Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant

The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant is a financial aid program that addresses workforce needs by encouraging adults to pursue a certificate, degree, or industry-recognized credential in an area designated as high need. These changes became effective August 28, 2022.

The 2022-2023 is now open. The application is available in MDHEWD’s Student Portal, so students must have a Student Portal account to apply.

This page will be updated periodically as more information about the changes becomes available.

Participation

 Who can participate?

The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant serves Missourians receiving their education through an approved postsecondary institution, an eligible training provider, or an organization providing an eligible apprenticeship.  For the Fast Track grant:

An approved postsecondary institution is a public, private, or virtual institution as defined in section 173.1102, RSMo.

An eligible training provider is a training organization listed in MDHEWD’s Eligible Training Provider System (ETPS).

An eligible apprenticeship is a U.S. Department of Labor approved apprenticeship that is conducted in Missouri and prepares the apprentice to become employed in an area of occupational shortage identified by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

How to participate

To participate in the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant, approved institutions, eligible training providers, and apprenticeship providers must meet the following requirements:

1.  Have their approved Fast Track programs or eligible apprenticeships registered in the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development’s Program Inventory and/or ETPS systems.

Visit https://jobs.mo.gov/community/missouri-eligible-training-provider-system for more information on becoming an ETPS-approved provider.

Program Inventory is the database that houses MDHEWD-approved credit programs at Missouri’s public institutions and MDHEWD-reviewed programs from Missouri’s independent institutions.

To view your institution’s approved academic program inventory, visit College and Degree Search.

To make changes to your inventory, follow the instructions to use the Academic Program Actions Web Portal: https://dhewd.mo.gov/academic/programrequests/AcademicProgramActionsWebPortalInstructions.php

Please note that any approved user of the Academic Program Actions Web Portal is understood to be your institution’s chief academic officer or an approved designee of your chief academic officer. We suggest that the CAO, along with one or two others from your institution, register to use the portal. Approved users will be authorized to make academic program changes and submit new programs on behalf of the institution.

ETPS provides customer-focused employment training resources for adults and dislocated workers.  More information about ETPS, including who can become an eligible training provider and how to register, is available at https://jobs.mo.gov/community/missouri-eligible-training-provider-system. Non-credit programs and registered apprenticeships will need to be listed in the ETPS to be eligible for Fast Track.

2.  Submit a participation application, if you are an eligible training provider or apprenticeship provider. 

This step is not required for approved institutions that have been recertified to participate in the state student assistance programs through September 2025.

3.  Have a Fast Track participation agreement on file with MDHEWD.

4.  Have a MissouriBUYs account/vendor number.  Missouri BUYS is the state’s eProcurement system that provides a one-stop shop for state agency procurements from request to invoice.  Instructions for registering with MissouriBUYS, is located on the Vendor Registration tab of missouribuys.mo.gov.  After reading the instructions you must scroll to the bottom of the registration page to agree to the terms before starting the registration process.

This step is not required for approved institutions that are currently receiving disbursements for other MDHEWD-administered state student financial assistance programs.

The Fast Track Participation application and Fast Track participation agreement can be requested by emailing mdhestudentportal@dhewd.mo.gov or calling (800) 473-6757, option 4.  The approval process will be expedited if the programs are registered in either Program Inventory or ETPS, and the MissouriBUYS account is set up prior to submitting the participation application and agreement.

Providers who have been approved to participate in Fast Track before the application is available will be included in the application when it is launched.  After the application is launched, newly approved providers will be added to the Fast Track application within two weeks of MDHEWD’s receipt of the participation application.

Informational Webinars

February 22, 2023 Fast Track Certification Webinar recording

February 22, 2023 Fast Track Certification Webinar powerpoint

Approved Programs

The designated programs and apprenticeships are available in the application.  A current list is available here.

Eligible programs fall under one of these 6-digit CIP Code program titles

Certification in FAMOUS

The certification process has been updated to reflect the 2022 legislative changes. The Fast Track Certification Manual is now available and has been updated to reflect those changes.   

Enrollment Status Reporting

Enrollment status reporting is no longer required based on the 2022 legislative changes.