Community college leaders know the value of partnerships. They regularly forge strong relationships with local businesses and nonprofit organizations to support the needs of their communities.
But help doesn’t just exist locally. It also resides in Washington, D.C., and in satellite offices run by the U.S. government.
Federal agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Small Business Administration, and the Labor and Agriculture Departments are powerful allies of community colleges. They offer numerous grants, tools and other programs to help institutions fulfill their mission.
This article comes from the current issue of the Community College Journal, which is published bimonthly by the American Association of Community Colleges.
Some of these resources are widely known. But others might be flying under the radar.
As community colleges seek to understand the needs of their stakeholders and build programs and curricula that aptly respond to these demands, here’s how they can leverage the work of federal agencies more effectively.
Census Bureau
Most people associate the Census Bureau with administering the national census that counts the U.S. population every 10 years, the results of which affect the nation’s political representation and the distribution of trillions of dollars in federal funding.
But the Census Bureau also conducts surveys on virtually every aspect of U.S. life. It produces data about the American people and economy that are invaluable to the efforts of community colleges.
“Our work is critical to helping the public better understand our country — its population, resources, economy, society and culture,” said Director Robert L. Santos. “For example, a community college might use Census Bureau data to apply for grants, offer courses and training that align with jobs in its local area, or better understand the demographics of prospective students so that programs can be tailored to meet student needs.”
Census Bureau data also can be used to expand student enrollment or even attract partnerships with local businesses and industries, Santos said.
Surveys that have proven useful to community colleges include the American Community Survey, which provides a treasure trove of socioeconomic data; the Current Population Survey, which tracks unemployment and wages; and the Economic Census and Annual Business Survey, which measure business-owner demographics.
The Census Bureau offers many data visualizations as well.
For instance, the Census Business Builder combines local economic and demographic data to present a complete picture of a state, county, city, or neighborhood. And the Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes Explorer shows earnings and employment outcomes for college and university graduates by characteristics such as degree level and major. Among other applications, community colleges can use this tool to help students choose a possible career path.
“If you’re thinking about majoring in accounting, for example, you can see what kinds of jobs and what salaries other students who majored in accounting have one, five, and 10 years after graduation,” Santos explained. “That can give you a sense of whether it’s the right major for you.”
The Census Bureau also provides special services to help community colleges understand the data available to address their particular needs and challenges.
“Our data dissemination specialists can provide one-on-one and group trainings — in person or virtually — on what data are available and how to efficiently access this information,” Santos said. “We also have tutorials that provide step-by-step instructions on how to access and utilize our data, and our locally based Census Information Centers and State Data Centers have staff ready to help with [colleges’] data needs.”
Santos, who began his professional journey by attending a community college himself — San Antonio College — noted that Census Bureau data can help institutions develop a diverse, next-generation workforce. He encouraged community college leaders to sign up for the agency’s partner newsletters to receive regular updates at public.govdelivery.com; reach out to their respective census regional office; or email census.partners@census.gov to explore further partnership opportunities.
Agriculture Department
When most people think about the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), they think of its oversight of the nation’s food production and farming industry. But through its Rural Development mission area, the agency also is committed to improving the economy and quality of life in rural America.
It does this by offering loans, grants, loan guarantees and technical assistance to create jobs and support services such as housing, healthcare, high-speed internet access and other essential infrastructure within rural communities — and community colleges play a key role in these initiatives.
“Community colleges have been instrumental in supporting the people in rural America,” said Rural Housing Service Administrator Joaquin Altoro. “We recognize that colleges in rural areas often drive economic development, and we’re eager to partner with them in working toward this goal.”
One competitive program that community colleges might be eligible for is the Community Facilities Programs (CF), which awards grants and low-interest loans to build, renovate or expand facilities that provide healthcare, education, safety, and other public services in rural areas. Since 2021, Altoro said, the program has invested $353 million in more than 60 U.S. colleges — many of which are public community colleges.
A sub-program within the CF initiative, called Tribal College Initiative Grants, provides funding to help tribal colleges purchase equipment and make capital improvements to their educational facilities.
In 2023, Navajo Technical College in New Mexico used a Tribal College Initiative Grant of $350,000 and their own contribution of $18,480 to purchase a mobile vet clinic for their veterinarian school. The new custom-built RV mobile veterinary provides animal surgeries and wellness visits as well as veterinary animal education in Navajo Nation Eastern Agency communities.
USDA has created a Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants to help institutions apply for CF funding.
In 2023, USDA partnered with the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement to provide community college students in the Midwest with skills and resources that will help them succeed in agricultural and rural economic development careers.
As part of a memorandum of understanding, USDA’s Rural Development branch will coordinate with the alliance to help students develop leadership and job skills through agency internships and networking opportunities, such as the Rural Workforce Innovation Network. It will also provide opportunities for students to shadow staff leading key USDA initiatives, such as the Rural Partners Network.
USDA Rural Development is unique in that its staff live and work in the communities they serve, Altoro said. The agency has 47 state offices and nearly 400 area offices. For more information about how to partner with the agency, he encouraged community college officials to go to www.rd.usda.gov and search for their state office, then contact the leadership in that office.
Small Business Administration
With 68 field offices and a staff of more than 3,000 employees, the Small Business Administration (SBA) provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses nationwide. “Our relationships with community colleges are extremely important” in helping to fulfill this goal, said Aditi Dussault, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development.
SBA supports more than 900 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) throughout the country, which provide free counseling and free or low-cost training services for the nation’s 34 million small businesses. The agency also supports over 150 Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), which assist women who want to start, grow or expand their own business. Many of these centers are located on a community college campus or engage college faculty in delivering their training services.
SBA provides federal grants to community colleges and other organizations that must be matched by additional funding sources. Funding for WBCs is capped at $150,000 per year, with a 50% match from the sponsoring organization during the first two years and a 100% match each year thereafter. SBDCs have a 100% matching requirement, and the amount of SBA funding they receive is contingent on the size of the population they serve, with awards ranging from $777,777 to $8.3 million in FY 2024.
Community colleges that are interested in becoming an SBDC can contact the lead center in their state or territory to receive more information, Dussault said. Opportunities to become a WBC are not available on a set schedule; it is dependent on available funding. Organizations interested in becoming a WBC should connect with their local SBA district office to be informed of those opportunities for funding, as they are made available.
In addition, SBA has developed courses and training materials to help entrepreneurs plan, launch and grow their own business. “As a public resource, this is free content that community colleges can use in their own business and workforce development programs,” Dussault noted.
