Financial
Resources

Home » I Am » Current Student » Financial Resources

Financial Support (PACE)

What is PACE?

Iowa Valley and Ellsworth Community College are taking the necessary steps to provide quality academic and employment training to send qualified persons into the workforce to obtain and maintain employment.

The Pathways for Academic Career Employment (PACE) program provides a Pathway Navigator to assist participants on their educational journey. The Pathway Navigator will work with participants to identify barriers to success and will work with participants to minimize those barriers by connecting the students to appropriate community resources. The Pathway Navigator will also work with individuals to access available funding to assist with the cost of education.

PACE can provide assistance in the following areas:

  • Financial support
  • Educational support
  • Personal support
  • Career support

Who Qualifies?

This program is designed for those who are pursuing a middle-skills program of study and have barriers that have prevented them from pursuing or meeting their educational or employment goals. If you identify with any of the following you could be eligible!

  • Low skilled
  • Dislocated worker
  • Unemployed
  • Underemployed
  • Iowa resident
  • Earning an income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level

Get Started

Apply now for the PACE program. For more information on how you can get PACE assistance for your training and education, contact Jessica Lara in the Hub.

PACE application

Whether or not you qualify for PACE assistance, you may also want to check out the additional financial support offered for qualified students through the TRIO program.

Hear from Students Using PACE …

“I’m a non-traditional student who has been lucky enough to come back to school while being a mom, wife and for half the year, a single mother while my husband is away working. We are a single-income family since I’m in school full time. We don’t have a lot of income so for me to be able to use the PACE program for my family’s needs or an emergency is a lifesaver. The PACE program provided a gift card so I could go buy food. My family was lucky to have a program like this, I don’t know what we would have done without it. The PACE program has been a lifesaver for my family.”

“The PACE program has made a big impact on my school year. Through the program, I have been able to receive fuel cards. I am only able to work part-time during the school year. I was worried that I would not be able to afford gas. I have a 90 min commute, of two times per week. With the help of the PACE program, I have one less thing to stress about. The resources the program has to offer have made a difference in my schooling and personal life.”

“I am a non-traditional student currently enrolled in the PN program at Ellsworth Community College. The program/instructors are amazing and I’m learning so much to be successful. I utilize the PACE program for gas cards to get to Iowa Falls from Marshalltown. I have also had lunch tickets bought for me and been reimbursed for some of the materials I need to be successful. I am a 32-year-old woman, a mom, wife, and work part-time while in school. I would not be able to financially afford to continue to make it to school four days a week if it weren’t for the PACE program. It’s $50 a week to commute 2 hours 4 days a week and it was hard to come up with that the few weeks I tried without help. It’s not easy to ask for help but being in the situation I’m in. I found the Pathway Navigator with their kind words and understanding, I am making it! I’m just finishing up my first semester and on my way to being an LPN. My dreams of helping people will happen and it’s certainly a huge relief to not have to worry about how to get to school so I can focus on school.”