- KCTCS, KentuckyWired complete first college site transition
- Georgia college doubles support for scholarships
- Focused on recruiting adults in North Carolina
- Expanding transfer options in Colorado
KCTCS, KentuckyWired complete first college site transition
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) reports that it recently completed the first college site transition to KentuckyWired at Somerset Community College.
KentuckyWired will allow KCTCS access to enhanced technology services for educational advancement and community outreach. The network is connecting community colleges, universities, government offices, state police posts, state parks and other government institutions to the internet.
“This is all about helping our students and other fellow Kentuckians who need access to reliable broadband,” KCTCS President Paul Czarapata said in a release. “I’m pleased to see this new service come to fruition at our college in Somerset and look forward to having more of our colleges transition soon.”
Georgia college doubles support for scholarships
The Savannah Technical College (STC) Foundation more than doubled funding for student support through private scholarships in fiscal year (FY) 2022.
The total amount awarded to students doubled, and the number of students assisted with scholarships more than tripled in the past year, according to the Georgia college.
Scholarship highlights include:
- $564,000 raised for scholarships (up 300% from FY21)
- $236,000 awarded through student scholarships (up 200% from FY21)
- 414 students received scholarships in FY22 (up 300% from FY21)
The college’s foundation administers 30 different privately funded scholarships assisting students with tuition, fees, tools, books and testing. There are also two endowment scholarships.
Other sources for scholarship support come through employees via the annual HERO (Helping Everyone Realize Opportunity) Campaign. Last year, the campaign raised $40,000 for the first time in its six-year history.
The foundation also hosts an annual award gala that raised more than $147,000 to support military scholarships. In addition, the foundation found opportunities to raise funds for culinary arts when events were canceled because of Covid. The Big Pig Fundraiser Feast, for example, raised $25,000 to benefit culinary arts scholarships.
Focused on recruiting adults in North Carolina
Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is joining an effort in North Carolina to encourage adults — especially those who have some college credits but no credential — to return to college to upgrade or learn new skills for available jobs in growing fields.
“After a couple of years with challenges like no other, we know many adults are reexamining their work situations and area employers are searching for skilled talent,” said CCCC President Lisa Chapman. “That’s why we are making an extra push this fall to connect adults to a variety of fast, flexible, and affordable programs at Central Carolina which can directly lead to open jobs in our area.”
She noted the myriad programs — from public safety to machining, biotech to health services — that offer a direct pipeline to many of the region’s top employers.
The “Better Skills. Better Jobs” campaign is part of a project first launched in 2021 with five North Carolina community colleges to attract more adults back to college. The effort expanded to five other colleges in 2022, the second year of the initiative.
The campaign is funded by the John M. Belk Endowment. Other partners include myFutureNC, the North Carolina Community College System, the Belk Center for Community College Research and Leadership at North Carolina State University, and others.
Expanding transfer options in Colorado
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) will join the Colorado Community College System‘s (CCCS) Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree Program, an initiative that guarantees new, first-time, in-state community college students admission to participating four-year colleges and universities upon completion of an associate degree.
The program allows students to begin their education close to home and lower the overall cost of college. Each year, about 20% of Colorado community college students — about 9,000 — transfer to a four-year college or university, saving at least $8,000 in tuition, according to the CCCS. Since Bridge to Bachelor’s launched in June 2020, more than 5,000 students have registered for the program, and more than 220 are now eligible to enroll with a four-year college or university partner, the system says.
