Wisconsin students enrolled in short-term, workforce training programs will soon be able to use federal grants to pay their tuition.

Millions of low-income students rely on Pell Grants to pay for college, including more than 70,000 in Wisconsin. The awards have long been limited to courses that span a minimum of 15 weeks or 600 “clock hours.”

The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed into law this summer will extend Pell Grant eligiblity to include short-term nondegree programs as short as eight weeks beginning July 1, 2026. The expansion is the largest in decades, making programs previously paid out of pocket – from truck drivers to machinists to nursing assistants – more affordable to students.

These types of programs are mostly offered by community and technical colleges, which have long lobbied for the change. They are studying their programs and deciding which need adjustments ahead of the eligibility expansion.

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A more than $4 million multistate settlement was reached with Menards Wednesday over deceptive rebate advertising and price gouging, Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday.

Attorney General Josh Kaul and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said the settlement resolves claims that Menards falsely marketed its merchandise credit check program, also known as the Menards’ 11% Rebate Program, and allowed price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wisconsin will receive $750,000 in the settlement, according to DATCP.

“Figuring out how much you’ll have to pay to buy something should be straightforward,” Kaul said. “It shouldn’t be an adventure.”

Investigators involved in the multi-state lawsuit, which included Illinois and Minnesota, reviewed several aspects of Menards’ sales practices.

Wisconsin officials said investigators reviewed allegations that Menards’ use of the 11% off rebate program falsely claimed a point-of purchase discount, when the home improvement chain only offered in-store merchandise credit for future use, among other advertising claims.

Officials also investigated price gouging on four-gallon bottles of purified water at two locations in Wisconsin, including in Johnson Creek.

As part of the settlement, Menards will need to follow several advertising and sales practices. The terms, noted by DATCP, are as follows (wording theirs):

• Not advertising or representing that any program that offers store credit for making purchases at Menards provides consumers with a point-of-purchase discount;
• Clearly and conspicuously disclosing material limitations of the rebate program and disclosing all applicable terms and conditions of the rebate program in a readily available manner;
• Investigating whether and to what extent it can offer a process by which consumers can safely and securely submit rebate application forms and receipts online;
• Investigating whether and to what extent it can offer a process by which consumers can safely and securely redeem their rebate for online purchases;
• Clearly and conspicuously disclosing that Menards is doing business as Rebates International;
• Allowing consumers at least one year from the date of purchase to submit a rebate claim;
• Updating their online rebate tracker with information about the rebate claim within 48 hours of the application being input into Menards’ system;
• Updating their online rebate tracker with additional information about the rebate, including updates about returns affecting the rebate; and
• Not engaging in price gouging during a period of abnormal economic disruption.

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With consumers still concerned about affordability, nearly two dozen states across the country will raise their minimum wage next year.

The minimum wage will increase in 19 states and 49 cities and counties on Jan. 1, 2026, plus four more states and 22 municipalities later in the year, USA TODAY reported, citing an annual report from the National Employment Law Project.

More: Fed cuts rates for third time, but affordability concerns still rise

Wisconsin’s minimum wage has not changed since 2009, when the federal minimum wage was set at $7.25.

But will it be one of the states raising its minimum wage in 2026?

Here’s what to know:

Is Wisconsin increasing its minimum wage in 2026?

No, Wisconsin is not one of the states increasing its minimum wage in 2026.

More: Many workers will get a minimum wage bump in 2026. Here’s where.

What is Wisconsin’s minimum wage?

Wisconsin’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That’s the same as the federal minimum wage.

What states are raising their minimum wage in 2026?

Here are the 19 states increasing their minimum wage on Jan. 1, 2026, according to USA TODAY:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Maine
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington

Alaska, Florida and Oregon will implement increases later in the year, according to the report. California also plans to enact a minimum wage increase specifically for health care workers.

More: Are you in Wisconsin’s middle class? Here’s the minimum income

Andrea Riquier of USA TODAY contributed to this report.