue to operate within outdated systems and rigid bureaucratic structures, Iowa is a national leader in rethinking how education dollars, workforce programs, and student opportunities can better align with the needs of families, educators, and employers. This shift is already visible in Iowa’s recent actions.
Earlier this year, Iowa became the first state in the nation to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education for a Returning Education to the States Waiver, giving state leaders greater flexibility over federal education funding and reducing administrative burdens that often divert resources away from students and classrooms. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the waiver will allow Iowa to redirect millions of dollars from compliance activities to student-focused initiatives. This approval marks an important step in that broader effort.
More specifically, according to the Iowa Department of Education website, the “plan seeks to focus more federal resources on improving student achievement over federal compliance.” The reduced compliance expenses will allow “nearly $8 million in time and resources to be redirected from compliance to the classroom over four years.” Iowa will be able to spend less time navigating federal requirements and more time investing in student learning.
This allowance reflects the Trump administration’s recognition that state leaders are best positioned to identify and address the unique needs of their students. As a result, other states are looking to Iowa’s example and seeking waivers.
In May, Louisiana followed Iowa’s lead and became the second state to receive a Returning Education to the States Waiver, closely modeling its application after Iowa’s. Since then, Indiana, Vermont, Arkansas, and South Dakota have all sought and received waivers mirroring Iowa’s consolidation of state-level activities funds.
The Iowa Department of Education website explains that approval of the Returning Education to the States Waiver was the first step in Iowa’s Unified Allocation Plan. With the plan, Iowa seeks to align resources around statewide priorities that produce measurable outcomes for students rather than treating federal education programs as isolated funding streams.
Iowa’s innovative approach to education did not begin with federal waivers. Thanks to Governor Reynolds’ unwavering resolve to advance education freedom, Iowa was among the first states in the nation to pass sweeping legislation allowing education funding to follow the child.
After much work, in January 2023, Governor Reynolds signed Iowa’s Students First Act, creating an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that allows funding to follow K-12 students to accredited nonpublic schools. After its initial two-year income-restricted phase-in process, ESAs were expanded to all K-12 students beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
Iowa’s commitment to education freedom extends beyond ESAs. By expanding charter schools, supporting open enrollment and protecting homeschool opportunities, the state has empowered more families to choose the educational environment that best meets their children’s needs. Today, nearly one in five Iowa students exercises some form of school choice, demonstrating the state’s commitment to putting students and families at the center of education policy.
Director Snow has developed a clear vision with the following priorities: teacher recruitment, development, and retention; evidence-based instruction; narrowing achievement gaps through accountability and support; multiple pathways to postsecondary success and completion; and vibrant, safe, and healthy learning environments.
Iowa students are achieving academic results, including an 11-percentage-point increase in early literacy proficiency from third to fourth grade and a seven-percentage-point increase in science proficiency in tenth grade.
But it doesn’t end there. Iowa is also charting a new path in workforce readiness. Now, 45% of all Iowa seniors have completed at least one high-quality work-based learning experience while in high school, up 20 percentage points in just the past two years.
Rather than forcing students into one-size-fits-all pathways, Iowa is expanding access to industry-aligned training that can quickly connect learners to meaningful careers. It also reinforces the need for multiple pathways to success, whether that means pursuing a four-year degree, earning an industry-recognized credential, entering an apprenticeship, or launching directly into a high-demand profession.
Iowa’s approach recognizes that economic growth and educational opportunity are deeply interconnected. The state’s efforts also demonstrate what can happen when education leaders challenge long-standing assumptions. Iowa has pursued flexibility, integrated workforce development with education, and proactively developed solutions tailored to the needs of its students and communities.
Iowa’s work is far from finished. Raising student achievement, expanding opportunity, and preparing learners for success in a rapidly changing economy require ongoing commitment and continuous improvement. Yet Iowa has distinguished itself as a state willing to challenge conventional approaches and pursue meaningful reform.
With the future of education shifting away from Washington, D.C., and back to the states, where it rightly belongs, Iowa offers a compelling model for others to follow. Through greater flexibility, parent empowerment, and stronger alignment between education and workforce needs, Iowa is demonstrating how state-led innovation can better serve students. If more states embrace a similar commitment to bold leadership and results-driven reform, the nation’s education system will be better positioned to prepare the next generation for success in school, work, and life.
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Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women.
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