Dutchess Community College (DCC) will use $3 million in grant funds from New York state to support capital improvements and programming to the Center of Excellence for Business, Industry & Innovation (COEBII).
The expansion will allow DCC, which broke ground on the addition in May, to add capacity for existing programs and establish an automotive technology education center, develop new business and entrepreneurship resource labs and an events center, form new cybersecurity/artificial intelligence labs, and launch new construction and architecture model labs.
The college estimates the space will serve 450 students annually by 2030, strengthening workforce pipelines across the Hudson Valley.
The grant comes via the Empire State Development’s Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI) and builds on the nearly $2 million grant DCC received in March from New York state’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development, as well as private investment from Central Hudson Gas & Electric. Additional funds comes from Dutchess County and the State University of New York (SUNY).
Arkansas
North Arkansas College of the University of Arkansas (UA Northark) has announced a major donation from FedEx Freight to support the relaunch of its commercial driver’s license (CDL) training program, which has been paused for the past 18 months.
FedEx Freight donated two tractors and two 48-foot trailers to the college, providing students with access to industry-standard equipment for training. The contribution is expected to strengthen workforce development efforts across the region and help address a growing national shortage of professional truck drivers.
“America is facing a serious shortage of professional drivers,” said Rodney Myers, FedEx Freight vice president of human resources. “Developing professional drivers is critical to FedEx Freight, the industry and consumers. We are proud to partner with UA Northark to relaunch the CDL program and provide equipment to train safe and professional drivers.”
The UA Northark CDL program is expected to open again this fall.
Dollar General adult literacy grants
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) has awarded a record $16 million in grants nationwide to support adult literacy programs — many of them at community colleges.
In North Carolina, Alamance Community College’s college and career readiness program received a $10,000 grant to support learners in its high school equivalency program by offsetting the cost of GED or HiSET testing. The grant will also support instructor training and professional development.
An $8,500 DGLF grant to Spoon River College will support the adult education program, helping people earn their Illinois high school diploma and transition into college-level coursework.
East Mississippi Community College’s (EMCC) adult education department will use its $10,000 DGLF grant to purchase instructional materials, supplies and software, as well as one-time gas cards for students with a demonstrated financial need.
The instructional software will allow students to study online.
“We are seeing an increase in students from outside our area who are wanting online adult education classes,” said Tshurah Dismuke, director of adult education at EMCC. “The use of software is allowing us to increase our online offerings.”
Iowa
Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) has received a donated fire engine from the Council Bluffs Fire Department (CBFD), which will benefit students in the fire science program.
The engine, a 2000 Pierce Pumper, was delivered to IWCC last week and will provide students with access to professional-grade equipment used in real-world emergency response.
“Providing access to real-world equipment like this fire engine ensures our students graduate with the skills, confidence, and experience needed to succeed,” said IWCC President Dan Kinney.
Known as Engine 31, it served as the CBFD’s frontline engine at headquarters from 2000 to 2015, responding to every fire in the city during that time.
Texas
The El Paso Electric Foundation has established a $50,000 endowment fund to support sustainable long-term resources for El Paso Community College (EPCC) students.
EPCC student scholarships, as well as emergency funding assistance, will come from the EPCC Foundation as a result of this fund.
“This is really a specific scholarship to help students that are right at that cusp of their success,” EP Electric Foundation Board Chair Robert Almanzan said at a check presentation at the El Paso Electric Company. “It gives them the extra money that they might need to complete their degree, get into community college, to really to get them going, so we’re glad to partner with El Paso Community College and excited to be part of that for the entire community.”
During the event, Almanzan invited EP Electric employees who attended EPCC to raise their hands, showing that many former EPCC students now working as professionals at the company.
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The East Aldine Management District (EAMD) is investing $100,000 towards student success at Lone Star College–East Aldine Center.
The donation to the Student Success Support Fund will directly support student tuition, certification costs, workforce materials and other needs. The fund was started in 2025 with $20,000 from EAMD. As a result, 51 students enrolled in high-demand programs and foundational pathways — expanding access to education and economic mobility, supporting multilingual communities and strengthening the local workforce.
David Ancira, a MacArthur High School student, said he had to drop out of high school to help support his family. Because of this funding, he can once again pursue an education.
“My parents are proud that I started my GED classes,” he said. “My goal is to apply for financial aid and begin my welding degree at the LSC-East Aldine Center.”
