SAVANNAH — Savannah Technical College has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to offer Pell Grant funding to qualified students enrolled in selected short-term certificate programs, like the commercial truck driving program.

The Effingham campus is one of two locations for Savannah Tech’s commercial truck driving program. The daytime class meets Monday-Thursday for eight weeks from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at both the Effingham and Liberty campuses.

Under current regulations, students enrolled in short-term certificate programs are not eligible for Pell Grant funding. This U.S. Department of Education experiment will assist legislators in determining the impact of expanding Pell Grant eligibility for students enrolled in short-term, career-oriented programs.

To be considered for the Pell Grant experiment, potential students must complete a STC application for admission, be accepted to the commercial truck driving program, complete the 2012-2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and submit a STC Pell Grant Experiment Consent Form.

Newly-admitted students to the STC commercial truck driving program starting March 5 may qualify for Pell Grant funding to assist with tuition and mandatory fees. From the pool of qualified students, the U.S. Department of Education will randomly select participants.

For more information about the experiment and how to apply, visit www.savannahtech.edu/PellGrantExperiment.

The U. S. Department of Labor indicates that in the next decade commercial truck driving has a predicted 21-percent increase in positions and an increase in wage earning potential. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals base salaries start at approximately $25,000 up to $57,000 annually for those owning their own vehicles (before the mileage and cargo factors).

The next eight-week day class for commercial truck driving begins March 5 at both the Effingham and Liberty campus locations. New students interested in enrolling in commercial truck driving must be at least 18 years of age (21 years of age for interstate travel).

For a full list of admission requirements, visit savannahtech.edu/IndustrialTechnology or contact the Industrial Technology academic advisor at (912) 443-5859.