College culture and COVID-19 response
A reporter from a national higher education magazine just asked me what the climate was like on our campus now that we are two days into our COVID-19 response as a college. I was able to…
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Washington Watch: Support in the face of COVID-19
As Congress and the Trump administration work to develop legislation that addresses the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is simultaneously striving to reflect the needs of its member…
Higher ed community mourns Alfredo de los Santos
The community college world lost a major trailblazer with the passing of Alfredo de los Santos, Jr., on March 8. He was 84. De los Santos was the first president of El Paso Community College…
Similar approaches for dealing with COVID-19
A growing number of community colleges are rolling out plans to limit the potential exposure of students, faculty and staff to the coronavirus that include halting in-person classes and shifting them online, as well as…
IRAPs rule stays much the same
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will keep as is much of its proposal for an alternative program to registered apprenticeships, which has renewed concerns about the potential for unscrupulous activities, especially among for-profit organizations….
AACC cancels convention
As a precaution to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has canceled its 100th Annual Convention scheduled for this month. “Our primary concern has been, and will always…
Just getting started
Happy Birthday, American Association of Community Colleges! It is a joy to celebrate the nation’s community colleges and a Century of Success for AACC. Together with our members, we continue to safeguard accessible, affordable and…
Student aid flexibility in response to coronavirus
The U.S. Education Department (ED) is giving colleges and universities flexibility on financial aid requirements in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). A March 5 directive from ED’s Office of Postsecondary Education responds to concerns from…
ED, IRS working to simplify FAFSA form
The U.S. Education Department (ED) hopes to soon have a timeline for when it will implement a streamlined federal student aid application that will, in part, require the Internal Revenues Service (IRS) rather than students…
Updating, expanding the Apprenticeship Act
Democrats on the House education committee are working on a bill to authorize $400 million in federal grants for apprenticeships that would double to $800 million by 2025. The 149-page “discussion draft” of the bill…