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# Community College Daily

American Association of Community Colleges

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.ccdaily.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [News Topics](https://www.ccdaily.com/news-topics/)
- [NSF launches $100M AI hub program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/nsf-launches-100m-ai-hub-program/) - The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a new grant program to help colleges and universities gain access to the computing power needed for artificial intelligence (AI) research. NSF plans to invest about $100 million to support up to 10 regional AI hubs across the country. The agency says many institutions lack the technology and
- [SBA awards $50M to help small manufacturer workforce](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/sba-awards-50m-to-help-small-manufacturer-workforce/) - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Thursday announced grant awards totaling $50 million to 11 organizations -- with community and technical colleges either leading the projects or serving as partners -- that will provide training and technical assistance to boost skilled employees for small and mid-size manufacturers. Small manufacturers in SBA’s Empower to Grow
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/headlines-1234/)
- [Staying ahead of the AI curve](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/staying-ahead-of-the-ai-curve/) - When generative artificial intelligence (AI) began to rapidly spread across college campuses, many institutions responded with understandable caution. Faculty worried about plagiarism. Administrators had concerns about academic integrity. Others raised important questions about privacy, bias and the long-term implications of students relying on technology to complete intellectual work. Those concerns remain valid. But there are
- [Dallas College turns intent into enrollment with personalized outreach](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/dallas-college-turns-intent-into-enrollment-with-personalized-outreach/) - Dallas College has a strong internal admissions and enrollment team; one capable of managing high-volume processes and supporting thousands of students each term. But like many institutions, once a student stalled outside the main workflow, the challenge became clear: who follows up, who helps them finish, and who has the bandwidth to do it consistently?
- [Becoming more agile in the age of AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/becoming-more-agile-in-the-age-of-ai/) - Community colleges must become more nimble in reading and reacting to workforce trends as artificial intelligence accelerates changes in the labor market, according to a new report from Harvard University's Project on Workforce and Education Design Lab. The report argues that colleges need faster, more sophisticated ways to gather and act on information that connects
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/headlines-1233/)
- [Iowa college first to get ED's OK for Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/iowa-college-first-to-get-eds-ok-for-workforce-pell/) - Iowa Central Community College's 14-week emergency medical technician program (EMT) is the first in the country to get federal approval for the new Workforce Pell program. The announcement was made Tuesday at a press event at the college's Fort Dodge campus that included Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, Iowa Gov. Kim
- [How a Nebraska college got a leg up on Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/how-a-nebraska-college-got-a-leg-up-on-workforce-pell/) - Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen visited Metropolitan Community College (MCC) last month to announce four programs the state has approved to participate in the Workforce Pell Grant program, a new federal initiative designed to help students pay for short-term career training in high-demand fields. But the roots of MCC's Workforce Pell efforts go back several years,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/headlines-1232/)
- [This week's poll: Status of Workforce Pell plans](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/this-weeks-poll-status-of-workforce-pell-plans/)
- [A response to McMahon’s ‘National Call to Action’](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/a-response-to-mcmahons-national-call-to-action/) - Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday sent a “National Call to Action” to all college and university presidents to respond to what she termed was a “drift from the principles that built up so much public esteem” in higher education. McMahon cited criticisms and requested reforms that echoed those in President Donald Trump’s proposed “Compact”
- [Valued workforce/economic development partners](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/valued-partners/) - Several large-scale, workforce-focused projects led by or involving community colleges have received word over the past week of major federal investments. Most of the funding comes from the U.S. Commerce Department and the National Science Foundation. In North Carolina, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) will receive $29.2 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration,
- [Lowe's Foundation awards new round of workforce grants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/lowes-foundation-awards-new-round-of-workforce-grants/) - The Lowe's Foundation this week announced nearly $8 million in grants to 10 community and technical colleges to support workforce development in the skilled trades professions to help fill a national shortage of skilled workers. The Gable Grants program is part of the foundation's $250 million commitment to train and develop 250,000 tradespeople by 2035.
- [Sonderling nomination on its way to Senate floor](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/sonderling-nomination-on-its-way-to-senate-floor/) - The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday voted along party lines, 12-11, for Keith Sonderling to serve as labor secretary. The nomination now heads to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. Also, the committee overwhelmingly passed the College Transparency Act. “It is clear Mr. Sonderling is qualified,” said Sen.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/headlines-1231/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/funding-roundup-453/) - Southeastern Community College (SCC) has received a $100,000 donation from the Columbus County Home Builders Association (CCHBA). The gift will be split among its technical programs and primarily used to improve classrooms and purchase new training equipment. “I’ve always enjoyed the construction business, and I’ve been in it since 1972,” CCHBA President Bill Worley said during
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/08/newsmakers-367/) - New CEOs Shelley Barkley will become the ninth president of Spoon River College in Illinois at the end of August. She is currently vice president of academic and student affairs at John Wood Community College (JWCC), also in Illinois. Barkley helped position JWCC as a national leader in rural student success by leading the college’s
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1230/)
- [Making the connection](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/making-the-connection/) - At Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, conversations between faculty, staff and students look very different now. It’s not uncommon for instructors or support staff to describe for students how they fell behind academically themselves, had trouble making friends or otherwise struggled to find their own footing during college. These personal stories of vulnerability are part
- [New grant opportunity recognizes innovation in education](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/new-grant-opportunity-recognizes-innovation-in-education/) - A new donor collaborative is committing $7 million to postsecondary education innovation. Eight education foundations have joined forces to launch the Innovative Postsecondary Models (IPM) Fund to invest in organizations demonstrating that postsecondary education can be designed, delivered, financed and assessed differently – and better – for learners in the United States. Managed by Panorama Global,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1229/)
- [A small rural college graduates its biggest class ever. What does that mean?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/a-small-rural-college-graduates-its-biggest-class-ever-what-does-that-mean/) - Nearly 700 students earned degrees and certificates this spring at Western Nevada College (WNC), marking the largest graduating class in the history of the college. For a small rural community college serving more than 12,000 square miles of Nevada, the milestone represents far more than enrollment growth. It reflects years of intentional work to understand
- [Stop waiting for stopped-out students to come back on their own](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/stop-waiting-for-stopped-out-students-to-come-back-on-their-own/) - This spring, a student named Cedric graduated from Forsyth Technical Community College (North Carolina) with his associate degree in nursing. He'd stopped out once before finishing it, and he came back through NC Reconnect, the initiative built to find exactly this population. When he talks about what got him back, he points to marketing. NC
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1228/)
- [With a markup this week, AACC supports the College Transparency Act](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/with-a-markup-this-week-aacc-supports-the-college-transparency-act/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is among a group of higher education organizations supporting a Senate bill that they say is "one of the most significant opportunities in decades" to modernize the nation's postsecondary data infrastructure. The backing comes as the Senate Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee plans to mark up the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1227/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1226/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/funding-roundup-452/) - Representatives from Hyundai Motor America this month delivered a $10,000 check to Holyoke Community College (HCC) in Massachusetts to benefit the college’s food pantry. This is the fifth consecutive year Hyundai Motor America has donated to the HCC food pantry through the company’s Hyundai Hope Initiative. This year, Hyundai doubled its annual donation, bringing its
- [Why community colleges may be rural America’s best retention strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/why-community-colleges-may-be-rural-americas-best-retention-strategy/) - What would make a talented 22-year-old raised in rural North Carolina choose to build a career close to home? I would argue our community colleges may be at the center of that decision. When a community college builds a high-wage welding, healthcare or advanced manufacturing pipeline tied to a local employer, it does not just
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/newsmakers-366/) - New CEO Carl Smalls will be the next president of Pratt Community College in Kansas, effective in August. He is currently chief financial officer and vice president of finance and administration at Danville Community College (Virginia). Pratt board members cited Smalls’ record as a higher education finance leader, strategist and student-success advocate. Smalls has led
- [The interior work of community college leadership](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/the-interior-work-of-community-college-leadership/) - As we move further into the age of artificial intelligence, we are increasingly reminded that the future will require a deeper understanding of what it means to be human. In a world where technology continues to accelerate capability, the uniquely human capacities of character, judgment, empathy and moral discernment become even more important. If the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1225/)
- [Don't just tell students to advocate. Teach them how.](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/dont-just-tell-students-to-advocate-teach-them-how/) - Community colleges have long been engines of opportunity. Every day, they prepare students to become nurses, teachers, entrepreneurs, engineers, public servants and business leaders. Yet colleges do something else that deserves equal attention. They prepare students to become informed, engaged citizens who know how to influence the decisions that shape their lives. When legislation affecting
- [Colleges responsible for aid disbursed to fraudulent applicants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/colleges-are-responsible-for-aid-disbursed-to-fraudulent-students/) - Colleges are on the hook for federal aid distributed to fraudulent applicants, according to the Education Department (ED). In a July 17 document that answers questions related to its new real-time FAFSA fraud detection initiative, ED said that colleges must return all Title IV funds distributed to students that are later found to be fraudulent.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1224/)
- [Survey shows public's strong views on two-year colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/survey-shows-publics-strong-views-on-two-year-colleges/) - A new national survey finds that two-year colleges receive higher positive ratings than four-year institutions on six of seven attributes measured, from access to workforce preparation. Traditionally, community colleges have done better in public opinion surveys on their value and access than four-year institutions, but results from a new survey by Gallup in partnership with
- [Community colleges beat student outcome predictions. Now Texas can’t afford related incentives.](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/community-colleges-beat-student-outcome-predictions-now-texas-cant-afford-related-incentives/) - Three years after Texas reinvented how community colleges earn state funding to reward them for getting more students to graduation, the schools are delivering. But the colleges are short the millions they planned to receive as a result as their successes outpaced what lawmakers budgeted, prompting limits to the state’s performance-based funding. Texas Higher Education Coordinating
- [Don’t get too excited about Workforce Pell, yet](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/dont-get-too-excited-about-workforce-pell-yet/) - Education officials have had high hopes for this month’s launch of the long-awaited Workforce Pell program. For the first time ever, students attending short-term vocational programs in fields like healthcare support and the skilled trades will be eligible for federal grant aid, just like their peers studying English or biology at a university — a
- [18 colleges join Metallica's workforce initiative](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/18-colleges-join-metallicas-workforce-initiative/) - Eighteen community colleges are joining a popular workforce development program funded by the foundation of the rock band Metallica. All Within My Hands (AWMH) recently announced the eighth year of its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) with its largest grant to date: more than $3.3 million. Among the colleges joining this fall, 15 will receive $75,000
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1223/)
- [Quick shifts, promising results](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/quick-shifts-promising-results/) - A new report highlights how community colleges can quickly increase enrollment in "high-value programs" that lead to good jobs and decrease enrollment in "low-opportunity" programs that don't. The report from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program examines lessons from 10 community colleges participating in their Unlocking Opportunity network,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1222/)
- [Human + AI: Leading the next workforce transformation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/human-ai-leading-the-next-workforce-transformation/) - For more than a century, community colleges have responded to major economic shifts, continually redefining their role in preparing America’s workforce. They expanded during industrialization, adapted to the rise of advanced manufacturing, embraced the information age and became the nation’s primary engine for workforce development. Artificial intelligence (AI) represents the next major workforce transformation and
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/reporters-notebook-247/) - AACC’s new executive leadership structure MATCH Act gets bipartisan support Survey: AI use in education outpaces training AACC’s new executive leadership structure The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has redesigned its executive leadership structure to better align with the needs of its member institutions and its Strategic Compass 2035, the association’s framework for positioning
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/funding-roundup-451/) - Wallace State Community College’s (WSSC) machine tool technology program won $50,000 as runners-up in the Project MFG Advanced Manufacturing National Championship. Half of the winnings will be split between students Zac Singh, Jared Smith and Colbe Sellers, with the remaining amount going to the WSCC machine tool technology program. Project MFG aims to elevate the next generation of
- [Preparing for the drop](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/preparing-for-the-drop/) - Recruitment at Bay College starts early — very early. The community college, which serves 2,000 students across 15 counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, begins outreach in fifth grade. Students from local school districts are invited to the Escanaba campus, where they learn about potential careers as well as the basics of college life. Children get a window
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1221/)
- [The promise of innovative mental health models](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/the-promise-of-innovative-mental-health-models/) - As demand for mental health services continues to grow at colleges nationwide, often due to service capacity, some institutions are moving beyond the traditional counseling center model. These centers are embracing population-level frameworks and stepped care models designed to reach students before they reach a crisis point. The shift reflects both necessity and emerging evidence.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1220/)
- [The wage debate about non-college pathways is missing half the story](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/the-wage-debate-about-non-college-pathways-is-missing-half-the-story/) - A paycheck matters. But it’s not the only measure of a good career. A federal wage data analysis of non-college occupations argues that those pathways don't pay off compared to college. The findings are accurate. But what do they actually tell us? This isn't about whether career pathway programs work or how to measure outcomes.
- [Driver education as a workforce tool](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/driver-education-as-a-workforce-tool/) - Community colleges have long served as engines of economic mobility in the United States. Every year, millions of students turn to these institutions to learn English, earn professional credentials, change careers or acquire new skills necessary for employment. Yet there is one significant barrier to educational and economic success that often remains overlooked: the inability
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1219/)
- [Apprenticeships a focus during Labor secretary confirmation hearing](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/apprenticeships-a-focus-during-labor-secretary-confirmation-hearing/) - Apprenticeships were the top-of-mind workforce development topic at Thursday's Senate confirmation hearing for Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to be the permanent secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). Questions over the two-hour hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee covered a range of issues, from overtime and benefits protections and retirement
- [How young men view higher ed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/how-young-men-view-higher-ed/) - Young men are questioning the value of college, but despite trepidation, many would like to earn a college degree, according to a new report from Public Agenda. “Listening to Young Men” captures the results of a survey of 3,559 American adults (18+), including 2,500 men, as well as information from focus groups with men. It
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1218/)
- [Gen ed is where the American Dream gets built](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/gen-ed-is-where-the-american-dream-gets-built/) - For generations, higher education has been central to the promise of a stable career, a picket fence and 2.5 dependents. It has been a pathway to opportunity and upward mobility. But for today’s students, especially the students at Saint Paul College in Minnesota, where I serve as president, the future feels far less certain. It
- [Connecting students to employers, with help from MentorLinks](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/connecting-students-to-employers-with-help-from-mentorlinks/) - When Donna Barron applied to MentorLinks in 2023, she wanted help adding cell and gene therapy lessons to the biotechnology curriculum at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC). The reason: Regeneron, one of the largest employers near Albany, New York, had a gene therapy product in clinical trials. Barron thought if HVCC students had those skills,
- [Dear Community College President: Your job has changed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/dear-community-college-president-your-job-has-changed/) - Dear Community College President, If you accepted your presidency believing your primary responsibility was to lead a community college, you now occupy a role far more complex than the one you inherited. The community college presidency has fundamentally changed. Yes, we must point to the variety of market disruptions, including but not limited to artificial
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1217/)
- [Gauging adult learners’ needs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/gauging-adult-learners-needs/) - In the past 15 years, American community colleges have experienced significant declines in enrollment among adult students. This was not a Covid phenomenon but started soon after the recovery from the Great Recession began. As a partial strategy to counter this enrollment decline, many community college leaders advocated a federal policy change that would allow
- [House bills would codify ED program transfers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/house-bills-would-codify-ed-program-transfers/) - House Republicans last week introduced 10 bills that would begin to codify the Trump administration's efforts to phase out the Education Department and move many of its duties to other federal agencies. "The legislative package reflects a simple principle: education policy should be focused on helping students succeed — not preserving a federal bureaucracy for
- [ED’s efforts prevent $2B in student aid fraud](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/eds-efforts-prevent-212m-in-student-aid-fraud/) - The U.S. Education Department’s (ED) new FAFSA identity verification screening system, first implemented in April, has so far rejected more than 53,000 fraudulent applications, preventing more than $212 million in financial aid from being disbursed to unscrupulous actors, according to the department’s top higher education official. Speaking last Wednesday at ED’s inaugural Higher Education Fraud
- [Helping small businesses recover and thrive](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/helping-small-businesses-recover-and-thrive/) - In North Carolina, small business owners operating in the state’s eastern coastal region know it is likely only a matter of time before a hurricane disrupts their businesses and lives. But such storms are also increasingly targeting the western portion of the state in or around the Appalachian mountains, most notably on September 27, 2024,
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/newsmakers-365/) - Kudos Meghan Brown, vice president of advancement and operations at Central Carolina Community College (CCCC), was named to the Triangle Business Journal's 2026 40 Under 40 list, recognizing emerging leaders shaping North Carolina's Triangle area. Brown, who attended classes at CCCC as a dual enrollment student, said the recognition highlights the growing role CCCC plays
- [Dismantling the silos](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/dismantling-the-silos/) - Jessie Schook remembers when communication gaps across the Kentucky Community & Technical College System’s (KCTCS) campuses made it hard to track local industry demands. Multiple siloed conversations meant, for example, a pitch for a customized training project occurring simultaneously with a funding request. “We had these relationships that weren’t deepening or being used to their
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/funding-roundup-450/) - St. Petersburg College’s (SPC) Pathway to Better Centennial Campaign has risen above its $100 million fundraising goal, thanks to a $1 million commitment from Achieva Credit Union. The gift arrives as the Florida college prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, marking one of the most significant fundraising milestones in the institution's history. The
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1216/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1215/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/newsmakers-364/) - CEO on the move Tawny Dotson is now the eighth superintendent/president of California's Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC). She previously was president of Yuba College (California) since 2020. MSJC board president Tom Ashley said in a release that Dotson "brings a thoughtful and forward-looking vision that reflects the values that define our college — excellence,
- [Family style: Reflections on commencement](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/family-style-reflections-on-commencement/) - Many readers will remember the viral story from May 2025 in which a student parent at the University at Buffalo was pursued by campus security for carrying his infant across the graduation stage. The university did award the student his diploma, but the incident highlighted how rigid and exclusionary commencement traditions can be. We take
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1214/)
- [Challenges in administration’s plans to overhaul grant-awarding process](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/challenges-in-administrations-plans-to-overhaul-grant-awarding-process/) - Most campuses are aware of the pending proposal by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to radically overhaul the federal government’s procedures for awarding grant funds. This initiative changes the current “Uniform Guidance” procedures into a formal regulation, which gives them the force of law. It also applies these new regulations across the government
- [Showing support for international, immigrant students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/showing-support-for-international-immigrant-students/) - Recent federal policies have affected populations that community colleges have long served: international and undocumented students. College leaders say they are continuing to serve these students and are speaking out about the value they add to their communities. Washington’s Edmonds College has been a leader in the state in international student recruitment. During the 2018-2019
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/newsmakers-363/) - CEOs on the move Curt Oldfield is now the seventh president of Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) in Illinois. He previously was president of Spoon River College (SRC) for 14 years, where he championed student success, community engagement and economic development. “Dr. Oldfield brings Illinois community college experience, thoughtful leadership and a clear commitment to
- [ED releases final accountability rule](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/ed-releases-final-accountability-rule/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Monday released final regulations that establish a new accountability regime based on program completers’ earnings. The regulations, based on provisions in last year’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, take effect July 1. The final regulations are very similar to the proposed regulations issued in April. Starting next year, undergraduate
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/07/headlines-1213/)
- [Trump nominates Sonderling for labor secretary](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/trump-nominates-sonderling-for-labor-secretary/) - President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to be the permanent secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). “Throughout his career, Keith has proven his dedication to delivering strong results for the Hardworking People of our Country, and I know he will do an incredible job in his new role,” Trump
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1212/)
- [The dawn of the Workforce Pell era needs a credential transparency compact](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/the-dawn-of-the-workforce-pell-era-needs-a-credential-transparency-compact/) - The Workforce Pell program, launching on July 1, faces a serious implementation problem. The accountability infrastructure it needs to distinguish between programs that open doors and programs that merely collect tuition doesn’t yet exist at scale. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that federal government program costs over the next decade will total $3.2 billion.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1211/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/funding-roundup-449/) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) was at Iowa Western Community College’s Atlantic Rural Center last week to announce a $900,000 federal investment to expand skilled-trades labs at both the Atlantic and Clarinda Rural Centers. “This investment means a kid in Atlantic or Clarinda can train to become a welder, electrician, plumber or manufacturer right here at
- [Enamait to lead AACC board of directors](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/enamait-to-lead-aacc-board-of-directors/) - John Enamait, president of North Carolina's Stanly Community College, will become chair of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board of directors on July 1, succeeding Leigh Goodson, president of Tulsa Community College (Oklahoma). Stephanie Fujii, president of Arapahoe Community College in Colorado, is chair-elect of the board of directors. Enamait has served as
- [Plan excludes proposed CC grants from Senate Farm Bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/plan-excludes-proposed-cc-grants-from-senate-farm-bill/) - Sen. Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas), chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, this week released a proposal to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which governs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. While the most recent Farm Bill — the Agriculture Improvement Act — expired in 2023, several bipartisan and partisan reauthorization proposals have failed
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1210/)
- [AACC/ACCT requests of Senate appropriators](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/aacc-acct-requests-of-senate-appropriators/) - As Senate appropriators draft their fiscal year (FY) 2027 funding bill for education and workforce development programs, community college advocates are urging them to review the House's appropriations bill and "retain the positive aspects," while "rejecting the deep cuts that bill made to many programs that directly impact community college students." The American Association of
- [5 tips to transform your campus magazine](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/5-tips-to-transform-your-campus-magazine/) - When Southeast Community College in Nebraska decided to rethink its alumni publication, the marketing and communications team didn’t start with a design concept or a new name. They started with a question: “What do our alumni actually want?” SCC’s original magazine, “Alumni News,” published three times a year for approximately 50,000 recipients. When the college
- [A game plan for dual-enrollment outreach](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/a-game-plan-for-dual-enrollment-outreach/) - Emily Summers is rarely at her desk — and her employer couldn’t be happier about it. Summers is a dual-enrollment specialist at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in southeastern Wisconsin. She’s usually out at area high schools extolling the virtues of dual enrollment to students, guidance counselors, principals and parents. For MATC, the face-to-face, hands-on
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/snapshots-107/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Recognizing today’s ecosystem orchestrators](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/recognizing-todays-ecosystem-orchestrators/) - Over the last couple of months, I’ve sat with presidents and system leaders from Alabama, Virginia, Illinois, California, Texas, New York, Wisconsin, Michigan and Massachusetts, just to name a few — and I’m watching something historic unfold in real time. Community colleges are no longer operating as isolated institutions. They are becoming ecosystem orchestrators —
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1209/)
- [Persistence, retention rise again at community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/persistence-retention-rise-again-at-community-colleges/) - Persistence and retention rates for new community college students have steadily increased since the Covid pandemic and even exceeded pre-pandemic figures, according to new findings from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Persistence — the rate at which students who started at a community college and continued enrollment at any institution for a second semester
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/reporters-notebook-246/) - Dems bill seeks to expand Pell Bill directs BLS to collect data on AI in the workplace Dems bill seeks to expand Pell House Democrats on Wednesday reintroduced a bicameral bill to restore and expand the Pell Grant program to boost its purchasing power as college costs continue to increase. The Pell Grant Preservation and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1208/)
- [Pivoting to serve local workforce needs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/pivoting-to-serve-local-workforce-needs/) - When Andrew King applied to the MentorLinks program in 2024, he sought help adding course-based undergraduate research experiences to biology courses at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). King, the Pennsylvania college’s interim dean of science, mathematics and healthcare sciences, thought adding hands-on research experiences (known as CURES) would attract students’ interest in science and build
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1207/)
- [Revised approach to math yields results](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/revised-approach-to-math-yields-results/) - Something impressive is happening at California's community colleges. In fall 2024, 58% of students taking a transfer-level math course for the first time completed that class on their first attempt — a 7 percentage-point gain in just two years. Since California overhauled how it places students in college math courses, the number of students completing transfer-level math
- [Strengthening leadership](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/strengthening-leadership/) - A new report from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) outlines the redesign of its professional development offerings. “Reimagining Leadership for a New Era” is the first in a series of reports showcasing the revised programming. AACC President and CEO DeRionne Pollard — who notes that AACC’s Strategic Compass is foundational to transformation —
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1206/)
- [Pennsylvania approved 19 occupations for Workforce Pell. North Carolina approved 364.](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/pennsylvania-approved-19-occupations-for-workforce-pell-north-carolina-approved-364/) - Workforce Pell goes live July 1. What matters most for community colleges is which occupations got a green light in their home state. Pennsylvania approved 19 eligible occupations for the new grant, and North Carolina approved 364. One federal statute, a nineteenfold difference in how wide the door opens. The federal law sets a permissive
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/newsmakers-362/) - Interim CEO Debbie Cheek is now interim president of Florence-Darlington Technical College. Cheek joined the South Carolina college in 2019 as its associate vice president for finance, before becoming vice president of finance and administration in 2022. Presidents emeritus Annette Parker, who served as president of Minnesota's South Central College from 2013 to 2025, has
- [Rebuilding the rules of higher ed's opportunity ladder](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/rebuilding-the-rules-of-higher-eds-opportunity-ladder/) - For decades, the federal government has helped millions of Americans climb the opportunity ladder by financing their postsecondary education and training. But it’s paid too little attention to whether the credentials actually moved them up that ladder toward better jobs and higher earnings. This spring, the U.S. Department of Education undertook its most serious effort
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1205/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/reporters-notebook-245/) - Lower interest rate for auto pay loan repayments Expansion of several successful SUNY programs Wisconsin college launches new apprenticeship programs Lower interest rate for auto pay loan repayments The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Thursday announced that federal student loan borrowers enrolled in auto pay will be eligible for a temporary 1% interest rate reduction
- [Ariz. nixes funding for CC adult ed program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/ariz-nixes-funding-for-cc-adult-ed-program/) - "Dismayed." That's what Pima Community College (PCC) said in a press release regarding an agreement between Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona legislature to eliminate funding for the Community College Adult Education Workforce Program for the upcoming fiscal year as part of the state's $18.3 billion budget. Despite bipartisan support for the program, state leaders
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1204/)
- [Juneteenth and the seats that are still empty](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/juneteenth-and-the-seats-that-are-still-empty/) - I grew up not knowing what Juneteenth was. That's not something I say with shame. It's something I say with honesty. It wasn't until I became president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa and moved to Jackson, Mississippi, a place deeply connected to the Civil Rights Movement, that I began to understand what Juneteenth represents.
- [Fending off summer melt](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/fending-off-summer-melt/) - The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has a warm-blooded approach to help stave off summer melt. Meet CeCe, an emotional support dog who is cared for by a campus police officer and visits all the college’s four campuses and attends special events – but also has become a recruitment tool. The loveable gold retriever
- [America is finally realizing what community colleges have been doing all along](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/america-is-finally-realizing-what-community-colleges-have-been-doing-all-along/) - Employers continue to be concerned that recent college graduates are unprepared for today’s workplace. A recent survey conducted by Lumina Foundation and Gallup found that a little more than half of employers say American colleges and universities are producing students with the skills they’re seeking. Even more worrisome, nearly 70% of employers say recent college
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1203/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/newsmakers-361/) - New CEOs Eric Bishop will become the permanent president of Riverside City College on July 1. He has served as the California college's interim president since August 2025. "Bishop brings extensive experience in higher education leadership, student services, enrollment management, athletics, legislative engagement and community partnerships," the Riverside City College District said in a statement.
- [Improving STEM career readiness: Lessons from Denmark](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/improving-stem-career-readiness-lessons-from-denmark/) - After a year in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a Fulbright Scholar, Saint Paul College (SPC) biology professor Kristyn VanderWaal Mills returned with a clearer picture of how different education systems prepare students for careers in science and technology. By comparing Københavns Professionshøjskole (KP) with the Minnesota college, she explored a simple yet important question: how do
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1202/)
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/snapshots-106/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Collaborating community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/collaborating-community-colleges/) - Corey Homer, president of Sussex County Community College (New Jersey), had been thinking about the success of the drone training program at nearby Warren County Community College – considering how his students could benefit from such a pathway, but aware that it would be hard to duplicate. Homer mentioned the thought to Will Austin, president at
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1201/)
- [America doesn't need more credentials. It needs a talent operating system](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/america-doesnt-need-more-credentials-it-needs-a-talent-operating-system/) - On July 1, 2026, one of the most consequential workforce development policies in decades will take effect. On this day, after years of bipartisan advocacy, the Workforce Pell Grant program will officially go live. As part of a multi-federal agency vision for workforce development, known as "America's Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1200/)
- [Creativity, innovation come together for CCIC teams](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/creativity-innovation-come-together-for-ccic-teams/) - Twelve teams of community college students from across the United States spent months using creative thinking and classroom learning to design innovations to solve real-world problems. On June 9, they had the opportunity to showcase their projects at a poster session on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The teams of students – along with their
- [Snapshots: The 2026 CCIC poster showcase](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/snapshots-the-2026-ccic-poster-showcase/) - On Tuesday, student teams that comprised the 12 college finalists for the 2026 Community College Innovation Challenge pitched their STEM-related solutions for real-world problems during a poster session held at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Below are photos from the event. (All photos by EPNAC.com)
- [Five steps to strengthen dual enrollment](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/five-steps-to-strengthen-dual-enrollment/) - Community colleges have earned their current moment in the sun. While private four-year institutions are seeing enrollment decline and public universities have grown modestly, community colleges have surged. They’ve added 173,000 undergraduate students last fall, nearly double the increase at public four-year schools. National Student Clearinghouse data also show that undergraduate certificate programs at community
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1199/)
- [House committee passes ed funding bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/house-committee-passes-ed-funding-bill/) - The House Appropriations Committee approved the all-important Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS-ED) fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill on Tuesday on a party-line vote. The bill is now set to be considered by the full House. Though the committee engaged in an hours-long markup during which it considered many amendments, not much about
- [House OKs bill to combat ‘ghost’ student aid applicants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/us-house-passes-bill-to-combat-ghost-federal-student-aid-applicants/) - A bill to crack down on financial aid fraud passed the House on Wednesday. The measure, which passed 249-172, would require the U.S. Department of Education to set up an identity fraud detection system for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA. Nearly 40 Democrats voted for the GOP-led bill. The
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1198/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/funding-roundup-448/) - The Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) Foundation announced a $50,000 leadership gift in support of the Pennsylvania college’s “Future Takes Flight” Aviation Capital Campaign, marking the first public contribution toward the initiative. The investment will fund the purchase of a new air traffic control tabletop simulator to enhance hands-on learning opportunities for students attending
- [2027 Aspen Prize finalists announced](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/aspen-prize-finalists-announced/) - The Aspen Institute today named the 10 community college finalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The Aspen Prize, which is backed by $1 million in award funds, honors colleges that achieve strong outcomes, focusing on whether students complete credentials that lead to bachelor’s attainment and jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. The
- [Colleges celebrate firsts with prison education programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/colleges-celebrate-firsts-with-prison-education-programs/) - Though many colleges provide education programs for people in prison, some colleges are celebrating firsts this commencement season. In New York, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) last month held its first commencement ceremony inside a correctional facility. BMCC in 2024 joined John Jay College’s existing Prison-to-College Pathways Pipeline (P2CP) program at Otisville Correctional Facility.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1197/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1196/)
- [Renewing America's advanced manufacturing workforce: A community college imperative](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/renewing-americas-advanced-manufacturing-workforce-a-community-college-imperative/) - The United States is experiencing a resurgence of manufacturing investment. New semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, advanced materials and clean energy facilities are emerging across the country. Federal initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 have accelerated these investments, underscoring the continuing importance of manufacturing to economic competitiveness, supply chain resilience and national
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1194/) - New CEOs Kirk Bennett will become the next president of Western Technical College in Wisconsin on August 1. He is currently vice president of administrative services at Lone Star College (LSC)-Montgomery in Texas. Bennett brings extensive leadership experience in higher education, with a strong background in workforce development, academic and administrative leadership, and student-centered programming,
- [How federal grantmaking may change](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/how-federal-grantmaking-may-change/) - The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) last week published a 444-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) addressing the “uniform guidance” that covers grant administration across the federal government. These blanket policies will potentially affect all federal grant programs for which community colleges apply. The NPRM has two primary aspects: one concerns the processes the government
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1195/)
- [House releases FY27 funding bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/house-releases-fy27-funding-bill/) - The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday released the all-important Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bill. The bill, which the Labor-HHS-ED subcommittee will mark up on June 5, incorporates some of the cuts proposed by the Trump administration but also includes funding increases for some key community
- [Preparing the quantum workforce](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/preparing-the-quantum-workforce/) - For decades, quantum science has held theoretical promise but remained largely the realm of university and government lab researchers. In recent years, however, the commercial potential of quantum — which holds the promise to drastically increase and speed up computing power, create more accurate industrial sensors, and lead to crisper, more reliable communications — has
- [Q&A: Forward-thinking and future-ready](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/qa-forward-thinking-and-future-ready/) - There is no other choice for community college leaders than to be forward-thinking. Bob Johansen, a distinguished fellow with the Institute for the Future. will discuss how forward-thinking leaders can ensure their colleges are future-ready. Johansen, who spoke at a session during AACC 2026 in Seattle this spring, answers a few questions about navigating chaos,
- [Q&A: NSF’s impact on community colleges and the skilled technical workforce](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/qa-nsfs-impact-on-community-colleges-and-the-skilled-technical-workforce/) - In recent months, media narratives, policy debates and advocacy rallies have emphasized the role of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in funding scientific research, technological innovation and high-skilled STEM talent that powers domestic economic development, national security and global competitiveness. Indeed, these are legitimate and important reasons why Congress should increase and strengthen the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1193/)
- [Certificate programs continue to lead enrollment growth](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/certificate-programs-continue-to-lead-enrollment-growth/) - Enrollment in certificate programs at community colleges continues to show big gains, increasing 12.1% this spring compared to last spring, according to a final spring enrollment tally from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center. That's a boost of 82,873 students for a total 767,662. The certificate program gains were higher than new enrollments in
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1192/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/reporters-notebook-244/) - Federal funds for three CCRC projects reinstated Senate bill would create workforce training partnership grants Boggs family creates scholarship endowment Plan moves forward to bring pro baseball to college campus Federal funds for three CCRC projects reinstated After most of its federal funding was cut last year, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia
- [Diving into ED's new data](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/diving-into-eds-new-data/) - The Education Department's "Report on the Condition of Education 2026" has some interesting findings regarding two-year colleges in areas of enrollment, outcomes and earnings. For example, between academic years 2013-14 and 2023-24, the number of awards conferred by postsecondary institutions increased at every award level -- except associate degrees. In 2023-24, 982,100 associate degrees were
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1191/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/headlines-1190/)
- [CCIC finalist team focuses on quantum science](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/ccic-finalist-team-focuses-on-quantum-science/) - SUNY Broome Community College, a finalist in the 2026 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC), has engaged in quantum science through a student team project called "Hands-On Quantum Education." The team is developing a portable, compact laser and polarization experiment kit to provide hands-on practice for students in photonics and quantum technology, building technical skills and
- [Community colleges: Workforce incubators for the next technology revolution](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/community-colleges-workforce-incubators-for-the-next-technology-revolution/) - Quantum technologies are no longer theoretical. They are beginning to shape the future of computing, manufacturing, communications, sensing, cybersecurity, national defense and economic competitiveness. That future is exciting. It is also consequential. Quantum technology holds tremendous possibility, but the choices we make now will determine how well our students, workers, employers and communities are prepared
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/funding-roundup-447/) - 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
- [Beyond FAFSA completion: Where the student journey breaks down](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/06/beyond-fafsa-completion-where-the-student-journey-breaks-down/) - For years, the focus has been simple: Are students completing the FAFSA? But today, that question falls short. Even when students begin the process, many never make it to enrollment. And the breakdown isn’t happening in one place, it’s happening across the entire student journey. The FAFSA funnel is still leaking — just in new
- [Converting student progress into workforce impact](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/from-intent-to-credential-converting-student-progress-into-workforce-impact/) - Today’s priorities extend beyond enrollment growth to include credential completion, workforce alignment, adult learner re-engagement and return on investment. States and systems are increasingly measuring institutional success by how effectively colleges move students already in the pipeline toward meaningful credentials. Yet many institutions face a common challenge: students who have demonstrated intent stall before completion.
- [For community colleges, the opportunity map is local](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/for-community-colleges-the-opportunity-map-is-local/) - America has built a crowded opportunity system. But it hasn’t yet managed to build a clear opportunity map that guides people through that system. The U.S. now has more than 1.85 million credentials, from high school diplomas and college degrees, to short-term credentials, industry certifications, badges and other certificates, according to Credential Engine. They’re offered
- [Best practices to prevent student aid fraud](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/best-practices-to-prevent-fafsa-fraud/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Friday released a best-practices document to help colleges prevent federal student aid fraud. The practices "reflect concrete, operational steps institutions are using to identify potential fraud earlier in the financial aid lifecycle, prevent improper disbursements, and coordinate action across offices," ED said in its announcement. The document is part
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/newsmakers-360/) - New CEOs Michelle Allmendinger will become the sixth president of Michigan's Delta College on June 29. She is coming from Southeastern Community College (Iowa), where she was vice president of student affairs for three years. Allmendinger is “steady, approachable and has executive presence," Delta trustee Dianne Middleton said in an MLive article. "She has a
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1189/)
- [Proposed rule prohibits funding for DEI programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/proposed-rule-prohibits-funding-for-dei-programs/) - The Trump administration on Friday released a proposed rule revising guidance on requirements for federal grantees. The new guidance from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expands on prior executive orders and other efforts to prohibit institutions that receive federal funding from engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities. The listed
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/reporters-notebook-243/) - Testing metrics for dual enrollment Bring services to where the students are Testing metrics for dual enrollment Dual enrollment (DE) continues to grow in popularity -- hitting 2.8 million students in 2023-24 -- and significantly contributing to the growth of community college enrollments. But what metrics can best support efforts to evaluate and improve DE
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1188/)
- [The case for the community college senior well-being officer](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/the-case-for-the-community-college-senior-well-being-officer/) - For community college administrators, the numbers are hard to ignore. Statistics related to mental health tell the story of an undeniable impact on students across the nation. In the community college context, half of the students reported mental health challenges in a 2023 national survey. Two in three said they felt nervous, anxious or on
- [Sacks to serve as ED acting assistant secretary](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/sacks-to-serve-as-ed-acting-assistant-secretary/) - Casey Sacks, a former West Virginia community college president who is currently chief financial officer at the U.S. Education Department (ED), will assume the duties of acting assistant secretary of career, technical and adult education. Nick Moore departed from the ED position -- he also served as deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of
- [Ensuring there are ‘no wrong doors’](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/ensuring-there-are-no-wrong-doors/) - More and more, higher education institutions are being held accountable for what happens to students once they leave college. Did they successfully transfer? Did they get a job with the greatest economic outcome? Getting to “yes” means building clear pathways. And for Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) President Anne Kress, that means ensuring there
- ['You matter here'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/you-matter-here/) - A jumbo banner reading “You Matter Here,” placed on the side of a building, welcomes students from the parking lot to the campus of Los Angeles City College (LACC). The two-year college serves Koreatown, Little Bangladesh, Little Armenia and many other communities that make up the diverse fabric of Los Angeles. Across the nation, community
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1187/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC5QCugAyIQ
- [Revising the transactional approach to workforce development](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/revising-the-transactional-approach-to-workforce-development/) - Despite many advances in community college workforce development practice, there are some warning signs that need addressing in the near future. There has been a decline in credit enrollment in many workforce programs, particularly among low-income working adults. This decline began during the recovery from the Great Recession, and while Covid exacerbated it, the enrollment
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/funding-roundup-446/) - Portland Community College (PCC) has received a $1.2 million state grant to expand access to semiconductor training. The funding is part of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s $8.5 million in awards from Oregon’s Semiconductor Talent Sustaining Fund to eight institutions and organizations working to build workforce pathways in the semiconductor industry. PCC’s award will support
- [Red light, yellow light, green light](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/red-light-yellow-light-green-light/) - The rise of artificial intelligence in higher education has forced faculty to make critical decisions: Should AI be allowed in their courses? If so, how much? These aren’t just policy questions — they’re fundamentally about trust, learning and what we want students to actually master. Drawing from the book The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1186/)
- [Bridging the AI divide in community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/bridging-the-ai-divide-in-community-colleges/) - Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly transforming how we learn, work, communicate and solve problems. Platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude are becoming integral to workplaces, healthcare, business and education. Many community colleges are responding to this transformation by integrating AI into classrooms, workforce training programs, student support services and institutional operations.
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/newsmakers-359/) - CEO on the move Steven Bloomberg will serve as the next chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges in Arizona, as of July 1. He is currently chancellor of the Kern Community College District in California, which includes Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College and Porterville College. Bloomberg brings more than 30 years of higher education leadership
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1185/)
- [Washington Watch: Seeking Senate support for community college ag programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-seeking-senate-support-for-community-college-ag-programs/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees are asking the Senate agriculture committee to include new support for community college agriculture programs in a 2026 Senate Farm Bill. The two organizations last week sent a letter to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry seeking lawmakers support after
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1184/)
- [Washington Watch: AACC registers concern over DACA processing](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-aacc-registers-concern-over-daca-processing/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has joined with the American Council on Education and other higher education associations to formally call attention to pronounced delays in the processing of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) renewal applications. AACC has long supported DACA and the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM
- [Washington Watch: DOL launches ‘super-sized’ SIP competition](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-dol-launches-super-sized-sip-competition/) - The Department of Labor (DOL), “on behalf of the Department of Education (ED),” on Thursday released a fiscal year (FY) 2026 grant application package for the Higher Education Act Title III-A Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). Eligible institutions have until June 23 to apply. In the final FY 26 funding bill, Congress left the door open
- [Washington Watch: Negotiators agree to accreditation regulations ](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-negotiators-agree-to-accreditation-regulations/) - The Education Department’s (ED) negotiated rulemaking committee on Thursday reached consensus on a regulatory package that will directly impact institutional practice. The draft rule substantially revises the specific requirements and procedures that accrediting agencies must follow to be recognized by ED to approve institutions for federal student aid. The negotiators’ consensus means that the department
- [Four-year colleges eye Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/four-year-colleges-eye-workforce-pell/) - The U.S. Department of Education on Monday issued the final rule for Workforce Pell Grants, opening federal student aid to programs as short as eight weeks beginning July 1. What the “2026 Survey of College and University Presidents,” released in March by Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research, makes harder to ignore is that four-year
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/funding-roundup-445/) - U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) visited Harper College this month to present $765,000 in federal funding he secured to support science education and expand access to careers in quantum science and technology. The investment will help Harper modernize its science lab infrastructure and launch hands-on learning opportunities that introduce students to quantum concepts and career
- [Community college baccalaureates continue to grow](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/community-college-baccalaureates-continue-to-grow/) - While the number of states offering community college baccalaureates (CCB) has held steady, the number of colleges in those states offering the degrees and the number of degree programs have seen double-digit growth, according to a new report. Nearly half (24) of states are authorized to offer CCBs, with three more considering legislation to do
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1183/)
- [Trauma-informed colleges need systems, not just training](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/trauma-informed-colleges-need-systems-not-just-training/) - The conversation about trauma-informed higher education has been operating mostly at one level — the level of individual practice and programming. Colleges are hiring counselors, running faculty workshops, adopting flexible attendance policies and encouraging compassionate classroom practices. These efforts matter, but they are not enough on their own to make a college trauma-informed at the
- [Washington Watch: AACC comments on proposed accountability regulations](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-aacc-comments-on-proposed-accountability-regulations/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has filed comments on proposed regulations that will establish a new accountability scheme to measure all Title IV programs against an earnings benchmark. The Education Department (ED) is expected to issue a final rule before July 1. The regulatory package garnered consensus in the negotiated rulemaking process that
- [Déjà vu at DOL budget hearing](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/deja-vu-at-dol-budget-hearing/) - Except for a different secretary, Tuesday's hearing on the Department of Labor's (DOL) proposed budget was almost identical to last year's, with Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling pitching to significantly cut his agency's funding while seeking to expand registered apprenticeships and consolidate funding for many workforce development programs into block grants to states. And, as they
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1182/)
- [A GPS talent marketplace for opportunity](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/a-gps-talent-marketplace-for-opportunity/) - America doesn’t suffer from a shortage of pathways to opportunity. It suffers from a shortage of ways to help people navigate those pathways. Community colleges need to step up and play a central role in this navigation effort. The U.S. has built a sprawling landscape of traditional diplomas and degrees, certificates, badges, micro-credentials, apprenticeships, workforce
- [Washington Watch: ED releases final Workforce Pell regs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/ed-releases-final-workforce-pell-regs/) - Culminating a months-long regulatory process, the U.S. Education Department on Monday published final regulations for the Workforce Pell Grant program, which will guide stakeholders as they implement the new eligibility that begins July 1. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) had submitted formal comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), outlining the sector’s
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1181/)
- [The most important person at commencement is not the graduate](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/the-most-important-person-at-commencement-is-not-the-graduate/) - It is 9 a.m. sharp, and the 42nd commencement of the Community College of Aurora is about to commence. This year, the institution is conferring its largest number of degrees and certificates in the college's history — more than 1,400. Among the wave of red caps and gowns, I notice the record number of graduates
- [The data part of Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/the-data-part-of-workforce-pell/) - The Pell Grant remains the best way to help low-income students afford college, and it’s especially important for community college students eager to learn and earn. Every year, 30% of all Pell Grant recipients attend community colleges. Now, with a law that takes effect on July 1, the Pell Grant is expanding to include students
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1180/)
- [The tipping point](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/the-tipping-point/) - The urgency behind getting community and technical colleges involved is measurable and accelerating. The Learning Policy Institute in 2026 identified the teacher shortage problem in the United States: 45,582 unfilled positions nationwide 365,967 positions filled by teachers who are not fully certified This means that nearly one in eight teaching positions is either unfilled or
- [Concerns about loan limits for graduate nursing degrees](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/concerns-about-loan-limits-for-graduate-nursing-degrees/) - Education Secretary Linda McMahon spent much of her time during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Thursday defending the agency's exclusion of nursing as a "professional degree" for student loan limits. The Education Department's final rule, effective July 1, excludes graduate-level nursing programs from its defined "professional degree" category. The change caps federal
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1179/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/reporters-notebook-242/) - Home Depot's Retool Your School grants WIOA combined state plans more than double FAFSA changes increase Pell eligibility Home Depot's Retool Your School grants Home Depot is expanding its Retool Your Schools program to include a broader range of four- and two-year colleges. The program aims to empower institutions with limited endowments to enhance their
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1178/)
- [2026 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation transfer scholars](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/2026-jack-kent-cooke-foundation-transfer-scholars/) - Sixty high-achieving community college students from across the country will receive the prestigious 2026 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship to help them complete their bachelor's degree at a four-year institution. Among them is Ashley Cozayatl, a first-generation Peruvian and Mexican-American student who balanced attending SUNY Westchester Community College's Honors College while working two
- [Washington Watch: ED releases new draft of accreditation regs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/ed-releases-new-draft-of-accreditation-regs/) - The Education Department this week released new draft regulations in advance of next week’s second and final week-long accreditation negotiated-rulemaking sessions. Most of the regulations are unchanged, such as new requirements related to the monitoring of student achievement, including on a programmatic basis; as well as a requirement that First Amendment and otherwise legally protected
- [Designing rural bachelor’s pathways through shared accountability](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/designing-rural-bachelors-pathways-through-shared-accountability/) - In recent years, community college leaders have been asked to rethink how student success is defined and measured. Accountability is increasingly tied not only to enrollment and credential completion, but to longer-term outcomes such as transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment. For rural colleges, this shift has highlighted a persistent challenge. Students may successfully complete an
- [Re-enrolling stopped-out students as a community college imperative](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/re-enrolling-stopped-out-students-as-a-community-college-imperative/) - My path through higher education was not linear. As a first-generation college student, college was always something I had to fit around life’s many other demands. I completed my bachelor’s degree only to find myself winding through an assortment of jobs that ultimately led me to community college to pursue a paralegal certificate. Not long after,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1177/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/funding-roundup-444/) - Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) Challenger Learning Center will continue to provide immersive STEM education thanks to new $500,000 federal grant. The funding, secured by U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean and Sen. John Fetterman, will support expanded programming, enhanced technology and simulation experiences and increased access for students, helping more young learners explore STEM. MCCC joined
- [After Canvas: The architectural question higher ed has been avoiding](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/after-canvas-the-architectural-question-higher-ed-has-been-avoiding/) - The Canvas breach didn’t fail because hackers got lucky. It failed because the architecture made it inevitable, and the standard response — patch, harden, audit, repeat — will produce the next breach on the same timeline. ShinyHunters compromised Instructure twice in nine days, exploiting Free-For-Teacher accounts to reach 8,809 institutions and roughly 275 million records,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1176/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/newsmakers-358/) - New CEOs Dustin Eicke will serve as the next president of Trinidad State College (Colorado), effective June 15. He is currently vice president of performance and planning and accreditation liaison officer at Laramie County Community College (Wyoming). Eicke brings a strong record of student-centered leadership, strategic planning and workforce alignment, with experience across community colleges
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/snapshots-105/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1175/)
- [Advancing workforce readiness in Illinois](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/advancing-workforce-readiness-in-illinois/) - In spring 2026, Illinois is preparing legislation (HB 5319/SB 4034) that will authorize community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand applied fields. Supported by Gov. JB Pritzker, the initiative aims to address workforce shortages in sectors such as healthcare, information technology and advanced manufacturing by expanding access to affordable, locally available degree pathways. Community
- [Washington Watch: Speak up to protect the National Science Foundation's ATE program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-speak-up-to-protect-nsf-ate-program/) - The National Science Foundation (NSF) is once again under pressure from the Trump administration as it proposes severe cuts for the agency and makes other moves to reduce its independence. So far, Congress has resisted these efforts, but community colleges must speak up to ensure that it does so again for fiscal year (FY) 2027.
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/reporters-notebook-241/) - Student support services expand in Chicago system New learning lab ventures in VR Grants to grow mental health workforce in California Student support services expand in Chicago system City Colleges of Chicago and the student success nonprofit One Million Degrees (OMD) have announced a new five-year agreement to continue to scale OMD’s holistic student support
- [From data to doing: The productive urgency of what students told us](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/from-data-to-doing/) - The RP Group last fall released the most comprehensive study of African American and Black community college transfer in California history. More than 7,000 students. One hundred sixteen colleges. Three phases of research funded by Lumina Foundation. The study identified four tipping points that determine whether these students reach the transfer gate: passing gateway math
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1174/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1173/)
- [Creating bridges, not barriers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/creating-bridges-not-barriers/) - About 40% of all U.S. undergraduate students attend two-year colleges, according to the Community College Research Center at Columbia University. Most students come through the door with the intent to transfer, but find their path blocked by credit loss, financial obstacles, or an aggravating lack of reliable information. Despite surveys indicating that nearly 80% of
- [The importance of career guidance](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/the-importance-of-career-guidance/) - A new study from the Harvard Business School highlights the growing importance of career coaches, mentors and others in helping students and workers navigate career choices and pathways in an increasingly uncertain employment environment. The study begins by stating that careers are increasingly defined by "pivots," yet education and workforce development systems haven't kept pace.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1172/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/funding-roundup-443/) - Drake State Community and Technical College recently celebrated a $5 million gift from the E. Hart Fund -- the single largest donation in the college's history -- made in honor of the late Ellenae Fairhurst. This follows last year’s $500,000 donation to create the endowed scholarship. The investment will fund a full remodel of Drake
- [Strategy before technology](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/strategy-before-technology-2/) - Across higher education, artificial intelligence (AI) is already present in classrooms, advising centers and students’ everyday lives. However, many learners have uneven experiences. In one course, the faculty encourages students to use AI tools to support research or coding. In another, students are warned that any use of AI could be considered academic misconduct. Elsewhere,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1171/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/newsmakers-357/) - CEOs on the move Hara Charlier has been named the next president of Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts. She is currently president of Central Lakes College (CLC) in Minnesota, a position he has held since 2016. Under Charlier's leadership, CLC has transformed the student experience to advance equitable success, growing enrollment, modernizing facilities and launching
- [Community colleges are already the AI safe harbor](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/community-colleges-are-already-the-ai-safe-harbor/) - A safe harbor is where ships ride out a storm. It isn’t where the action is in fair weather, and it isn’t the most glamorous part of the coast. It’s the place that holds up when everything else is moving. Two years into the generative AI storm, the action has been at the top of
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/headlines-1170/)
- [Washington Watch: A look at ED’s proposed regs on accreditation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/05/washington-watch-a-look-at-eds-proposed-regs-on-accreditation/) - The Education Department (ED) last month convened the “Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization” committee for the first of two week-long negotiated rulemaking (neg reg) sessions. The second and final session starts May 18. At the conclusion of that week, a formal consensus vote will be taken on the draft regulations currently under consideration by the committee.
- [Washington Watch: Senate bill looks to clarify financial aid offers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/washington-watch-senate-bill-looks-to-improve-financial-aid-offers/) - Senate Republicans on Wednesday released a bill to encourage greater standardization of financial aid offers, providing students with a clearer understanding of college costs and allowing them to more easily compare costs across institutions. Introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the
- [College transfer as a workforce strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/college-transfer-as-a-workforce-strategy/) - April is Community College Month, a time to recognize the impact community colleges have on students, families and the strength of our workforce. It’s also a fitting moment to consider a group that represents a central part of that impact, yet isn’t always top of mind when people think about community college education: transfer students.
- [Faculty leadership is key to reforming developmental ed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/faculty-leadership-is-key-to-reforming-developmental-ed/) - About 40% of community college students take at least one remedial prerequisite course during their academic careers. While these courses are meant to prepare students for college-level work, for many students, they become a detour from which they never return. Over the past decade, however, many colleges have begun shifting away from this model, embracing a
- [Coverage of AACC 2026](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/coverage-of-aacc-2026/) - Articles from the 2026 annual American Association of Community Colleges convention April 10-14 in Seattle. AACC's bold new visionSEATTLE — The nation’s leading association for community colleges is embarking on a reset that will guide its work over the next decade.AACC’s Strategic Compass 2035 as a living documentSEATTLE — The new president and CEO of the American
- [Improving transfer through communities of practice](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/improving-transfer-through-communities-of-practice/) - SEATTLE — Nine higher education institutions in Tulsa, Oklahoma, including Tulsa Community College and the College of the Muscogee Nation, have partnered to improve the educational journey for students through the Tulsa Higher Education (THE) Consortium. Launched in 2021, the consortium has helped to “break silos and open communication” for the institutions, said its executive director, Laura
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1169/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/reporters-notebook-240/) - Senate bills aim to modernize apprenticeship system DOL tool to integrate AI into apprenticeships Aspen Prize semi-finalists announced Senate bills aim to modernize apprenticeship system Senate Republican leaders this week introduced two bills to expand and modernize the country's apprenticeship system. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/funding-roundup-442/) - Wake Technical Community College in North Carolina will re-name a building at its Southern Wake Campus the Kellie J. Falk Center for Building Technologies in recognition of a $1 million gift from Falk, a local business leader and former college trustee. Falk's gift establishes a sustainable source of funding to support faculty through professional development, stipends and
- [Workforce Pell won’t work if students don’t know it exists](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/workforce-pell-wont-work-if-students-dont-know-it-exists/) - A few months ago, a woman at a community event asked about our certified nursing assistant (CNA) program. She was caring for her mother, working part-time and trying to break into healthcare without debt she couldn't carry. I mentioned that Workforce Pell was coming online and that an eight-week program like ours could soon be covered
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1168/)
- [Support for TRIO, on both sides of the aisle](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/support-for-trio-on-both-sides-of-the-aisle/) - Senate appropriators from both parties on Tuesday pushed back on the Education Department's (ED) proposal to nix funding for the popular federal TRIO programs and to change their priorities. During a Senate subcommittee appropriations hearing on ED's proposed fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget, Education Secretary Linda McMahon spent considerable time defending her agency's changes to
- [12 student teams named 2026 CCIC finalists](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/12-student-teams-named-2026-ccic-finalists/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), on Tuesday announced the 12 finalist teams selected to advance to the final round of the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) this summer. Now in its 10th year, the competition seeks to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking among community college students by
- [The trust gap in higher education](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/the-trust-gap-in-higher-education/) - Higher education is caught in a contradiction. Americans are losing confidence in colleges and universities, yet many students say their education is valuable, career-relevant and worth the money. That tension isn’t a statistical curiosity. It’s at the heart of the sector’s problem. A recent “Report of the Yale University Committee on Trust in Higher Education”
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1167/)
- [Insights from 'some college, no credential' learners](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/insights-from-some-college-no-credential-learners/) - Approximately 43.1 million people in the United States have, at one time, enrolled in postsecondary education but did not complete their intended degree or certificate. Why are students stopping out and what will bring these “some college, no credential” (SCNC) learners back? A new report from Trellis Strategies attempts to answer those questions. In spring
- [Wayfinding leadership: From managing systems to navigating convergence](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/wayfinding-leadership-from-managing-systems-to-navigating-convergence/) - Recently, I watched Amy Webb take the stage at SXSW and deliver what she described as an eulogy. Not for a person. For her annual trends report. Her message was simple and precise: we are no longer in a period where discrete trends can be identified, tracked and planned for. We are in a period
- [Integrating AI across the institution](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/integrating-ai-across-the-institution/) - As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) spreads throughout society, community colleges are moving from a classroom-by-classroom and office-by-office approach to integrating AI college-wide. This requires training staff, faculty and students on how to use it and setting policies to ensure successful, ethical use of the technology while overcoming challenges that it poses. Doing this
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1166/)
- [Washington Watch: House committee approves WIOA reauthorization bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/washington-watch-house-committee-approves-wioa-reauthorization-bill/) - The House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee on Tuesday passed the A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026 – House Republicans’ proposal to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) – on party lines. The bill includes many elements of the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2023, introduced by
- [Customized training helps company, employees excel](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/customized-training-helps-company-employees-excel/) - The robot is bigger than the one it’s replacing. Wires run panel to panel. Diagrams map every connection. One mistake, and the system stops. Issiaha Stickell is in the middle of it, working through the wiring, figuring it out piece by piece. “I’ve been working on that,” Stickell said. “Getting the wiring diagram for it.
- [Dual credit check](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/dual-credit-check/) - As the director of outreach and early college programs for Estrella Mountain Community College a few years ago, Catrina Kranich noticed a "disconnect" in how well high school students and their families understood dual enrollment. Part of the Maricopa Community College District in Arizona, Estrella Mountain has partnerships with about 15 high schools in the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1165/)
- [Grading the growth of apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/grading-the-growth-of-apprenticeships/) - It’s been a year since President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at getting to 1 million apprentices in the United States. Apprenticeships for America (AFA) has rated the administration’s actions to date to reach that apprentice goal. The current number of apprentices is about 700,000. Last year, AFA issued a report with
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1164/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1163/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/funding-roundup-441/) - The Duke Energy Foundation is investing $600,000 to strengthen North Carolina’s energy workforce, including $500,000 for 20 North Carolina community colleges and $100,000 for two regional partners expanding access to high-demand training programs aligned with the energy sector. The colleges will receive $25,000 each to support hands-on training, equipment, scholarships and curriculum enhancements for programs
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1162/)
- [Washington Watch: CCAMPIS grant competition announced](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/washington-watch-ccampis-grant-competition-announced/) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “on behalf of the Department of Education (ED),” on Monday released a Notice Inviting Grant Applications for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program. Applications are due by May 29. Last November, ED announced that it had entered into an interagency agreement with
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/newsmakers-356/) - Kudos Lovell Pugh-Bassett, president of New Jersey's Camden County College, is the recipient of the NAACP Camden County East's 2026 Visionary Awards. The honor is presented annually to an individual who turns vision into action, empowering others to reach their highest potential while demonstrating exceptional leadership. Pugh-Bassett was recognized for efforts to expand educational access,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1161/)
- [The new academic imperative: Why workforce is the work](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/the-new-academic-imperative-why-workforce-is-the-work/) - The core responsibility of community colleges is to remain responsive to the evolving needs of the communities they serve, as outlined in the institutional mission. This charge is not abstract. This responsibility calls on educators in this space to consistently conduct environmental scans, incorporate business and industry partners as co-creators in the learner experience, and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1160/)
- [Washington Watch: DOJ extends deadline for ADA disability guidance by one year](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/doj-extends-deadline-for-ada-disability-guidance-by-one-year/) - The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will extend the deadline for colleges and other public entities to comply with new requirements for web and mobile content accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new interim final rule will be published in the Federal Register April 20. The disability guidance was
- [ED's proposed accountability rules expected today](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/eds-proposed-accountability-rules-expected-today/) - The U.S. Education Department is expected on Monday to release its proposed rules on a new accountability system and related issues that will affect all of higher education. Under the proposed rules, undergraduate programs must produce completers who earn at least as much as high school graduates or face potential limits on their eligibility for
- [U.S. economic future depends on rethinking the future of work](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/u-s-economic-future-depends-on-rethinking-the-future-of-work/) - Across the U.S., the future of work is being reshaped at an unprecedented pace. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are transforming industries, redefining jobs and accelerating the demand for new skills. Yet at the same time, millions of Americans continue to face persistent barriers — poverty, housing instability and limited access to education — that
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/newsmakers-355/) - New CEOs David M. Knezek, Jr., has been appointed as the seventh president of Henry Ford College (Michigan). He is currently chief operating officer of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and an elected Wayne County commissioner. "Knezek brings to HFC an exceptional record of executive leadership, policy achievement and community investment rooted
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1159/)
- [ED’s plan to weed out fake student aid applications](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/eds-plan-to-weed-out-fake-student-aid-applications/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) this week detailed its timeline and implementation of real-time identity screening procedures for applicants completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The changes aim to address the rise in fraudulent applicants – called “ghost students” – who use stolen identities to apply for and steal federal financial aid.
- [Snapshots: Final pics from AACC 2026 in Seattle](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/snapshots-final-pics-from-aacc-2026-in-seattle/) - A few more photos to wrap up the American Association of Community Colleges annual convention in Seattle. See you next year in Indianapolis!
- [AACC's Strategic Compass 2035 as a living document](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/aaccs-strategic-compass-2035-as-a-living-document/) - SEATTLE -- The new president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) this past weekend unveiled her vision for the association's work for the next decade, but DeRionne Pollard is clear that she still wants to hear from members about what they like about it, what needs tweaking and what might be
- [The college transfer generation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/the-college-transfer-generation/) - For decades, students transferring between colleges was a side road in American higher education. Today, it’s one of the system’s main highways. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that nearly 1.2 million students, or roughly 13%, transferred to a new institution, an increase of nearly 8% since 2020, prompting Madi Turner of the Oakland
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1158/)
- [When preparation meets opportunity](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/when-preparation-meets-opportunity/) - SEATTLE — Like most community colleges, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College has had to look beyond state funding to serve the region and scale programs. Closing funding gaps requires innovation and intentionality, Paula Pando, president of the Virginia college, said during a session this week at the American Association of Community Colleges annual convention. Reynolds
- [Shifting focus to post-completion outcomes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/shifting-focus-to-post-completion-outcomes/) - SEATTLE — Over the last 15 years, colleges have shifted from a focus on access to one on student success — primarily credential completion. Now, colleges need to focus on a different success metric: post-completion success. “Completion is not enough,” said Davis Jenkins, senior research scholar at Columbia Univeristy’s Community College Research Center (CCRC), during
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1157/)
- [Award winners display the transformative nature of community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/award-winners-display-the-transformative-nature-of-community-colleges/) - SEATTLE — Ten awards were given out Monday night at the American Association of Community Colleges' annual Awards of Excellence gala, in categories ranging from advancing institutional equity and belonging, to CEO of the year. But together, the winners and finalists showed the wide breadth of community colleges’ impact on students and communities. Susan Looney, president
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1156/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/funding-roundup-440/) - San Diego City College’s (SDCC) nursing education program will use nearly $2 million through the state’s Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Program to expand nursing education capacity and address critical healthcare workforce shortages across California. The grant will support program expansion, enhanced learning environments and strategic partnerships that improve student outcomes and workforce readiness, according to a
- [House bill would authorize Strengthening Community College Training Grants Program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/house-bill-would-authorize-strengthening-community-college-training-grants-program/) - House Republicans on Monday afternoon introduced their bill to revamp the nation's main workforce development law, which would, in part, authorize the Strengthening Community College Training Grants Program. Introduced by Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-Michigan), the 506-page bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act -- titled A Stronger Workforce for
- [A deep dive into poverty](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/a-deep-dive-into-poverty/) - SEATTLE — "Community colleges are this country's poverty abolitionists." DeRionne Pollard, the new president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), said she would like to see that on a T-shirt. That's what sociologist and best-selling author Matthew Desmond called community colleges and other community organizations during an on-stage interview with Pollard
- [Metallica foundation adds $10M to workforce initiative](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/metallica-foundation-adds-10m-to-workforce-initiative/) - SEATTLE — The foundation of the rock band Metallica plans to invest $10 million over the next three years in its successful workforce development initiative, which has supported 13,000 community college students since it started in 2019. Renée Richardson, director of philanthropy at the All Within My Hands Foundation, announced the additional funding during the
- [Snapshots: Scenes in Seattle](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/snapshots-scenes-in-seattle/) - A few candid photos from AACC 2026 this week in Seattle. (Photos: Adam Auel/AACC)
- [AACC's bold new vision](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/aaccs-bold-new-vision/) - SEATTLE — The nation's leading association for community colleges is embarking on a reset that will guide its work over the next decade. On Saturday night at the opening plenary of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) annual convention, AACC President and CEO DeRionne Pollard unveiled the framework for the association's work, called the
- [DOL comes to listen](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/dol-comes-to-listen/) - SEATTLE — U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) officials came to the annual conference of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) this weekend mainly to listen, with a particular interest in learning about innovations and ideas to help address workforce challenges. Troy Selberg, director of DOL's workforce initiatives, and Joshua Wetzel, West Coast regional representative
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1155/)
- [Observations about the House’s WIOA bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/observations-about-the-houses-wioa-bill/) - Timing is everything. Never has the A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026 been more relevant to community colleges. We are at the epicenter, straddling access and career success, which is both the promise of the bill and its challenge. We must navigate this bill carefully, advocating for its opportunities while mitigating its risks.
- [The power of partnerships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/the-power-of-partnership/) - A decade ago, Marion Technical College did not have the means to pursue meaningful grants. The two-year institution, which shares a campus with Ohio State University, lacked a dedicated grant office as well as a staffer to spearhead large-scale funding proposals. All told, a bad memory that Marion Tech President Ryan McCall would prefer to
- [Roll call on community college research](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/roll-call-on-community-college-research/) - The Council for the Study of Community Colleges — an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) — just hosted its 67th annual conference. Top of mind for researchers and leaders in attendance were discussions about mission, how to support students and provide them a ROI in degrees and certificates, and how
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1154/)
- [Congress created Workforce Pell. Now states must make it work.](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/congress-created-workforce-pell-now-states-must-make-it-work/) - Workforce Pell is no longer a policy idea. It’s becoming a governing reality. Congress created the program, and the U.S. Department of Education has now proposed rules for how it will work. Students can begin using the new program this July. What happens next depends less on the law than on whether states implement it in ways
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1153/)
- [Using the Richmond Fed’s way to measure student success](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/using-the-richmond-feds-way-to-measure-student-success/) - After seeing a presentation last fall by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for its new measure of community college completion, Kevin Walthers decided to apply it to the rural college he leads in California. Using the Richmond Fed methodology, Allan Hancock College calculated a 41% success rate for students who enrolled in the 2020-21
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/newsmakers-354/) - CEO on the move Daniel W. Lufkin will become the eighth president of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, effective June 3. Since 2021, he has served as president of the South Campus at Tarrant County College (TCC) in Texas. At TCC, Lufkin has led initiatives to expand access, strengthen academic and workforce programs, and improve
- [Washington Watch: ED releases accreditation ‘neg reg’ materials](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/washington-watch-ed-releases-accreditation-neg-reg-materials/) - In advance of the start of next week’s long-anticipated negotiated-rulemaking sessions (commonly referred to as “neg reg”) on accreditation, the Education Department (ED) has announced the negotiators and released draft regulations. The draft will be subject to two week-long negotiation sessions, in mid-April and mid-May. As has been the case with recent neg-reg committees established by
- [The Workforce Pell bar most programs won’t clear isn’t earnings](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/the-workforce-pell-bar-most-programs-wont-clear-isnt-earnings/) - When Workforce Pell passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the policy conversation immediately turned to one question: will our programs pass the earnings test? The data has a clear answer. Yes. Of 3,387 short-term certificate programs with measurable outcomes in PSEO, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes data, just two
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1152/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1151/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/funding-roundup-439/) - Ellen and Joe Checota and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) announced recently the launch of the largest scholarship program in MATC history. The Second Ellen & Joe Checota MATC Scholarship Program will provide $15 million for scholarships to help MATC students who aim to earn trade and technical certificates and degrees. The Checotas will gift
- [Metallica Scholars Initiative set to expand again](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/metallica-scholars-initiative-set-to-expand-again/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is accepting proposals for the next cohort of community colleges in the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI), a national workforce development program supported by the rock band Metallica. With funding from All Within My Hands, the band's foundation, AACC will select up to 15 colleges as part of the
- [Trump’s FY 27 budget plan looks a lot like his FY 26 plan](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/trumps-fy-27-budget-plan-looks-a-lot-like-fy-26-plan/) - President Donald Trump on Friday released his fiscal year 2027 (FY 27) federal budget request, which includes funding requests for discretionary higher education and related programs. Additional documents, including the Education Department’s (ED) detailed justifications for proposed increases or cuts, are still forthcoming. The materials released so far indicate that Trump’s FY 27 request looks
- [Hidden in plain view](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/hidden-in-plain-view/) - Newly released reports from the Hidden Innovation Infrastructure (HII) research project reveals the roles community colleges play in regional economic development that are often unseen and underappreciated. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, the study sheds light on the many ways community colleges facilitate partnerships with industry that are
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1150/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1149/)
- [Re-focusing career navigation for students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/re-focusing-career-navigation-for-students/) - Now more than ever, the nation’s colleges and universities are being held accountable for job outcomes. From state-level accountability measures, to Workforce Pell, to the new earnings premium test that will soon apply to all postsecondary programs that wish to receive federal student aid funds, these new metrics go well beyond the traditional yardsticks of
- [Tackling the engineering shortage](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/tackling-the-engineering-shortage/) - A new white paper from a mechanical engineering association highlights how community colleges can expand opportunities in the field for students while addressing the country's engineer shortage. A two‑year initiative led by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and funded by the ECMC Foundation significantly expanded access to engineering education at community colleges, increased
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/funding-roundup-438/) - A $10,000 grant to Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) will support the Auxilium Center for Entrepreneurship, an initiative to expand access to entrepreneurial education in central Massachusetts. The grant is part of the Inspiring Generosity Matching Grant Program, which receives donations from the Esler Family Foundation. It will allow the Auxilium Center to scale programming, expand
- [Improving women’s experiences in internships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/improving-womens-experiences-in-internships/) - Editor’s note: This article is based on a paper, "The Road Less Travel: Women’s Internship Experiences in College Automotive Technology Programs," written by Townsend, Creamer and Mayhew, that has received the Distinguished Paper Award from the Mid-Western Educational Research Association and will be featured at the 2026 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting on April
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/04/headlines-1148/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1147/)
- [5 intentional shifts for the community college student success movement](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/5-intentional-shifts-for-the-community-college-student-success-movement/) - The movement to increase community college student success has never been short on ideas. For two decades, hundreds of institutions have reshaped what student progress looks like and the meaning of institutional responsibility. Faculty and administrators have redesigned developmental education, built guided pathways that put students at the center of their institutions, and launched strategies
- [Pay-for-performance: A new frontier for apprenticeship funding](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/pay-for-performance-a-new-frontier-for-apprenticeship-funding/) - While apprenticeships are surging in popularity — bolstered by a 2025 executive order aiming for one million new federal registered apprenticeships — some experts suggest that tying funding to results could be the key to long-term sustainability. The "pay-for-performance" (PfP) model represents a significant departure from traditional public funding, which typically provides money upfront for
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1146/)
- [Leading true systemic change: Relevance, momentum and student success](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/leading-true-systemic-change-relevance-momentum-and-student-success/) - Community colleges aim to expand opportunity and stay relevant to the people, employers and communities we serve. At Monroe Community College (MCC) in New York, we believe that to achieve different results for today’s learners, we need to redesign the systems that shape their entire experience. This is how we move forward together academically and
- [Navy pledges $30M to shipbuilding training in Alabama](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/navy-pledges-30m-to-shipbuilding-training-in-alabama/) - The U.S. Navy announced Monday that it will provide $30 million to the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) to modernize and expand maritime workforce training at four south Alabama community colleges. The funding will help the colleges to expand their submarine manufacturing and shipbuilding training programs and assist the Navy in building one Columbia-class and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1145/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/newsmakers-353/) - New CEO Jamonica Rolle will become president of Illinois Central College (ICC), effective July 1. She is currently interim college provost and senior vice president of academic affairs and college operations at Broward College (Florida). In its announcement, the Illinois Central College Board of Trustees cited Rolle's "demonstrated ability to deliver measurable outcomes in student
- [AACC supports a boost for Basic Needs Grant program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/aacc-supports-a-boost-for-basic-needs-grant-program/) - The American Association of Community Colleges is among more than 90 groups -- including six other community college organizations -- that are asking congressional appropriators to increase funding for the Basic Needs Grant program. The groups -- with include the Association of Community College Trustees, Bunker Hill Community College, Central Lakes College, Linn-Benton Community College,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1144/)
- [Expanding into drone security training](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/expanding-into-drone-security-training/) - A New Jersey community college known for its drone training is adding drone security to its program. Warren County Community College is enhancing its drone development and piloting curriculum with one of the nation’s first higher education programs to train professionals in protection against illicit or threatening use of the unmanned systems. The program is
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1143/)
- [Learning to embrace uncertainty](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/learning-to-embrace-uncertainty/) - No one tells you that becoming a community college president means carrying hundreds of stories with you every day. When I stepped into the presidency at Coahoma Community College (Mississippi), I believed my years of experience in higher education had prepared me well. I understood governance, budgeting, accreditation and institutional operations. What I did not
- [Washington Watch: AACC urges administration to reject revised certification for federal grants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-aacc-urges-administration-to-reject-revised-certification-for-federal-grants/) - Along with a series of other associations, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has communicated to the General Services Administration (GSA) its deep concerns about GSA’s proposal to alter the requirements for institutions to become eligible to receive federal assistance of any kind. This is the government-wide “System for Award Management” that GSA manages. GSA
- [Leveraging storytelling in politics](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/leveraging-storytelling-in-politics/) - Community college marketing and communications staff play a key role in providing the visuals and storytelling in a college's efforts to educate and influence lawmakers and other stakeholders. That may seem obvious, but it's sometimes an area that can be further strengthened as colleges build coordinated advocacy efforts that merge data with student and employer
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1142/)
- [Washington Watch: ED announces SIP eligibility](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-ed-announces-sip-eligibility/) - The Trump administration has formally launched the fiscal year (FY) 2026 eligibility process for the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) and potentially other Title III programs. The notification should appear in the Federal Register on March 24. The long-anticipated announcement has implications for other institutional aid programs. The FY 2026 education appropriations bill gives President Trump flexibility
- [Digital accessibility: More than a regulatory obligation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/digital-accessibility-more-than-a-regulatory-obligation/) - How are you reading this article right now? Scrolling down a webpage? Flipping through a digital PDF? Maybe you’re listening to the computer read it for you? The way each person interacts with the digital world can be different depending on individual needs and preferences. Public institutions with more than 50,000 individuals in their service
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1141/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1140/)
- [Keep eLearning weird](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/keep-elearning-weird/) - If you've experienced a workplace printer malfunction or become a little too irritated when a coworker didn’t return a stapler, scenes from the 1999 movie “Office Space” likely flashed through your mind. The snarky classic, shot in Austin, Texas, by writer and director Mike Judge left an indelible mark on pop culture. Its main character,
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/newsmakers-352/) - New CEO Michael Waide, who has served at Pierpont Community & Technical College in West Virginia for nearly two decades in various positions -- including currently interim president -- will now become its permanent president. Pending approval from the state system, he will start on July 1. “Dr. Waide has demonstrated unwavering dedication to Pierpont
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1139/)
- [Treasury to handle defaulted student loans](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/treasury-to-handle-defaulted-student-loans/) - The Trump administration on Thursday continued with its effort to dismantle the U.S. Education Department (ED) by announcing that it would gradually transfer parts of the agency's $1.7-trillion student loan portfolio to the U.S. Treasury Department. The transfer will be phased in, beginning with Treasury assuming responsibility for handling defaulted student loans. ED said the
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/funding-roundup-437/) - With a $109,375 state Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Education Grant, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College can strengthen EMS training opportunities. The grant supports Wisconsin technical colleges in advancing emergency medical responder, EMT, advanced EMT and paramedic education while increasing institutional capacity and aligning with workforce needs. According to the college’s grant application, 72% of the 50
- [Matriculating to both sides of the aisle](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/matriculating-to-both-sides-of-the-aisle/) - At a time when many policy issues sharply divide the American public and their elected representatives, members of both major parties express support for community colleges as key drivers of upward mobility — perhaps none more so than legislators who got their start at community colleges. "It’s informed my work a lot," says Rep. Suzanne
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1138/)
- [Streamlining resources for student veterans](https://www.ccdaily.com/2024/11/streamlining-resources-for-student-veterans/) - The National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) at Northland Community and Technical College (Minnesota) has added a veteran resource section to its website and will soon launch a portal that integrates information and services that veterans now often learn about via word-of-mouth. These digital resources and the advanced transportation center’s plans for new veteran-focused initiatives
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/reporters-notebook-239/) - ED/DOL announce first FY 26 TRIO grant competition State Department seeks hosts for regional Career Connections seminars AACC staff: Out and about ED/DOL announce first FY 26 TRIO grant competition The U.S. Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) departments on Tuesday opened this year's grant competition for the Talent Search Program, a TRIO program that helps
- [Washington Watch: House committee passes bill to fight Title IV fraud](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-house-committee-passes-bill-to-fight-title-iv-fraud/) - The House Education and Workforce Committee on Tuesday reported out three pieces of legislation to address financial aid fraud. Two of the bills passed with bipartisan support. The core bill, the No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026, requires the Education Department (ED) to proactively identify financial aid applicants who exhibit patterns associated with
- [Washington Watch: AACC analysis of proposed Workforce Pell regs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-aaccs-analysis-of-proposed-workforce-pell-regs/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) on Friday released its analysis of the U.S. Education Department’s (ED) proposed regulations for the new Workforce Pell program, which begins July 1. AACC will submit formal comments to ED and urges AACC-member institutions to engage in the process. Comments are due April 8. While the bulk of
- [More Latinos with STEAM credentials needed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/more-latinos-with-steam-credentials-needed/) - A new report from Excelencia in Education highlights national trends in Latino degree completion in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), tying them into evolving workforce needs that require not only technical skills but human skills such as creativity, collaboration and problem-solving. The report observes that Latinos earned nearly one-third (31%) of all STEM
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1137/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/funding-roundup-436/) - San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) can make utility and water infrastructure improvements thanks to $500,000 in new federal funding secured by Rep. Juan Vargas (D-California). The funding was included in the House fiscal year 2026 appropriations legislation. The campus infrastructure improvements will strengthen SDCCE’s ability to provide hands-on workforce training to approximately 30,000
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1136/)
- [How community colleges can anchor civility in divided times](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/how-community-colleges-can-anchor-civility-in-divided-times/) - Civility is not just a cultural value. It is a leadership skill, a workforce competency and a community imperative. Colleges and universities have become frequent targets in today’s culture wars, scrutinized for how they handle speech, protest and identity issues. Most of that attention has focused on the Ivies and large universities, but community colleges
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/funding-roundup-435/) - U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-New York) this month presented a $357,000 Community Project Funding award to the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) for its Project Impact program, which aims to increase student success and reduce recidivism among justice-impacted students. Founded in 2019, Project Impact provides students with the tools, credentials, skills and pathways necessary
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1135/)
- [Apprenticeships that come with degrees](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/apprenticeships-that-come-with-degrees/) - Brett Terry is a famous man at the 28,000-employee multinational packaging giant Sonoco after being featured as a 2025 Sonoco Champion Award winner in a video introduced by Sonoco’s corporate CEO, Howard Coker. Terry, now 28, has worked his way up the ranks at the 300-person Sonoco Wood Reels plant in Hartselle, Alabama. He now
- [Massachusetts to expand degree apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/massachusetts-to-expand-degree-apprenticeships/) - Six Massachusetts community colleges are partnering with employers across the state to launch new apprenticeship degree programs that combine paid, on-the-job training with academic coursework — connecting students to high-growth careers while helping employers close critical talent gaps. The apprenticeship degree model is new in Massachusetts but gaining momentum nationwide. Apprenticeship degrees take a long-proven
- [Start with a marketing strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/start-with-a-marketing-strategy/) - Community college marketers know the e-mail well. It usually arrives a few weeks before the start of the following semester. The subject line is brief: “Can you promote my program?” The message is not unreasonable, and the need for enrollment is true. And surely a flyer, an event or some ads will set all things
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1134/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/reporters-notebook-238/) - New DOL guidance on registered apprenticeships Arizona college keeps expanding into three-year degrees Kansas college to offer its first baccalaureate Concerns about loan services support for students New DOL guidance on registered apprenticeships The U.S. Department of Labor has issued guidance on registered apprenticeships to make it smoother and more consistent for interested parties to
- [A quick look at key community college stats](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/a-quick-look-at-key-community-college-stats/) - The number of credentials awarded at community colleges in 2023-24 increased by more than 90,000 from the prior year, according to the just-released Fast Facts 2026 from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Based on AACC analysis of federal data, awarded certificates saw the biggest jump, increasing 11% (or 77,645) from 628,838 to 706,483.
- [The long-term labor benefits of student supports](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/the-long-term-labor-benefits-of-student-supports/) - A new study sheds light on the long-term benefits of wraparound student supports on students' employment and earnings. The University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab examined how City Colleges of Chicago students who participated in services provided through the student success nonprofit One Million Degrees (OMD) were doing seven and eight years after using those
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1133/)
- [Workforce development is not a department — it's higher education's shared mission](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/workforce-development-is-not-a-department-its-higher-educations-shared-mission/) - According to a March 2026 economic news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people not in the labor force but seeking employment remains at 6 million. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) is currently 1.9 million. However, this population has grown by nearly 27%,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1132/)
- [Broadening for impact](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/broadening-for-impact/) - Brandon Dyer owes his career in higher education to the federal TRIO program, which is designed to help low-income students, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities progress through the academic pipeline from middle school through college. In 2010, Dyer was hired to counsel students from disadvantaged backgrounds at a North Carolina community college, with
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1131/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1130/)
- [Lessons from last year’s CCIC-winning team](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/lessons-from-last-years-ccic-winning-team/) - The Community College Innovation Challenge, co-sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Science Foundation, challenges students to pitch a STEM-based innovation to address a real-world problem, with guidance from a faculty mentor. Members of last year’s winning team from Bergen Community College (New Jersey), who undertook a project called “Pop-Up Hydroponic
- [CCIC: A unique opportunity for students, educators](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/ccic-a-unique-opportunity-for-students-educators/) - The first phase of the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) is underway with community college students around the country considering how to use science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) to solve real problems. To participate in the competition, community college students must form two- to four-person teams that develop an innovative idea — no prototype
- [ED releases proposed Workforce Pell regs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-ed-releases-proposed-workforce-pell-regs/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Friday posted its proposed rules for the new Workforce Grant Program. The public will have 30 days to comment on the rules, starting March 9, when the official Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is expected to be published in the Federal Register. The proposed regulations are the product of
- [Washington Watch: House Farm Bill includes new community college grant program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-house-farm-bill-includes-new-community-college-grant-program/) - A committee-passed House bill to reauthorize the Farm Bill includes a new competitive grant program for community colleges to provide agricultural workforce training. The House Agriculture Committee on Thursday advanced the Food, Farm and National Security Act, which is described as a “skinny” reauthorization of the Farm Bill – the governing legislation for all U.S.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1129/)
- [WIOA revamp needed to boost employer-led training](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/wioa-revap-needed-to-boost-employer-led-training/) - As the demand for workers with technical skills and knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) increases, so is the call for the reauthorization and modernization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). At a March 4 hearing of a House Education and Workforce subcommittee, witnesses and legislators made it clear that updating WIOA and investing
- [A statewide approach to CPL](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/a-statewide-approach-to-cpl/) - Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles exploring how some community colleges are expanding the use of credit for prior learning. The first piece is here. In California, the statewide approach to awarding credit for prior learning (CPL) has happened organically over the last eight years. It started with wanting to help student
- [WIOA revamp needed to boost employer-led training](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/wiao-revap-needed-to-boost-employer-led-training/) - As the demand for workers with technical skills and knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) increases, so is the call for the reauthorization and modernization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). At a March 4 hearing of a House Education and Workforce subcommittee, witnesses and legislators made it clear that updating WIOA and investing
- [Will funding follow the kudos?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/will-funding-follow-the-kudos/) - During a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Democrats and Republicans lauded community colleges for their critical role in preparing students for in-demand jobs. However, the question is whether appropriators will back that enthusiasm with funding to support two-year institutions and their students. Democrats on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1128/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/newsmakers-351/) - New CEO Jeremy L. Pickard will become president of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College on July 1. He is currently vice chancellor of academic affairs at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Over his career, Pickard has built strong partnerships with K–12 districts, business and industry, and regional organizations, according to a release from the college. He helped
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1127/)
- [Expanding credit for prior learning](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/expanding-credit-for-prior-learning/) - Turning prior learning, work experience, military service and other credentials into college credit can save students time and money. Despite that benefit, it’s been underutilized. Only about 11% of adult learners, for example, have benefited from prior learning assessment (PLA) – also referred to as credit for prior learning (CPL) – according to a 2020
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1126/)
- [Richmond Fed's new findings on community college students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/richmond-feds-new-findings-on-community-college-students/) - The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has released some findings from its analysis of community college data from a growing list of states participating in the bank's Survey of Community College Outcomes (SCCO). The Richmond Fed's 2025 survey added five states (Arkansas, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Texas) in addition to the five states (Maryland,
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/funding-roundup-434/) - The Brunswick Community College (BCC) men’s basketball program celebrated a milestone night recently. Not only did the team on the court, but longtime supporters Joe and Moe Stanley announced the success of a new $80,000 fundraising effort. The Stanley brothers, who own Joe and Moe’s Automotive, presented their latest contribution to the Foundation of
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/reporters-notebook-237/) - Winners of the 2026 Bellwether Award ED guidance for recognizing new accreditors Winners of the 2026 Bellwether Award Three community colleges are winners of the 2026 Bellwether Award, which annually recognizes outstanding and innovative community college programs. SUNY Orange, Marion Technical College and Merced College received top honors this year. The Bellwether College Consortium, which
- [Making the case for funding increases](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/making-the-case-for-community-college-funding-increases/) - Community colleges will be front and center at a House appropriations hearing on March 4, where advocates will present to lawmakers key areas of federal funding for programs that support their institutions and students, from Pell grants to workforce development efforts. The invited witnesses include representatives of colleges that are members of the American Association
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/headlines-1125/)
- [Washington Watch: Red alert on Pell Grant funding](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/washington-watch-red-alert-on-pell-grant-funding/) - After years of running a healthy surplus, the Pell Grant program has slid into a serious deficit mode. Given the program’s essential role in promoting student success, this shortfall is of the greatest concern for community colleges. Any threat to its funding is a threat to the sector as a whole. The alarm bell was
- [New round of SCCT Grants focuses on Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/new-round-of-scct-grants-focuses-on-workforce-pell/) - The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Tuesday announced the opening of the sixth round of Strengthening Community College Training Grants funding, with a focus on programs seeking eligibility for new Workforce Pell grants. The announcement also directs funding for statewide community college systems or consortia of community colleges to foster workforce and education systems
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/03/newsmakers-350/) - CEO on the move Casey Sacks, president of BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia, is leaving the college to become chief financial officer at the U.S. Education Department (ED). In addition to serving as the college's CEO, Sacks also served as a consultant at the beginning of current Trump administration as the senior
- [Active shooter response in open-access campuses: Why lockdown-only doesn’t work](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/active-shooter-response-in-open-access-campuses-why-lockdown-only-doesnt-work/) - Open enrollment. Public access. Labs and clinics. Evening and weekend programs. Community events. Multiple entry points. Minimal centralized control. These features are central to the community college mission. Yet many institutions still rely on emergency response plans rooted in assumptions that don’t match how their campuses operate. Too often, campus safety planning defaults to a
- [From admission to enrollment: Closing the final mile](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/from-admission-to-enrollment-closing-the-final-mile/) - For many students, being admitted to college feels like the hard part is over. The acceptance letter arrives, the excitement builds and families start to picture the future ahead. Yet for thousands each year, that moment of celebration quietly fades into uncertainty. Somewhere between acceptance and arrival, momentum is lost. Institutions feel it, too. Despite
- [An open letter to California's next governor](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/an-open-letter-to-californias-next-governor/) - Editor's note: California Gov. Gavin Newsom's second term ends in January 2027. The election to determine his successor will take place in November. This article is an open letter calling for the new governor’s support on key requests from the state’s community colleges. Dear Governor ____________ , First, congratulations on your electoral victory. Second, as
- [The cost of 'free'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/the-cost-of-free/) - "Go to QCC for free!" boasts the website for Quinsigamond Community College (QCC), one of 15 public two-year institutions in Massachusetts. This clarion call has grown QCC’s enrollment from 6,491 in 2022 — the year before the MassReconnect free-tuition program launched — to 8,715 during the 2025 academic year. The 34% increase is partly due
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1124/)
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/snapshots-104/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Setting the tone for CTE](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/setting-a-tone-for-cte/) - Curbing the shortage of skilled workers across the country requires more robust awareness outreach to youth and focus on expanding registered apprenticeships as a workforce development strategy, according to a panel of witnesses who spoke before the House Small Business Committee this week. At Tuesday's hearing focused on career and technical education (CTE), several of
- [Strategy before technology](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/strategy-before-technology/) - Across higher education, artificial intelligence (AI) is already present in classrooms, advising centers and students’ everyday lives. However, many learners have uneven experiences. In one course, the faculty encourages students to use AI tools to support research or coding. In another, students are warned that any use of AI could be considered academic misconduct. Elsewhere,
- [What the public thinks vs. what students say](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/what-the-public-thinks-vs-what-students-say/) - New research from Lumina Foundation and Gallup shows a startling difference between what the public thinks about higher education and what students and graduates say. In general, while public confidence in higher education has steadily dropped over the past decade -- led by concerns about costs, politicization and workforce outcomes -- students and alumni report
- [Showcasing students’ creative expressions](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/showcasing-students-creative-expressions/) - At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping how students learn, write and create, authentic human voice has never been more essential. While AI expands access to information and tools, creative expression grounded in lived experience remains uniquely human. Across the nation’s community colleges, students are proving that originality, storytelling and artistic exploration continue to
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1123/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/funding-roundup-433/) - Palm Beach State College (PBSC) announced more than $2 million in new federal funding to support the creation of the Quantum Innovation Center, a hub for education, research and industry collaboration. The grant was secured through a Community Project Funding request by U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida). The new funds build on $4.95 million from
- [Energizing the skilled trades pipeline through public-private partnerships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/energizing-the-skilled-trades-pipeline-through-public-private-partnerships/) - When local businesses and community colleges join forces, everyone wins. Partnerships just make sense, as they create a shared purpose between public and private organizations: building a dynamic and sustainable workforce pipeline. It’s a perfect match, because businesses need skilled workers, and community colleges need students to gain hands-on experiences. Here at Blue Ridge Community
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1122/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1121/)
- [Fostering student AI fluency for career readiness](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/fostering-student-ai-fluency-for-career-readiness/) - “You go ’round and around itYou go over and underI go through…” Those lines from the song “I Go Through” by O.A.R. feel uncomfortably familiar in higher education right now. Artificial intelligence (AI) did not arrive slowly or politely. It arrived embedded in workplace tools, search engines, writing platforms, data analysis software, and design environments.
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/newsmakers-349/) - Kudos DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, president of New York's Monroe Community College (MCC), has been named to the Rochester Business Journal’s sixth annual Power 100 List for 2026. It is her fifth consecutive year making the list. When asked by the magazine what decision or strategic shift in 2025 had the greatest impact on her college,
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/reporters-notebook-236/) - GAO: Room for improvement in helping disabled job seekers Texas college's museum recognized for community impact Washington college recommends some program closures GAO: Room for improvement in helping disabled job seekers A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says disabled job seekers continue to face challenges accessing state and local workforce development programs. While state
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1120/)
- [Searching for K–12 and workforce-ready teachers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/searching-for-k-12-and-workforce-ready-teachers/) - The United States is facing a teacher shortage of historic proportions — one that now threatens both K–12 education and the nation’s emerging workforce agenda. The most recent estimates place the national K–12 teacher shortage at approximately 55,000 unfilled positions. More troubling, as of June 2025, 48 states and the District of Columbia employ an
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/reporters-notebook-235/) - AACC visits Office of the Vice President Gauging insights into noncredit programs Areas of job growth in January AACC visits Office of the Vice President Officials from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) this week visited the White House’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building for a meeting with the Office of the Vice President. AACC
- [Why community colleges are a top option for a new teacher pipeline](https://www.ccdaily.com/2024/08/why-community-colleges-are-a-top-option-for-a-new-teacher-pipeline/) - K-12 teacher shortages across the country continue to worry parents, politicians, policymakers and other stakeholders. Although it is a problem that requires a multi-pronged approach, public community and technical colleges can provide an affordable education pathway for many aspiring teachers. For example, there are about 2.5 million dual-enrolled students across the country, according to an
- [Leadership in the age of complexity](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/leadership-in-the-age-of-complexity/) - Higher education leaders often describe today’s environment as “complicated.” But complicated systems can be managed with expertise, hierarchy and careful planning. What we are facing now is different. We are leading in systems that are dynamic, nonlinear and deeply interconnected, where cause and effect are often visible only in retrospect. Presidents and chancellors feel this
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1119/)
- [Welcome to the AACC iHub](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/welcome-to-aaccs-ihub/) - The American Association of Community Colleges has launched a new communication tool for its members to have robust discussions about issues that affect their colleges, share ideas and more. Employees of AACC-member colleges can now log into the AACC iHub and connect with colleagues from other colleges working on similar projects, strategies and challenges. The
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1118/)
- [CCIC opens doors for students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/ccic-opens-doors-for-students/) - Briana Wood is used to getting invitations to speak at local and national events. Just last week, the Virginia Western Community College graduate came to Washington, D.C., to participate in a panel discussion at a workforce development meeting held by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Wood, who is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree
- [When strategy becomes a moral act](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/when-strategy-becomes-a-moral-act/) - When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on why you became an educator? For some of you, it has always been your lifelong dream to serve society in this manner. For others, perhaps it was a calling shaped by family, mentors or a pivotal moment in life that redirected your journey.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1117/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/funding-roundup-432/) - Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) will recieve $2 million in federal funding to support the expansion of the college’s high-demand imaging sciences programs by providing advanced medical imaging equipment. The funding was championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) to support the purchase of imaging sciences equipment, expand training capacity in radiologic technology and other programs
- [ED's focus on flexibility, innovation and data](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/eds-focus-on-flexibility-innovation-and-data/) - A top U.S. Education Department (ED) official emphasized last week the department's vision to give states greater flexibility in how they use federal funding and to streamline processes for colleges and students. Speaking at an American Association of Community Colleges event on workforce development on Thursday, Nick Moore, ED's acting assistant secretary for career, technical
- [Strengthening the workforce pipeline](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/strengthening-the-workforce-pipeline/) - Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) produces about 80 to 90 nursing graduates each year -- but the major hospital system in its service area needs about 500 annually. The supply-and-demand gap is even wider for surgical technicians, MRI technologists, lab scientists and other positions. That's according Raj Chand, president of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, one
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/reporters-notebook-234/) - DOL unveils $145M for performance-based apprenticeships ED seeks to drop 'regional' from accrediting agencies ED opens public comment on FAFSA form What a growing Pell shortfall could mean for students DOL unveils $145M for performance-based apprenticeships The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Friday opened applications for $145 million in performance-based grants to grow established
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1116/)
- [Powering the pipeline](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/powering-the-pipeline/) - The U.S. manufacturing industry has more jobs available than skilled workers to fill them. This gap is forecast to widen further, with 3.5 million positions opening over the next decade, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. A new collaboration between the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and General Motors (GM) aims to bridge this growing divide.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1115/)
- [Paying for college made simple](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/paying-for-college-made-simple/) - After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree and spending a decade working in marketing, Liz Madsen knew it was time for a change. Marketing was not her passion. She decided to return to school to pursue a career in nutrition and dietetics. When she started at Kishwaukee College (Kish) in summer 2025 to complete core
- [Resilience is designed. Are you designing it?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/resilience-is-designed-are-you-designing-it/) - I returned from the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) annual Workforce Development Institute (WDI) feeling excited about the leaders of today’s community colleges. Dr. DeRionne Pollard, the new president and CEO of AACC, and the first woman to hold that role in the organization's 105-year history, is not managing a transition. She's poised to
- [Snapshots: National Legislative Summit](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/snapshots-the-nls-edition/) - Photos from community college leaders' visits with members of Congress during this week's Community College National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. The annual event is run by the Association of Community College Trustees with the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1114/)
- [Setting up high schoolers for shipbuilding careers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/setting-up-high-schoolers-for-shipbuilding-careers/) - Hanwha Group’s $5 billion investment in the Hanwha Philly Shipyard Inc. (HPSI) means increased annual production volume and more job opportunities for skilled workers in the Philadelphia region. Now, through a unique partnership between Delaware County Community College (DCCC), Interboro High School and HPSI, 15 high school seniors are on a one-semester pathway that will
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1113/)
- [ED readies for Workforce Pell rollout](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/ed-ready-for-workforce-pell-rollout/) - The new Workforce Pell program is set to start in less than five months. But Nicholas Kent, under secretary at the U.S. Education Department (ED), isn't worried about it. He's confident the department will have the program ready to roll by then. The question is whether states, colleges and other stakeholders will be ready by
- [Looking back, thinking ahead](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/looking-back-thinking-ahead/) - A panel of higher education policy experts on Monday laid out the landscape for community college leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., as they prepared to visit with lawmakers to make their cases for two-year college priorities. The group began the discussion at the annual Community College National Legislative Summit (NLS) by reviewing the past year
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1111/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/funding-roundup-431/) - The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has awarded a total of $500,000 to 48 colleges and universities – including all 23 community colleges in the state – to address student food insecurity. The grants allow institutions to establish on-campus food pantries or partner with local food banks to provide food at no
- [Entry-level jobs in the age of AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/entry-level-jobs-in-the-age-of-ai/) - Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models are reshaping how work is organized across the economy, including the nature of entry-level employment. While concerns about job loss often dominate public discussion, the more consequential shift for higher education lies not in the disappearance of work, but in the changing nature of early-career roles. Tasks that
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1112/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/newsmakers-348/) - CEO on the move Rhonda Epper, who has served as president of Colorado's Trinidad State College (TSC) since 2019, will become president of Colorado State University Pueblo on March 23. As CEO of TSC, Epper oversaw a $45 million capital funding campaign and led efforts to change the college’s name from Trinidad State Junior College
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/reporters-notebook-233/) - State funding for higher ed cools Arizona college expands its three-year degree program Stronger system connections in Connecticut State funding for higher ed cools An annual report on state funding for higher education shows a slowing down in financial support over the past year after several years of robust growth. In addition, public two-year colleges
- [43.6%: The baseline for Lumina's new 'credentials of value' measure](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/43-6-the-baseline-for-luminas-new-credentials-of-value-measure/) - Last spring, Lumina Foundation announced a new national goal to steer more Americans toward good-paying jobs: By 2040, 75% of adults in the U.S. workforce should have a college degree or credential of value leading to economic prosperity. On Thursday, the foundation announced the country's current standing on that measure: 43.6%. The figure is part
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1110/)
- [Creating a pipeline for CNC careers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/creating-a-pipeline-for-cnc-careers/) - As production manager at Branch Medical Group, a medical equipment manufacturer based in Royersford, Pennsylvania, Brad Bouchard knows firsthand the demand for machinist computer numerically controlled (CNC) operators. His plant can’t hire them fast enough. “It’s very hard to find people to do that,” he said. “And in all honesty, really good operators right now,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1109/)
- [Exercise program draws dual-enrollment students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/exercise-program-draws-dual-enrollment-students/) - When Michigan's Montcalm Community College (MCC) launched its new exercise science degree this fall, the program gained immediate traction. Dual enrollment in local high schools quickly emerged as a cornerstone of the program, allowing students to earn college credit while building athletic performance and training skills before graduation. With strength and conditioning classes already established
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1108/)
- [Why community colleges must recenter learning in community life](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/why-community-colleges-must-recenter-learning-in-community-life/) - For more than three decades, community colleges have been asked to do more with less while continually justifying their value to students, employers and policymakers. Since the 1990s, accountability reforms and performance‑based funding have elevated workforce outcomes as a central measure of institutional success. Completion rates, credentials earned and job placement dominate dashboards and funding
- [When 1+1 = 0.5](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/when-11-0-5/) - We like to think teamwork is additive: Two people working together should produce more than they could alone. In practice, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, no matter how talented or committed the individuals are, differences in how people process information or approach tasks can make the sum of their efforts feel smaller than they
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/funding-roundup-430/) - With $355,000 in funding from United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Santa Monica College (SMC) is expanding its groundbreaking Homeless Service Work program — a training pipeline that equips students to become skilled street outreach workers, case managers and housing navigators. Launched in 2024 with seed funding from United Way in response to Los Angeles
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1107/)
- [Unlocking rural potential](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/unlocking-rural-potential/) - NEW ORLEANS -- A year ago, Tyson Foods closed a meat-processing facility in Emporia, Kansas, laying off 800 employees in a community of 24,000. Flint Hills Technical College (FHTC), which was part of a local rapid response team, quickly provided short-term truck-driver training to displaced "shag drivers," who handle the logistics of moving trailers to
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/headlines-1106/)
- [Snapshots: WDI 2026](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/snapshots-wdi-2026/) - Photos from the American Association of Community Colleges' annual Workforce Development Institute, January 28-31, in New Orleans. (All photos: Evan Gummo/AACC)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/02/newsmakers-347/) - New CEOs Julius Edwards will become president of Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) on April 1. He comes from Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, where he served in a range of senior leadership positions, most recently as vice chancellor of academic affairs. Edwards’ professional experience closely aligns with EMCC’s focus on access, student success
- [Working as an ecosystem](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/working-as-an-ecosystem/) - NEW ORLEANS -- When it comes to improving career opportunities, it's not just a job for community colleges. It's the job of a broader "ecosystem" that encompasses various organizations and partners to work together through shared goals. That was a key message from DeRionne Pollard, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges,
- [Washington Watch: Senate looks for path forward for funding bills](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/senate-looks-for-path-forward-for-funding-bills/) - It looks like the Senate will have a tight squeeze to pass an appropriations package that includes funding for education and workforce development programs before a funding extension expires on Friday night. As of Thursday afternoon, the Senate was still negotiating a path to pass the six remaining funding bills for fiscal year 2026 (FY26),
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1105/)
- [It's all about jobs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/its-all-about-jobs/) - NEW ORLEANS -- $66,000. That's the ambitious living-wage target that Arapahoe Community College (ACC) has set for its programs, whether in academics or workforce development. It illustrates that everything that the Colorado college does is geared toward good-paying jobs, said ACC President Stephanie Fujii. Even if students are majoring in, say, philosophy, its programs need
- [2026 Awards of Excellence Finalists](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/2026-awards-of-excellence-finalists/) - The American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) annual Awards of Excellence underscore the association’s priorities and bring national visibility to promising practices among its member colleges. Winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala during the AACC Annual April 10-14 in Seattle. (Be sure to register for the convention.) This year’s Awards of Excellence
- [Approps package includes $170M in earmarks for community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/approps-package-includes-170m-in-earmarks-for-community-colleges/) - More than 110 community colleges across the country would receive thousands of dollars for special projects through the fiscal year 2026 appropriations package passed by the House last week. Lawmakers would send more than $170 million back home to the community colleges in their districts via “Congressionally Directed Spending” (formerly known as earmarks). The funds
- [Initiative aims to scale experiential learning](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/initiative-aims-to-scale-experiential-learning/) - The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) announced this week the launch of a three-year initiative to embed virtual, project-based, work-based learning (WBL) into short-term workforce training programs at 20 community colleges nationwide. The initiative aims to scale high-quality experiential learning that connects students directly with employers. It is supported by Google.org and built in
- [Utah college celebrates largest-ever group of Olympians](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/utah-college-celebrates-largest-ever-group-of-olympians/) - Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) will be cheering on its largest contingent of students ever to compete in the Olympics. A total of 15 current or recent SLCC students will be representing the United States in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in less than two weeks. This includes 13 (12 athletes and one
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1104/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/funding-roundup-429/) - New Jersey’s Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will use a $150,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to expand its HCCC Gateway to Innovation (GTI) Program by creating paid, work-based learning opportunities. Through the new GTI Experiential Learning Opportunities Program, students will have opportunities for job shadowing, mentoring and internships to boost their
- [Washington Watch: ED announces ‘neg-reg’ on accreditation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/washington-watch-ed-announces-neg-reg-on-accreditation/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Monday announced its long-anticipated negotiated rulemaking to reform the accreditation system, which ultimately will result in new regulations. The department’s announcement comes in light of a high-profile executive order and numerous official statements by the Trump administration that reflect a deep dissatisfaction with the accreditation status quo. Recently, the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1103/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1102/)
- [2026 legislative priorities for community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/2026-legislative-priorities-for-community-colleges/) - The American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) have released their 2026 community college legislative priorities document -- better known as the “Green Sheet” -- ahead of the annual Community College National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., February 8-11. This year’s priorities largely focus on federal funding, asking Congress
- [House passes FY26 funding package](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/house-passes-fy-26-funding-package/) - As expected, the House passed a bipartisan appropriations package late Thursday for the current fiscal year that includes mostly status quo funding for key education and workforce development programs of interest to community colleges. The measure now goes to the Senate, which is expected to vote on it this week, just before the current funding
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/reporters-notebook-232/) - 1/3 toward 1M apprentices DOL training grants to help homeless veterans 1/3 toward 1M apprentices The nation is about a third of the way toward President Donald Trump's goal to reach 1 million active apprenticeships, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said last week while on her “America at Work” listening tour. During her visit to the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1101/)
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/snapshots-103/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [How AI can transform student creativity, strategic thinking](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/how-ai-can-transform-student-creativity-strategic-thinking/) - Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly moved from novelty to inevitability in higher education. Students are already using AI tools, sometimes productively, sometimes problematically, often without clear guidance from faculty. The question is no longer whether AI belongs in our courses, but how intentionally we choose to use it. In my introductory marketing course, I recently
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1100/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/reporters-notebook-231/) - Long-term financial viability is a top concern for college leaders Pro baseball team eyes college campus for new stadium Chicago's new dual-credit barbering program Long-term financial viability is a top concern for college leaders Long-term financial viability is a top pressing concern for senior leaders at public two-year colleges, according to a new survey by
- [Navigating millage campaigns: A strategic guide for community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/navigating-millage-campaigns-a-strategic-guide-for-community-colleges/) - Community colleges across the country need stable funding to serve their students. Many get this funding through millage votes, where local taxpayers decide whether to support their community college with property tax revenue. Millage renewals often provide substantial portions of college operating budgets, funding programs that serve local education and workforce needs. When these proposals
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/newsmakers-346/) - New CEOs Terence L. Finley is now the eighth president of SUNY Corning Community College (New York). He previously was vice president and chief operating officer at Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri. At Harris-Stowe, Finley helped efforts to eliminate institutional debt, grow the university’s endowment, increase scholarships and institutional grants, advance financial aid initiatives, and
- [A call to community college student innovators](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/a-call-to-community-college-student-innovators/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), today launches its platform to advance student innovation and impact in STEM through the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC). The annual competition aims to foster the development of students’ innovation, communication and entrepreneurial skills. It also enables students to discover
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1099/)
- [DataPoints: Transfer vs. vocational institutions](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/datapoints-transfer-vs-vocational-institutions/) - The media spotlight has zeroed in on trade-focused workforce development when it comes to community colleges. But the vast majority of students still attend public two-year colleges that are transfer-focused. This fall, nearly 2.2 million students enrolled in high-transfer public two-year colleges, compared to 950,906 who enrolled in high-vocational two-year colleges and 1.7 million who
- [Community colleges are not a fallback. They are a bold first choice](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/community-colleges-are-not-a-fallback-they-are-a-bold-first-choice/) - College enrollment increased again this fall, continuing a cautious recovery for higher education following the decline of the Covid pandemic. But it isn’t four-year institutions driving much of the growth. It’s community colleges. Undergraduate enrollment at public two-year colleges rose by 4%, with enrollment in career-focused certificate programs growing by 6.6%. And yet, even as
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1098/)
- [Approps bill would level fund several programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/approps-bill-would-level-fund-several-programs/) - A bipartisan, bicameral funding bill for the current fiscal year would level fund several key programs of interest to community colleges, including the maximum Pell grant award, Federal TRIO programs, Strengthening Community College Training Grants (SCCTG), registered apprenticeships and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS). The bill is good news for community colleges,
- [Student voice: The most important factor in institutional design](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/student-voice-the-most-important-factor-in-institutional-design/) - When I arrived at Forsyth Technical Community College (North Carolina) in 2019, the college’s three-year completion rate was just 19%. Graduating fewer than one out of every five students obviously was not good enough — either for local employers who needed skilled workers or for local residents who needed high-value credentials to get better jobs
- [Wanted: CDL students and instructors](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/wanted-cdl-students-and-instructors/) - While artificial intelligence has moved in on certain types of entry-level jobs, driverless trucking doesn’t seem likely to become a reality anytime soon, certainly not judging by the number of community colleges that have their chips cashed in on new or expanded commercial driver’s license (CDL) programs. The industry is always looking for qualified drivers,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1097/)
- [Workforce Pell has a lot of potential. How can institutions realize it?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/workforce-pell-has-a-lot-of-potential-how-can-institutions-realize-it/) - Short-term, career-focused programs have been growing faster than the data to measure them. Estimates from Credential Engine and the Harvard Workforce Almanac suggest there are now roughly 1.5 million unique non-degree credentials offered by about 20,000 issuers across the country. According to the Strada Education Foundation, more than 80 million Americans hold non-degree credentials. That’s
- [Washington Watch: Federal judge blocks TRIO grant cancellations](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/washington-watch-federal-judge-blocks-trio-grant-cancellations/) - A U.S. district judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s cancellation and discontinuation of more than 100 TRIO grants during the fiscal year 2025 cycle. Over last summer and fall, several community colleges were among higher education institutions receiving notices that their TRIO grants would not be continued. The Education Department
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1096/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/funding-roundup-428/) - LaGuardia Community College will receive nearly $2 million from the U.S. Education Department’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to launch the LaGuardia Workforce Success Engine for Pell-Eligible Pathways. LaGuardia will use the funds to develop a menu of non-degree workforce training programs that it expects will be eligible for new Workforce Pell
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/reporters-notebook-230/) - Update on transition of programs from ED to DOL Texas college signs $16M program agreement with Army South Carolina college partners with Boeing on training Construction trades training to help rebuild after L.A. fires Fed Reserve on labor, AI Update on transition of programs from ED to DOL The Trump administration on Thursday provided an
- [Why community colleges can’t be fixed — they must be rebuilt](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/why-community-colleges-cant-be-fixed-they-must-be-rebuilt/) - As America's demographic, economic, political and technological realities continue to shift, so too do society's expectations of higher education and its community colleges. Resilient by Design, recently published by the American Association of Community Colleges, is a transformative guide for institutions to embrace the reality that resilience is not about absorbing disruption, but about being
- [Good fall enrollment growth, but…](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/good-fall-enrollment-growth-but/) - The community college sector continued to see enrollment increases this fall, again led by dual-enrollment growth, but it remains about 250,000 short of its pre-pandemic levels, according to new findings. Undergraduate enrollment across all higher education sectors grew 1.2% in fall 2025, driven primarily by a 3% increase (173,000 more students) in enrollments at community
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1095/)
- [The next 1,000 days: Higher ed in the Vera Rubin Era](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/the-next-1000-days-higher-ed-in-the-vera-rubin-era/) - Recently, I listened to NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show, where he introduced what he called the Vera Rubin Era. It was not a product announcement; it was a declaration that a civilizational threshold had been crossed. Huang was not describing faster chips. He was describing the emergence of AI factories
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1094/)
- [Colleges selected for EmployED](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/colleges-selected-for-employed/) - Eighteen community colleges will join a new initiative to close advanced manufacturing industry gaps. The EmployED Initiative is managed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) with funding from General Motors (GM). The initiative is funding projects at AACC member colleges to support efforts to align community college talent with industry needs. This work
- [Can community colleges save the humanities — especially in the age of AI?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/can-community-colleges-save-the-humanities-especially-in-the-age-of-ai/) - In recent years, headlines have mourned the “death” of the humanities. Flagship universities are shuttering departments. Enrollments in English, history and philosophy are in freefall. Funding follows markets, and increasingly, those markets favor job-ready credentials and STEM pipelines. Amid this narrative of decline, one sector of higher education quietly stands in the breach: community colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1093/)
- [Rethinking the community college’s role in the new economy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/rethinking-the-community-colleges-role-in-the-new-economy/) - Community colleges have historically served as engines of regional economic development, drawing on strong community integration to translate labor market needs into accessible education. However, rapid technological change and the decline of entry-level jobs now require a recalibration of this mission. Traditionally, workforce programming has operated in a manner similar to a vendor model. Employers
- [DataPoints: Fall enrollments](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/datapoints-fall-enrollment/) - Public community college enrollment increased by 1.4% between fall 2023 and 2024, based on an American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) analysis of newly released data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Private, not-for-profit four-year colleges saw a larger increase with 2.3% more students in fall 2024, while public four-year colleges saw the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/35312/)
- [Navigating the AI revolution](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/navigating-the-ai-revolution/) - The final months of 2025 brought an unprecedented opportunity to immerse myself in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. Through three distinct conferences, each offering unique perspectives on AI's role in teaching, learning and workforce preparation. I gained invaluable insights that have fundamentally shaped my understanding of where we stand and
- [Washington Watch: Rulemaking panel agrees to accountability regs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/washington-watch-rulemaking-panel-agrees-to-accountability-regs/) - The Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) negotiated-rulemaking committee on Friday reached consensus on draft regulations that would implement a new accountability structure for nearly all Title IV-eligible programs. The vote defied the expectations of many observers who saw little hope for that result earlier in the week. Because the
- [Addressing the CTE faculty shortage](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/addressing-the-career-and-technical-faculty-shortage/) - In recent years, the United States has been grappling with a critical shortage of career and technical education (CTE) faculty, a challenge that jeopardizes the quality and accessibility of vocational education nationwide. This shortage also poses a significant threat to the workforce development pipeline and the future of CTE programs across the country, according to
- [DataPoints: Community college revenues](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/datapoints-community-college-revenues-2/) - Public community colleges received $79 billion in total revenues during fiscal year 2023-24. An analysis by the American Association of Community Colleges of newly released data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that roughly one-third of those revenues came from state government sources, one-quarter from local government sources and 20% from tuition and fees.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1092/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1091/)
- [Building a local fiber broadband workforce](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/building-a-local-fiber-broadband-workforce/) - What started as a casual conversation about broadband fiber in the Johnston County Agriculture Center parking lot quickly evolved into a collaborative effort to explore how our combined connections, expertise and leadership could help meet the growing demand for broadband infrastructure and skilled technicians in the region. In fall 2024, the three of us —
- [New FIPSE awards to community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/new-fispe-awards-to-community-colleges/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) this week announced the recipients of the latest round of grant awards through its Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), with selections based on new program categories set by the Trump administration in November. Eighteen of the selected applicants are individual community colleges or two-year college systems, though
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/funding-roundup-427/) - The Boeing Company has awarded a $250,000 grant to Renton Technical College (RTC) to support the expansion of the Renton Promise program. Renton Promise offers up to full tuition coverage to graduates of Renton high schools attending the Washington college. “Our grant will help local high school graduates gain the skills they need for rewarding
- [Funding to expand registered apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/funding-to-expand-registered-apprenticeships/) - The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced Tuesday that it will pilot a pay-for-performance model in awarding $145 million to support registered apprenticeships in selected industries. The announcement comes a few weeks after DOL said it would provide $35.8 million to Arkansas to pilot a national performance-based registered apprenticeship program for advanced manufacturing. The Trump
- [Washington Watch: All community colleges exempt from new IPEDS survey](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/washington-watch-all-community-colleges-exempt-from-new-ipeds-survey/) - Reporting for a new Education Department data survey will be limited to institutions that “primarily” award bachelor’s degrees or higher, exempting all community colleges, including those that are mainly associate-degree institutions but offer limited baccalaureate programs. The U.S. Education (ED) last month announced that the White House Office of Management and Budget approved the final
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1090/)
- [Meeting the rural care crisis](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/meeting-the-rural-care-crisis/) - Throughout her 18-year nursing career, Mara Poynter has gained invaluable experience across a variety of treatment styles. From big-city critical care in Atlanta, to a stint as a flight nurse in San Antonio, Poynter understands the job’s emotional demands, as well as the complexities of the healthcare system itself. Providing quality nursing care in rural
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1089/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/newsmakers-345/) - New CEO Kathryn Rogalski will serve as the 12th president of Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) in Michigan. She currently is vice president of academic affairs and workforce development at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), where she has served for more than seven years. Rogalski brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education
- [Washington Watch: Negotiated rulemaking focuses on accountability](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/washington-watch-negotiated-rulemaking-focuses-on-accountability/) - Negotiators return to Washington this week for the second session of the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) negotiated rulemaking committee. The panel’s first session focused almost entirely on Workforce Pell, while this one will concentrate on a new accountability system and related issues that will affect all of higher
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/headlines-1088/)
- [The hidden cost of unpaid balances](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/the-hidden-cost-of-unpaid-balances/) - Across the country, colleges and universities face a growing, but often unseen, financial crisis: unpaid student balances that quietly erode retention, revenue and trust. What begins as a missed payment can quickly become a registration hold, a withdrawn student or a lost future. For students, these balances often reflect confusion and stress rather than unwillingness
- [Fixing the transfer process](https://www.ccdaily.com/2026/01/fixing-the-transfer-process/) - Community colleges are widely recognized as the most affordable entry point into U.S. higher education. They enroll half of all undergraduates at some point in their academic journeys and serve as the primary access pathway for first-generation students, adult learners and students from historically underserved communities. Yet despite their leading role in access and cost
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/snapshots-102/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/newsmakers-344/) - CEOs on the move Marilyn Flores has been named the next president of San José City College, effective January 12. Flores has held a variety of leadership positions in her more-than 25 years of service within the California Community Colleges system, including most recently as superintendent/president of Rio Hondo College, a position she held since
- [5M FAFSAs filed so far](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/5m-fafsas-filed-so-far/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) reports that it has received 5 million federal student aid applications as of this Wednesday, up from the roughly 2 million submitted at the same time last year. The Trump administration compared the growth to the troubled rollout of the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1087/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/reporters-notebook-229/) - ED to update Accreditation Handbook New BSIs named in California Bill offers employers tax break for training New Hampshire college designated national cyber defense center Green light for new baccalaureate program ED to update Accreditation Handbook The U.S. Education Department is seeking comments on how to re-envision and update the Accreditation Handbook, as it looks
- [When college costs hit hard, free course materials matter](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/when-the-cost-of-college-hits-hard-free-course-materials-matter/) - Costs associated with college aren’t trivial for Peyton Gire. For the Laramie County Community College (LCCC) sophomore in the Business & Accounting Pathway, the difference can be in the essentials. “The cost of college overall can add up quickly, especially if you are paying for housing, tuition and other fees,” he said. “Having that extra
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1086/)
- [The power of coaching: A twofold workforce development strategy that works](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/the-power-of-coaching-a-twofold-workforce-development-strategy-that-works/) - What do today’s community college students need to succeed? They face obstacles of all kinds, from tangible barriers such as lack of time, energy or money, to intangible ones, such as uncertainty, disillusionment or fear of an unstable job market. In our western North Carolina community, these challenges have only intensified since Hurricane Helene struck
- [ED's $15M competition to develop 'Talent Marketplaces'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/eds-15m-competition-to-develop-talent-marketplaces/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) is launching a new grant competition to develop and promote digital statewide systems -- dubbed "Talent Marketplaces" -- that include workers' credentials, learning and employment records (LERs) and similar documents to better align with job opportunities. Through the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge, the department will provide up to 10
- [Flipping out or flipping the board](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/flipping-out-or-flipping-the-board/) - Is this post AI? What textbook is that? Why are there bolded headers? Wow, that student is using the work of a scholar I came across in graduate school! Awesome or cheating? Grading online discussion posts in the mid-2020s is different in unexpected ways. We are not face-to-face with these students, we do not know
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1085/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/funding-roundup-426/) - Central Community College’s (CCC) new automotive careers training center is closer to becoming a reality, thanks to a $20,000 donation from the Nebraska Rod and Custom Association (NRCA). The $23 million, 42,000-square-foot facility will be home to the Nebraska college's auto body technology and automotive technology programs. Construction is scheduled to be completed in late
- [Rigging up a successful career](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/rigging-up-a-successful-career/) - Sam Jeffries has always been passionate about film but was waiting for her opportunity to break into the industry. Fast forward to today, Jeffries is working on the set of Netflix’s “Ransom Canyon” doing what she loves. Before attending the CNM Ingenuity workshop, Jeffries went to Eastern New Mexico University to earn her degree in
- [Certificate trend continues for undergrads](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/04/certificate-trend-continues-for-undergrads/) - A new report released today shows that certificate programs continue to attract more undergraduates, indicating that many college students have a strong interest in short-term, lower-cost credentials that lead more quickly to job opportunities. For the third consecutive year, the number of completers whose highest earned credential was a certificate increased by 11.2% (53,0000 students)
- [Top 10 CC Daily articles for 2025](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/top-10-cc-daily-articles-for-2025/) - Below are the 10 most-read CC Daily articles for 2025. There was plenty of interest in Workforce Pell and workforce education, in general, as well as policy and politics around student aid and commentary on the humanities in the age of AI. House ed committee cuts Pell grants, approves risk-sharing Trump signs executive order on
- [The sincerest form of flattery](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/) - Community colleges are all about R&D, says Forsyth Technical Community College President Janet Spriggs. In this case, R&D means “rip off and duplicate,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Bellwether Awards, a long-standing program that champions innovative programming aimed at student success. “We love ‘R&D,’” Spriggs says. “Bellwether is a forum for identifying those programs you
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1084/)
- [Washington Watch: Consensus on Workforce Pell regs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/washington-watch-negotiators-reach-consensus-on-workforce-pell-regulations/) - A negotiated-rulemaking committee on Friday reached consensus on draft regulations to implement Workforce Pell grants that were enacted as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) this summer. This is a significant, though not final, step in the regulatory process. The Higher Education Act (HEA) requires negotiated rulemaking for changes to the HEA
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1083/)
- [Washington Watch: FAFSA will flag schools with lower earnings](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/washington-watch-fafsa-feature-will-flag-lower-earnings-for-prospective-students/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Monday announced that the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will now display information to prospective students on whether graduates of their selected schools earn more than a comparable cohort of high school graduates. According to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announcement, the new “lower
- [Credential count grows in the U.S.](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/credential-count-grows-in-the-u-s/) - The United States has more than 1.85 million unique credentials offered by more than 134,000 providers, with $2.34 trillion invested annually into education and workforce development, according to the "Counting Credentials" 2025 report from the nonprofit Credential Engine. The new report offers a current picture of the U.S. credential landscape, including how the shift toward
- [Opportunities, challenges in building the workforce pipeline](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/opportunities-challenges-in-building-the-workforce-pipeline/) - The Senate Subcommittee on Education and the American Family held a hearing Tuesday on advancing workforce development that featured work being done to close skills gaps and get people into living-wage jobs. But there also was talk about the need for more investments in career and technical education (CTE), and concern was voiced about the
- [Preparing community colleges for what comes next](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/preparing-community-colleges-for-what-comes-next/) - In reflection of 2025, community colleges and higher education experienced an array of events that led institutions to reevaluate their public value proposition, student experiences, commitments, academic programs, policies, partnerships, practices and strategies for advancing their respective institutional missions. Whether such considerations were spurred by the array of federal executive orders enacted by the Trump
- [Making LERs work for all Americans](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/making-lers-work-for-all-americans/) - The growing use of learning and employment records (LERs) -- comprehensive, digital records of credentials, skills and employment history -- was the focus of Wednesday's hearing of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. “A paper certificate can hang on a wall; a digital certificate can populate a job application, unlock a learning
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/newsmakers-343/) - Kudos Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College (Massachusetts), is a recipient of the Boston Business Journal Icon Awards: A Women Who Mean Business Program. Eddinger, who is one of 12 honorees, was recognized for her visionary leadership in widening pathways to higher education. "Dr. Eddinger has guided BHCC through a historic transition to
- [A one-person model for student support, workforce readiness](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/a-one-person-model-for-student-support-workforce-readiness/) - When Mohave College (Arizona) set out to strengthen career development for its rural, multi-campus population, the work began with a single staff member and a clear goal: ensure that every student has access to guidance, resources and a path toward meaningful employment. As the new director of first-year and career experience, I was tasked with
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1082/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1081/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1080/)
- [Developing the workforce for the data center economy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/developing-the-workforce-for-the-data-center-economy/) - A quiet but consequential shift is occurring in the United States economy. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and digital services is driving the proliferation of data centers across the nation. This growth reflects more than consumer demand or technological progress; it indicates a profound restructuring of the workforce that community colleges
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/funding-roundup-424/) - Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) has received an $8,762 donation from McCall’s Supply, Inc., a local HVAC distributor, that will go toward scholarships for students enrolled in the South Carolina college's HVAC program during the summer semester. McCall’s Supply identified a growing technician shortage as a pressing issue for its dealer network and the HVAC industry
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/funding-roundup-425/) - In North Dakota, a $20,000 grant will expand hands-on learning for students in Williston State College’s (WSC) petroleum technology and automation programs. The funding, which came through TC Energy’s Build Strong program, helped the college purchase new lab and classroom training equipment. The new equipment comes at a crucial time for the program, which faced
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1079/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/reporters-notebook-228/) - New CV tech apprenticeship in Maryland AI-powered biomedical research program Bill would create grants for digital skills training New CV tech apprenticeship in Maryland Maryland's Howard Community College (HCC) and MedStar Health are launching a new cardiovascular technician (CV tech) registered apprenticeship program in January. HCC says it will be the first community college in
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1078/)
- [This week's poll: Over-relying on dual enrollment?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/this-weeks-poll-over-relying-on-dual-enrollment/)
- [When cold cases meet fresh eyes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/when-cold-cases-meet-fresh-eyes/) - When Autum Clay sits down to work on a case, she’s not analyzing a textbook scenario or watching a crime documentary. She’s poring over actual evidence from an unsolved investigation — crime scene photos, witness statements, decades-old leads that went nowhere. It’s painstaking work that can mean spending weeks stuck on a single detail, then
- [ED releases draft Workforce Pell regulations](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/ed-releases-draft-workforce-pell-regulations/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Thursday released materials for the upcoming session of the Accountability in Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) negotiated rulemaking committee, which begins its work on Monday. The materials include a meeting agenda, complete list of negotiators and, most notably, draft regulations for the Workforce Pell program. The
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1077/)
- [AI literacy through AI bots in the classroom](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/ai-literacy-through-ai-bots-in-the-classroom/) - In October, a terrified mother called the police to help her daughter in Fountain, Colorado. With her panic surging and fearing for her daughter’s life, she did her utmost to get help until she could be there. The triggering event? Her daughter sent a photograph of a homeless individual sitting in their living room. With
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/newsmakers-342/) - New CEO Richard Nelson, Louisiana's secretary of revenue, has been selected to serve as the next president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), effective January 1. "Secretary Nelson is a problem solver, a bridge builder and a leader who recognizes the critical role our colleges play in every region of Louisiana," LCTCS
- [Dual enrollment's impact on completion](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/dual-enrollments-impact-on-completion/) - New data show the impact of dual enrollment on college completion rates, particularly at community colleges. For public two-year colleges, students in the 2019 cohort who had prior dual-enrollment experience had a six-year completion rate of 57%, compared to 39.6% for students in the cohort who didn't take any dual enrollment -- that's a difference
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1076/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/reporters-notebook-227/) - New Jersey sees results in Some College, No Credential initiative Bounce back on FAFSA completions continues House bill to extend funding for campus veteran centers New Jersey sees results in Some College, No Credential initiative A new report shows an initiative in New Jersey to encourage learners who stopped out of college to return and
- [Tribal colleges benefit from MacKenzie Scott's latest gifts](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/tribal-colleges-benefit-from-mackenzie-scotts-latest-gifts/) - Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has, over the past few weeks, donated another round of much-needed funding to various nonprofits and educational institutions, including two-year tribal colleges. Last week, the College of the Muscogee Nation (Oklahoma) received $8 million from Scott's foundation, followed by a $9 million gift to Bay Mills Community College (Michigan) and $11 million
- [Urging more vets to try the trades](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/urging-more-vets-to-try-the-trades/) - Lawmakers on a House Veterans' Affairs panel want more service members transitioning out of the military to use their GI benefits toward training for trade careers rather than pursuing four-year degrees. During an Economic Opportunity Subcommittee hearing Tuesday exploring ways to improve transition services for veterans, members from both sides of the aisle discussed ways
- [Looking at optics through a new lens](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/looking-at-optics-through-a-new-lens/) - The optical systems technology program at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, was founded in the 1960s as the feeder program to train technicians for Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb and more than 150 other optics firms in the region. But 11 years ago, the program had dwindled to five students, did not have
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1075/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/headlines-1074/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1073/)
- [How community colleges can ensure their messaging stands out in the crowd](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/how-community-colleges-can-ensure-their-messaging-stands-out-in-the-crowd/) - The new academic year is right around the corner. Enrollment is teetering, and the pressure is on to make a big splash. Marketing teams hunker down with the enrollment office, and they develop a master plan: a messaging campaign that is a surefire way to drive applications, get butts-in-seats and reverse downward trends. Unfortunately, there’s
- [Why cyber hacks start in the boardroom ](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/12/why-cyber-hacks-start-in-the-boardroom/) - We’ve all seen the same letter repeated a thousand times: “We have recently experienced a sophisticated cyberattack performed by highly skilled threat actors. There is no evidence that your data has been misused. We take your privacy and security very seriously.” It’s not so much a notification as it is corporate Mad Libs… and it
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1072/)
- [Alumni return to pitch laser, photonics careers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/alumni-return-to-pitch-laser-photonics-careers/) - In a government laboratory in California, there’s a giant chamber where 192 laser beams can be shot into a target — providing key data for scientists. Maintaining those lasers and using computer software to help position the targets is the job of Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) alumnus Juan Martinez, who graduated in May from
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/newsmakers-341/) - Retirement announcements Barbara Gaba, president of Atlantic Cape Community College, has announced her plans to retire on June 30, 2026. She has led the New Jersey college for nearly nine years over her 40-year career in higher education. Gaba, who was the college's first female and first African American CEO, has been recognized for her
- [In retirement, a naval officer finds new passion: cars](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/in-retirement-a-naval-officer-finds-new-passion-cars/) - Rick Verhaagen isn’t interested in a quiet retirement. A retired Naval Submarine Officer who served his country for 24 years, Verhaagen’s impressive career has taken him from the engine rooms of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to the halls of NATO headquarters and the nation’s top nuclear facilities. Now, he’s on a new mission: pursuing
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1071/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/funding-roundup-423/) - Thanks to a federal grant of nearly $3 million, Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) is celebrating a newly installed 5G antenna tower and the West Philadelphia NTIA Network program. Goals of the program are to increase broadband wireless infrastructure, expand access to community-based broadband services and equipment and provide vital digital literacy education. The initiative
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1070/)
- [Leadership as a landscape](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/leadership-as-a-landscape/) - This past August marked 38 continuous years of my connection with the Contra Costa Community College District. I have served in nearly every capacity – from college student and student employee to part-time hourly staff member, full-time permanent staff member, adjunct professor, manager and executive-level roles, including president of Contra Costa College. Since February 2022,
- [CTE in dual enrollment, degree apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/cte-in-dual-enrollment-degree-apprenticeships/) - A House hearing on Wednesday focused on high school career and technical education (CTE) programs included discussions about dual enrollment and "degree apprenticeships" at community colleges. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-California), chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, started the hearing by highlighting how CTE can help bridge the skills gap
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/reporters-noebook/) - White House roundtable on higher ed House member seeks review of NJCAA policy on trans athletes ED's new acting COO of student aid White House roundtable on higher ed The White House on Wednesday held a roundtable with a small group of university and community college leaders, think tank officials and education advocates about value
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1069/)
- [Rolling up the sleeves on Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/rolling-up-the-sleeves-on-workforce-pell/) - Since Congress approved the Workforce Pell program this summer, stakeholders have been mulling how to implement it. To help inform those discussions -- which are happening at the national, state and campus levels -- the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Education Design Lab, have convened an advisory group to survey the Workforce Pell
- [Washington Watch: Update on new IPEDS survey requirements](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/washington-watch-update-on-new-iped-survey-requirements/) - The U.S. Education Department’s new IPEDS admissions survey will exclude most two-year colleges, but it’s unclear if community colleges that offer bachelor’s degrees would remain on the hook for new reporting requirements. The Education Department (ED) last week released revised changes to the 2025-26 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) surveys, including the new Admissions
- [Succession strategies for tomorrow's leaders](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/succession-strategies-for-tomorrows-leaders/) - Community colleges face a critical leadership gap as seasoned administrators retire. Effective succession planning and leadership development are crucial for sustaining institutional excellence. The American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) has pioneered this work for more than 50 years through its LEADERS Institute, empowering thousands of women leaders. The LEADERS Institute is a
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/newsmakers-340/) - New CEOs Terence L. Finley has been named the eighth president of Corning Community College in New York, effective January 2. He currently is vice president for finance and administration and chief operating officer at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. State University of New York system leadership in its appointment of Finley cited his
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1068/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1067/)
- [The president's plan to dismantle ED](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/the-presidents-plan-to-dismantle-ed/) - The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled its plans to outsource large swaths of the Education Department (ED) to various other federal agencies, including moving postsecondary education programs like TRIO and institutional aid to the Department of Labor (DOL). ED's federal student aid office will remain at the department -- for now. ED signed six "interagency
- [Study: Modest earnings gains from short-term training](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/study-modest-earnings-gains-from-short-term-training/) - A new study on earnings returns for short-term workforce education programs in Texas shows a modest but statistically significant increase in pay for participants over the two years following completion, though it varies by duration of programs, field of study and type of training. Workers earned about $2,000 more per year, on average, within two
- [Examining why students leave college](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/examining-why-students-leave-college/) - Nearly 40% of community college students don’t return for a second year, leaving the college without a degree or a certificate. Why are they leaving and can anything be done to prevent it? A new report from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) looks at survey findings from stopped-out community college students to learn more
- [Innovations to reduce college costs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/innovations-to-reduce-college-costs/) - A House hearing on innovations at colleges that reduce costs examined a wide range of cutting-edge programs, such as tapping AI to cut operational costs and sharing online programs. But witnesses and several House members cautioned not to forget the importance of federal investments in efforts to improve access and support for students. Community colleges
- [The growth of community college baccalaureates](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/the-growth-of-community-college-baccalaureates/) - The number of the community colleges offering baccalaureates is growing. What’s behind this growth? And what are some promising practices for colleges with bachelor's degree programs? Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) President Angela Kersenbrock – who also serves on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board of directors – answers these questions and more.
- [Lowering barriers, driving successful outcomes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/lowering-barriers-driving-successful-outcomes/) - The financial aid office at a community college is often considered the "front door" of education. Yet, for many students, that door has traditionally felt like a barrier, guarded by red tape and intimidating forms. Edmonds College is among the community colleges that are rewriting the narrative. Through a focused commitment to student support, strategic
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1066/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1065/)
- [From Work Colleges to workforce campuses](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/from-work-colleges-to-workforce-campuses/) - With the fourth quarter of 2025 underway and the new year fast approaching, America's community colleges are preparing for mid-academic-year reviews that will prove critical amid an evolving political and economic landscape. One intertwined political and economic reality that must stay at the forefront of our minds is the milestone report published earlier this year
- [Economic impact of international students increases again](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/economic-impact-of-international-students-increases-again/) - Economic contributions by international students at community colleges increased for the third consecutive year, with nearly 64,000 students contributing $2.2 billion and supporting 9,099 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2024-2025 academic year, according to a new analysis released today. That's a 10.5% increase, but significantly less than last year’s growth of 33%. The
- [Snapshots: AACC 2025 Fall Meetings](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/snapshots-aacc-2025-fall-meetings/) - Candids from the AACC 2025 Fall Meetings (AACC commission, committee and board meetings), November 12-14, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photos: Mark Finkenstaedt/AACC)
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/snapshots-101/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1064/)
- [Why community colleges can’t sit this one out](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/why-community-colleges-cant-sit-this-one-out/) - It is no secret that the past year has presented challenges for higher education at the federal level. Colleges have had to deal with a slew of executive orders, cuts or freezes to key grant programs, shifting priorities and new leadership at the Education Department, a government shutdown and potentially devastating budget cuts in the
- [Developing a 'strategic compass' for community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/developing-a-strategic-compass-for-community-colleges/) - The new leader of the nation's main community college association on Wednesday called on member colleges to position themselves more prominently in serving the nation's educational and workforce development needs and to cast a brighter spotlight on their work. DeRionne Pollard, who is six weeks into her tenure as president and CEO of the American
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1063/)
- [Reawakening the civic mission of community](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/reawakening-the-civic-mission-of-community/) - Community colleges were founded on the conviction that higher education should serve as a public good — open, inclusive and responsive to the needs of all citizens. Emerging from the democratic ideals of access, equity and collective advancement, these institutions prepare informed and engaged individuals capable of sustaining both the economic vitality and the civic
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1062/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/newsmakers-339/) - New CEO Tashika Griffith has been named president of Virginia's Germanna Community College, effective January 1. She currently is provost and chief campus officer at the Clearwater Campus of St. Petersburg College (SPC) in Florida. Griffith joined SPC in 2016 and has held other positions, including interim dean of the College of Education, assistant provost
- [The road to wellness](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/the-road-to-wellness/) - The challenges faced by community college students compared to their “traditional” peers are well-documented. These learners are often older and derive from low-income or working-class backgrounds. They’re also more likely to be caretakers for children or aging parents, even as they’re the first members of their family to attend college. These familiar obstacles can generate
- [Community colleges again lead enrollment increases](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/community-colleges-again-lead-enrollment-increases/) - Undergraduate enrollments for this fall are up again, with community colleges again seeing the largest rate increase, according to preliminary reporting to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center. Overall undergraduate enrollment is up 2.4% so far, with increases in all sectors, though community colleges are leading with a 4.0% boost, compared to 1.9% at
- [Washington Watch: ED announces new FIPSE grants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/washington-watch-ed-announces-new-fipse-grants/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Monday announced a slate of new programs under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to support initiatives related to artificial intelligence (AI), civic discourse, accreditation and short-term credential programs. The latter initiative may be of particular interest to community colleges that are gearing up for Workforce
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/funding-roundup-422/) - Gadsden State Community College’s automotive service technology program has received a $16,000 donation from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Foundation. The Alabama college’s automotive service technology program prepares students for employment as entry-level automotive technicians and provides advanced training in diagnostics, repair and maintenance of today’s complex vehicles. “When talking to dealerships, their biggest
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1061/)
- [DataPoints: Veterans in community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/datapoints-veterans-in-community-colleges/) - Nearly half (46.7%) of all student veterans were enrolled in public community colleges in the 2019-20 academic year (the most recent year with this data). Veterans comprised 4.2% of all community college students — a higher percentage than those attending four-year colleges, but below for-profit colleges (8.1% of their students were veterans). Figure 2 presents
- [Washington Watch: Rulemaking panel in sync on loan changes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/rulemaking-panel-in-sync-on-loan-changes/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Thursday wrapped up its second and final negotiated-rulemaking meeting focused on student loan programs to address changes directed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Despite significant debate around key issues -- most notably the definition of a professional student for the purpose of annual and aggregate loan limits
- [A Marine's new mission: Building military pathways for today's students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/a-marines-new-mission-building-military-pathways-for-todays-students/) - As Veterans Day approaches, we pause to honor the men and women who have served our nation with courage and commitment. But for many veterans, the spirit of service doesn’t end with their military careers. Instead, it evolves, finding new forms and new missions. For me, a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine
- [You've won the lottery jackpot! Now what?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/youve-won-the-lottery-jackpot-now-what/) - Dear winner of the Mega Millions lottery jackpot: Congratulations, and WOW! After the longest streak without a jackpot winner since the game began in 2002, with a haul of $843 million, even after federal and state taxes, you’ll be pocketing a whopping $392 million or so. Not bad for dropping a few bucks on a Slurpee
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1060/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1059/)
- [Better transparency to inform college decisions](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/better-transparency-to-inform-college-decisions/) - A Senate hearing on Thursday focused on improving college financial transparency -- from total costs and student aid packages, to acceptance and completion figures -- to help students and families make more informed choices when selecting a college. While the bulk of the conversation during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing centered
- [ICYMI: Coverage of ATE 2025](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/icymi-coverage-of-ate-2025/) - A compilation of CC Daily articles on the 2025 Advanced Technological Education Principal Investigators’ Conference October 29-31. Living proof of being resilient by designAt Wednesday’s kick-off of the annual Advanced Technological Education Principal Investigators Conference in Washington, D.C., community college advocates encouraged attendees to stay strong, despite political, economic and technological challenges. Students champion ATE
- [Snapshots: Photos from 2025 ATE conference](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/snapshots-100/) - Candids from the 2025 Advanced Technological Education Principal Investigators' Conference in Washington, D.C., this week. (All photos by EPNAC)
- [Refocused on apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/refocused-on-apprenticeships/) - A wide-ranging Senate hearing on expanding apprenticeships held on Wednesday included discussions on the critical role that community colleges can play in growing the programs in industries that need skilled workers. The hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee included views from employers, unions and others, addressing ways to lessen red
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1058/)
- [Community college sticker price up 2.7%](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/community-college-sticker-price-up-2-7/) - The average 2025-26 tuition-and-fees sticker price for public two-year colleges is $4,150, which is an increase of 2.7% (or $110) for full-time students compared to last fall, according to an annual report on college pricing and student aid trends from the College Board. The published tuition and fees for full-time, in-district students this fall at
- [Community college sticker price up 2.5%](https://www.ccdaily.com/2024/10/community-college-sticker-price-up-2-5/) - The average 2024-25 tuition-and-fees sticker price for public two-year colleges is $4,050, which is an increase of 2.5% (or $100) for full-time students compared to last fall, according to an annual report on college pricing and student aid trends from the College Board. The published tuition and fees for full-time students this fall at community
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1057/)
- [Meals for students on SNAP](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/meals-for-students-on-snap/) - Community colleges are joining other organizations in intensifying their efforts to combat student hunger as uncertainty persists over funding for the federal government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Two federal judges last week directed the Trump administration to use available emergency funds to keep SNAP benefits going. While the White House said on Monday it
- [The future of farming in the Garden State](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/the-future-of-farming-in-the-garden-state/) - Two New Jersey community colleges have collaborated on a unique forum about the future of agriculture in the northwest part of the state, bringing together leaders in farming, education and politics with the hope of creating a catalyst to support and modernize a key sector of the state’s economy. Leaders from Sussex County Community College
- [Students champion ATE on Capitol Hill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/students-champion-ate-on-capitol-hill/) - For most of the 52 community college students and alumni who participated in the 2025 ATE Principal Investigators’ Conference’s student poster session last week, it was their first time in Washington, D.C. For all but a few, the conference was also the first time they had presented their work at a professional conference. At a
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/funding-roundup-421/) - Thirteen Massachusetts community colleges have received state-funded Training Resources and Internships Network (TRAIN) grants totaling about $1.5 million. The funding will allow colleges to provide training opportunities to more than 500 unemployed and under-employed people across the state. “Free community college has opened doors for thousands of students, and these TRAIN grants will open even
- [ATE open ed materials now available](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/ate-open-ed-materials-now-available/) - The open education materials developed by Advanced Technological Education (ATE) centers and projects are now available through the free STEMLink service for easy uploading to community colleges’ learning management systems. The resources include full courses as well as modules, videos, lab exercises, assessments and a wide array of materials that ATE grantees have created and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1056/)
- [Sharing expertise, learning is jewel of ATE](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/sharing-expertise-learning-is-jewel-of-ate/) - Futurist, economist and author Shawn DuBravac told the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) principal investigators that the way they collaborate is their “superpower.” At a time when many enterprises focus on protecting proprietary information, DuBravac said ATE grantees’ willingness to share the outcomes of their National Science Foundation-funded work stood out to him during his study
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/11/headlines-1055/)
- [Emerging tech trends in manufacturing](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/emerging-tech-trends-in-manufacturing/) - During her presentation at the 2025 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Principal Investigators’ Conference, Karen Wosczyna-Birch shared that a recent survey in Connecticut found that the biggest challenge facing manufacturers and manufacturing educators is not that young people misperceive manufacturing workplaces as dirty or noisy. The real issue is that many people have no idea how
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1054/)
- [Sparks of creativity and collaboration](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/sparks-of-creativity-and-collaboration/) - Fifty-seven students and recent alumni of Advanced Technological Education (ATE) projects shared their work during a poster session this week at the 2025 ATE Principal Investigators’ Conference in Washington, D.C. Many of the students displayed findings from authentic research projects, others focused on what they accomplished during internships, and some documented the hands-on learning they
- [New funding opportunities in advanced manufacturing, microelectronics  ](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/new-funding-opportunities-in-advanced-manufacturing-microelectronics/) - Community colleges are eligible to participate in two federal initiatives — the SMART USA Institute and National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) — that have funds for advanced manufacturing and microelectronics education programs. “There are a lot of great opportunities. In order to do it, we have got to show up,” said Jared Ashcroft, principal
- [Expanding broadband access as a catalyst for economic stability](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/expanding-broadband-access-as-a-catalyst-for-economic-stability/) - Access to high-speed internet has become as essential to modern life as electricity or clean water. In today’s economy, broadband connectivity is the foundation for education, employment, healthcare and innovation. That is why I am proud to share that Richland County and the broader U.S. 30 corridor have achieved a significant victory: $20 million in
- [Living proof of being resilient by design](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/living-proof-of-being-resilient-by-design/) - They gathered in the nation's capital during a prolonged federal government shutdown. Right before the stoppage, congressional Republicans eyed to further cut federal spending -- perhaps even trimming funding for the very program that supports the group's education efforts. Adding to the pressure they face are economic uncertainties and rapid technological changes that are drastically
- [The value of innovation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/the-value-of-innovation/) - The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has been a champion of STEM technician education at community college for 75 years, navigating generations of students to sustainable career opportunities. That progress is now jeopardized by extensive federal budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration, which call for a 56% reduction in the $9 billion NSF budget.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1053/)
- [Linking economic development with workforce development](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/linking-economic-development-with-workforce-development/) - While most community college leaders verbally connect workforce and economic development, there is often little understanding beyond asserting this connection. As a result, community colleges have been unable to articulate a vision that emphasizes economic development as central to their work. Questions thus remain. What should be community colleges’ role in economic development? How
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/funding-roundup-420/) - Central Carolina Community College’s (CCCC) Drive MOORE Solutions Capital Campaign kicked off with a big boost: a $500,000 challenge match from an anonymous lead donor who believes in doubling the community’s impact. Between now and December 31, every dollar donated to the CCCC Foundation in support of the campaign will be matched, up to $500,000.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1052/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/reporters-notebook-226/) - 276,000 CC students could lose CalFresh benefits More complete student data among AACC's recommendations White House withdraws ED nomination Higher ed seeks exemption from new H-1B fee 276,000 CC students could lose CalFresh benefits A new analysis shows that many community college and other higher education students could lose access to CalFresh benefits on November
- [A look at Latinos in CCB programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/a-look-at-latinos-in-ccb-programs/) - The rate of Latino students enrolling in and graduating from community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs is growing, which is also leading to positive post-graduate outcomes. A new brief from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) looks at the ups and downs of CCB programs in four states: California, Florida, Texas and Washington. It focuses
- ['Culture of caring' blossoms, but there's room to grow](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/culture-of-caring-blossoms-but-theres-room-to-grow/) - Since the Covid pandemic, community colleges have increased efforts to provide more services to students to help them overcome challenges and succeed in college. But a significant number of students don't tap those services -- from basic needs, to mental health -- often because they feel uncertain. A new report from the Center for Community
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1051/)
- [Paying out of pocket](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/paying-out-of-pocket/) - Nondegree credentials (NDCs) continue to gain popularity, but most learners pay for them out of pocket, according to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Attainment of NDCs -- which include certificates and licenses, and can range in time from a few weeks to less than a year -- tripled from 2009 to 2021,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1050/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/newsmakers-338/) - Interim CEO Taylor Crawshaw will become interim president of Independence Community College (ICC), effective December 1. She is currently the Kansas college's vice president for academic affairs. Over her decade of service at ICC, Crenshaw has led initiatives that have expanded academic opportunities, improved student support systems and enhanced the college’s connection to workforce development
- [Snapshot](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/snapshot/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/reporters-notebook-225/) - Senate Democrats blast McMahon for latest firings Focused on data-informed strategies State guide on Workforce Pell Senate Democrats blast McMahon for latest firings Several Democratic senators are warning U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon that the latest firings at the department will have dramatic effects on critical programs in K-12 and postsecondary education, especially for students
- [Teacher prep program for teaching assistants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/teacher-prep-program-for-teaching-assistants/) - After six weeks of filling in as a teacher, Amanda Morse looked at her students and thought, “I can do this.” That confidence boost helped lead Morse, a teaching assistant, to check out Central Carolina Community College’s (CCCC) teacher preparation associate degree program. Morse was among the attendees at a recent “TA to Teacher” information
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1049/)
- [AACC comments on proposed changes to 'E-App'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/aacc-comments-on-proposed-changes-to-e-app/) - In a letter this week to the U.S. Education Department (ED) on proposed changes to the application colleges use to participate in federal student aid programs (called the E-App), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) repeated a common concern: participation agreements, recertification and program review procedures are extremely burdensome and should be improved. AACC
- [Offering affordable baccalaureates](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/offering-affordable-baccalaureates/) - A new report finds that tuition and fees at community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs are considerably less than for bachelor's degree programs at a public four-year institution -- in some states, less than half -- and that a larger percentage of students in CCB programs receive student aid. The new research by Elizabeth Meza, a
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1048/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/funding-roundup-419/) - Wallace Community College-Dothan (WCCD) has received more than $2.7 million from the Alabama Community College System as part of the Alabama Centers for Rural Healthcare Opportunity legislative appropriation. The grant will fund "Neighbors in Health: Rural Healthcare Training Close to Home," an initiative designed to strengthen the rural healthcare workforce, expand training opportunities in southeast
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1047/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/newsmakers-337/) - New CEO Alycia Marshall, who has served as interim president at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) since May, is now the college's permanent president. She previously was CCP's provost and vice president for academic and student success. "After a nationwide search, it has become evident that Dr. Marshall demonstrates the clear vision and outstanding
- [DataPoints: Recent enrollment trends](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/datapoints-recent-enrollment-trends/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) recently released new data on full-year enrollments and credentials awarded by postsecondary institutions. This DataPoints examines the trends in these data for community colleges starting with the first year of the Covid pandemic. Public community college enrollment in fall 2019 was nearly 7.2 million students; two years later, enrollment dropped
- [DataPoints: An increase in short-term credentials](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/datapoints-an-increase-in-short-term-credentials/) - Public community colleges awarded more than 1.52 million credentials in the 2023-24 academic year, according to recently released data from the U.S. Education Department. The total number of credentials dropped in academic year (AY) 2019-20 (the first year of the pandemic) and only began to recover in the most recent year reported. However, the trends
- [When every pocket becomes a supercomputer](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/when-every-pocket-becomes-a-supercomputer/) - When I walk across our campuses, I see students and employees engaged with their mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Each of those devices is now a portal not just to information, but to intelligence. With a few taps, they can use generative AI to write essays, translate languages, code software or design works of art.
- [Higher education’s talent pipeline is clogged with half-finished doctorates](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/higher-educations-talent-pipeline-is-clogged-with-half-finished-doctorates/) - With a new academic year in full swing, millions of students are just setting out on their college journeys. But for many of their professors, advisors and mentors, an important academic journey of their own stalled long ago. While precise data are scarce, studies suggest that as many as half of all doctoral candidates never
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1046/)
- [Changing childcare offerings at community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/changing-childcare-offerings-at-community-colleges/) - For parenting students, accessible childcare can be a lifeline and a necessity in order to stay in college. While many community colleges provide childcare on campus, some work with community partners to connect students to off-campus childcare. Other colleges have made the difficult decision to shut down their childcare centers. Doing what’s right for the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1045/)
- [Why Alabama is ahead of the curve on Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/why-alabama-is-ahead-of-the-curve-on-workforce-pell/) - Following a decade-long effort, federal funding for learners to attend short-term workforce training programs became law this summer. But the creation of Workforce Pell grants is not the end of a long journey for policymakers. It’s just the beginning. With the clock ticking toward July 1, 2026 — the date when learners can begin using Workforce
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/newsmakers-336/) - Obituary Kathy S. Love, who served as president of Savannah Technical College (Georgia) from 2009 until her retirement in 2024, passed away on October 10. She was 69. Several key projects were completed during Love’s tenure, including the college's Aviation Training Center and Student Enrichment Center, and the successful transfer of the associate of science in
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1044/)
- [Beyond the playbook: Why adaptive leadership matters now](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/beyond-the-playbook-why-adaptive-leadership-matters-now/) - In an era marked by rapid shifts in enrollment patterns, funding models, technological disruption and public expectations, community college leaders face challenges that extend far beyond their traditional problem-solving methods. These are adaptive challenges, marked by complexity and ambiguity, where no single solution fits all. They push leaders to move beyond their routine operations and
- [Efforts driving enrollment increases](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/efforts-driving-enrollment-increases/) - Incoming fall enrollment figures from community colleges continue to reflect the general uptick in the sector over the last few years, following an unprecedented drop during the Covid pandemic. While dual enrollment remains a significant force in overall enrollment increases, other factors are also driving these numbers, such as a continued surge in interest in
- [Bracing for impact](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/bracing-for-impact/) - America is headed for a labor shortage crisis in the coming years, and we may not even be aware of it. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the U.S. employed population is approximately 163.39 million. Comparatively, the total civilian labor force, which comprises the total employed and unemployed, is approximately 168.1 million
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1043/)
- [Expanding dual enrollment into CTE](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/expanding-dual-enrollment-into-cte/) - A new Community College Research Center (CCRC) report examining accelerated coursework at Texas high schools is calling for the expansion of dual enrollment to career and technical education (CTE) programs. CCRC studied the crossover between students taking dual enrollment (DE) and other accelerated programs, such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Early College
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1042/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1041/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/funding-roundup-418/) - The West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) Foundation announced recently a $1 million gift from Eric Bressner in memory of his father, Stanley H. Bressner. The donation will establish new endowments, advance capital projects and strengthen workforce initiatives across all WGTC campuses. The scholarship will provide support for students pursuing careers in manufacturing and skilled trades
- [From default risk to student success: Rethinking repayment support at community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/from-default-risk-to-student-success-rethinking-repayment-support-at-community-colleges/) - New data show repayment distress is surging. Institutions that act early can turn a liability into a long-term success strategy. Repayment has returned, and community colleges are feeling the impact. As of mid-2025, more than 18 million borrowers are in active federal student loan repayment, and the transition has been anything but smooth: the Federal
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/newsmakers-335/) - On the move John Cook, who has served as president of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) in Massachusetts for nearly a decade, has announced he will step down next summer. Cook became STCC’s sixth president in 2016 and led the college through a significant period of growth and change, including the challenges brought on by
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1040/)
- [Washington Watch: AACC asks members to respond to IPEDS information request](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/washington-watch-aacc-asks-members-to-respond-to-ipeds-information-request/) - A new admissions data collection system proposed by the U.S. Education Department (ED) would result in a significant increase in reporting to the federal government and, for community colleges, data collection on students altogether. In August, President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on transparency and reporting of college admissions data for Title IV-participating institutions. It
- [Staying the course on reforms](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/staying-the-course-on-reforms/) - In the decade since Redesigning America’s Community Colleges was published, we have had the privilege of studying the efforts by community colleges nationwide to implement whole-college reforms based on the guided pathways model it proposed. We know from this research that enacting these reforms is multifaceted, challenging and time-consuming. Why, then, should community colleges and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1039/)
- [DataPoints: Revenue by source](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/datapoints-revenue-by-source/) - State governments remain the largest source of revenue for community colleges, followed by local governments and then tuition, according to an analysis by the American Association of Community Colleges of data from the National Center for Education Statistics. States contribute $25.9 billion (34.4%) of the $75.3 billion in revenue to community colleges, according to the
- [Assessing the landscape](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/assessing-the-landscape/) - A new report on the landscape of Virginia community colleges illustrates the massive shifts that have occurred over the last decade in interest in workforce development and dual-enrollment programs, modes of delivering courses and more. While enrollments at community colleges have been steadily rising since largely tanking during the Covid pandemic, they still are behind
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1038/)
- [Three key elements of transformative leadership](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/three-key-elements-of-transformative-leadership/) - As college administrators, we face a range of challenges, from moderate to very stormy situations. Inheriting a department, division or even an entire institution that is essentially in “good order” will require applying solid administrative knowledge and competencies to carry on. However, we all know you won't be that lucky every time. Inevitably, you find
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1037/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/newsmakers-334/) - New CEO Kendricks D. Hooker will become the next president of Augusta Technical College in Georgia, effective January 2. He comes from Cabarrus College of Health Sciences (North Carolina), where he has served as provost since 2023. “Dr. Hooker is an accomplished leader with a proven record of advancing student outcomes and building strong academic
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1036/)
- [Providing specialized microscopy technician training](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/providing-specialized-microscopy-technician-training/) - Oregon’s role as a semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse just got a boost. Eight professional development graduates from Portland Community College (PCC) are ready to begin careers in high-tech microscopy, thanks to a new training partnership between PCC and Lam Research. The first cohort of the microscopy technician training program graduated this summer at Lam’s Tualatin campus,
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/funding-roundup-417/) - Ocean County College (OCC) in New Jersey has received $2,500 from OceanFirst Foundation to support food-insecure students through OCC’s Helping Hands Food Pantry and expand volunteer engagement across campus. The funding allowed volunteers to buy groceries from a local market and stock the pantry, directly supporting OCC students as they begin the fall semester. “With
- [Rebuilding the American Dream: 11 current community college presidents take the stage](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/rebuilding-the-american-dream-11-current-community-college-presidents-take-the-stage/) - The American Dream has always rested on a simple promise: if you work hard, you can build a better life. But research from Raj Chetty and Opportunity Insights shows that promise is fading. Whereas children born in the 1940s had a 90% chance of surpassing their parents’ income, for those born in the 1980s the
- [Enrollments are up, but can students afford to stay?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/enrollments-are-up-but-can-students-afford-to-stay/) - College enrollment has finally recovered, thanks in large part to the surge in enrollment at community colleges. Two-year career and technical education (CTE) programs are feeling this growth acutely with some of the largest enrollment increases of any sector in higher education. How are the students fueling higher education’s recovery faring financially? Compared to their
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1035/)
- [Washington Watch: ED begins rulemaking on reconciliation loan changes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/washington-watch-ed-begins-rulemaking-on-reconciliation-loan-changes/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) this week kicked off one of two upcoming negotiated rulemaking sessions to implement the higher education components of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) reconciliation legislation. The table – the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee – will address changes to student loan origination and repayment policies,
- [Community colleges: Workforce engines of the future](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/community-colleges-workforce-engines-of-the-future/) - In a week when a government shutdown dominates headlines and political polarization seems irreparable, one invaluable sector has quiet bipartisan support in our nation: community colleges. More than 1,000 of these colleges educate 10.5 million students across the U.S., training them for jobs that drive the economy in manufacturing, bioscience, cybersecurity, information technology, healthcare and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/headlines-1034/)
- ['A mirror, a map and a call to action'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/10/a-mirror-a-map-and-a-call-to-action/) - A new report from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) lays out the vast, converging challenges that the nation's public two-year colleges face and calls on the association and its member colleges to reimagine long-term planning strategies. Released on the day that DeRionne P. Pollard becomes AACC president and CEO, "Resilient by Design: The
- [A revamped federal approach to workforce development](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/a-revamped-federal-approach-for-workforce-development/) - The U.S. departments of Labor, Commerce and Education on Tuesday released their blueprint to revamp the federal government’s approach to workforce development. The departments, which were directed in April by President Donald Trump via executive order to develop the plan, said the strategy aims to address workforce needs, integrate workforce development systems to maximize efficiency
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/reporters-notebook-224/) - Bill would open agriculture grants to community colleges In Chicago, expanded help for food-insecure students Michigan Association, online provider partner on teacher prep GenAI impacts some jobs more than others Bill would open agriculture grants to community colleges A bipartisan House bill reintroduced last week would fund community college workforce training, education and research programs
- [Washington Watch: Hurtling toward a shutdown](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/washington-watch-hurtling-toward-a-shutdown/) - As of late Tuesday, congressional Democrats and their Republican counterparts, allied with the president, appear far apart in reaching an agreement on a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government functioning after midnight. Many factors have led to this impasse, but the basic difference between the parties is that Democrats want to link a funding
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1033/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/funding-roundup-416/) - A new life sciences facility is in the works for Hostos Community College. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez this month announced $12.3 million in funding to lease a new space for the facility. With the funding from the city, a developer will
- [How community colleges can strategically engage with lawmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/how-community-colleges-can-strategically-engage-with-lawmakers/) - From individual institutions to statewide coalitions, community colleges are developing sophisticated approaches to legislative relations that strengthen ties with elected officials. Building these relationships can bring immediate and long-term benefits for your college. Jeff Julian, chief of staff and vice president of external affairs at Harper College in Illinois, has a systematized philosophy he calls
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1032/)
- [Learn by doing](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/learn-by-doing/) - Work-based learning traces its origins to the millennia-old apprenticeship model, which was significantly shaped by the rise of industrialization in the 20th century. While vocational education has gone through many progressions, modern educators are embracing apprenticeships as a way to combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Boasting flexible programming and deep community connections, two-year
- [The new American workforce?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/the-new-american-workforce/) - In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for a plan to “reach and surpass one million new active apprentices” annually. The initiative calls for a rapid expansion of training programs and introduction of registered apprenticeships into industries that have not traditionally used them. Trump's vision for apprenticeships faces several hurdles, including cost and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1031/)
- [A legacy of empowerment: The case for elevating ANNAPISI programs in higher education](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/a-legacy-of-empowerment-the-case-for-elevating-annapisi-programs-in-higher-education/) - These are challenging times for higher education. The National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC) is deeply disappointed by recent federal decisions to end support for many of our Minority-Serving Institutional members. Community colleges founded on expanding access now face halted programs, harming low-income and first-generation students’ ability to graduate and contribute to the economic vitality and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1030/)
- [Why liberal arts matter — even in the age of AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/why-liberal-arts-matter-even-in-the-age-of-ai/) - As an educator with years of experience in community colleges, I have often reflected on what drives career success today. One moment that reshaped my perspective came at a conference, where I met a senior executive from a leading tech company. Given his work in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation, I assumed he held
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/snapshots-99/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1029/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/newsmakers-333/) - New CEO Eric Brown is the next president of Denmark Technical College in South Carolina. He previously was a higher education consultant and prior to that an associate vice president for student affairs with the South Carolina Technical College System for nearly a decade. Earlier in his career, Brown was vice president of student affairs
- [One year after Helene: Lessons that shape our future](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/one-year-after-helene-lessons-that-shape-our-future/) - As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, I cannot help but reflect — personally and professionally — on all that our region has endured over the past year. Living through Helene here in western North Carolina was both humbling and eye-opening. Like so many of our neighbors and students, I felt the disruption,
- [Overview of AACC’s Advocates in Action](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/overview-of-aaccs-advocates-in-action/) - Nearly 100 community college presidents, government relations directors and other campus administrators convened last week in Washington, D.C., at the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) annual Advocates in Action, an intimate, off-the-record seminar with top higher education policymakers, experts and advocates. Attendees were able to ask questions and gain insights to inform their meetings
- [Hand-in-hand with AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/hand-in-hand-with-ai/) - When artificial intelligence (AI) first emerged in higher education conversations, much of the focus was on its potential to disrupt traditional assessment. Concerns about plagiarism, essay-writing bots and academic integrity dominated faculty discussions. But as a business professor teaching at a community college, I saw an opportunity: what if AI could be a partner in
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/funding-roundup-415/) - A $500,000 donation to New York’s Hudson Valley Community College will enhance its STEM and biotechnology programs. The gift from Regeneron will support several key initiatives, including the creation of the Regeneron Biotechnology Lab, the expansion of STEM-based workforce development opportunities and the construction of the Applied Technology Education Center. The Regeneron-sponsored lab space on
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1028/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1027/)
- [Tuesdays still work for you?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/tuesdays-still-work-for-you/) - Every so often, we like to check in with our readers to make sure we're meeting their needs. One change we are considering for the CCDaily Weekly is moving the publishing date from early Tuesday mornings to Fridays later in the morning. Why? The weekly recap would be fresher and help get your mind set
- [Different strokes for different (retired) folks](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/different-strokes-for-different-retired-folks/) - Once your career winds down, planning for and then carefully choosing a path among diverging roads makes all the difference, according to a group of six long-time community college presidents who have retired in the past five years, and who shared where they are, what they’re doing and what advice they would give others. Their
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1026/)
- [Washington Watch: FY25 TRIO funding still in flux](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/washington-watch-fy25-trio-funding-still-in-flux/) - With less than two weeks left in fiscal year 2025, many community colleges have not yet received their expected TRIO award disbursements. Many colleges expected to see awards processed for TRIO’s Upward Bound, Veterans Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Centers and Talent Search programs by the end of August and are still waiting. The U.S. Education
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1025/)
- [Reframing higher education](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/reframing-higher-education/) - As leaders of institutions committed to preparing the next generation of skilled professionals, we find ourselves aligned as regional partners at a decisive moment in the evolution of American higher education. We acknowledge that higher education is changing, that this is a good thing, and that we are uniquely positioned to reframe what higher education
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/reporters-notebook-223/) - College affordability gap widens Seeking a stay on limiting veterans' educational benefits In Ohio, a new initiative paves a path to a 4-year degree $10K for exceptional TRIO Student Support Services efforts College affordability gap widens A new analysis of college affordability by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) says that fewer than half of
- [Spreading climate science across the curriculum](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/spreading-climate-science-across-the-curriculum/) - While lessons related to climate and sustainability are probably most often found in environmental science courses, some colleges and state systems have been encouraging their faculty to weave these topics across their curricula, from history, to psychology to social justice. Although the current political climate has cast a chill over subjects like global warming —
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1024/)
- [Tracking college trends among recent high school grads](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/tracking-college-trends-among-recent-high-school-grads/) - A new annual report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center highlights enrollment, persistence and completion rates for recent high school graduates, observing some differences between two-year college students from low- and high-poverty high schools. The percentage of recent high school graduates from high-poverty schools who attended a two-year college in the fall immediately after
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1023/)
- [Investing in relationships as a workforce development strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/investing-in-relationships-as-a-workforce-development-strategy/) - Community colleges are essential to workforce and economic development ecosystems, and our speed to market strategies facilitate talent recruitment and development, workforce retention and upskilling. Our institutions are well-known in our regions as problem-solvers for employers, but how do we connect effectively with our businesses that are owned by international corporations? In Ohio, more than
- [Gauging the impending skills shortage](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/gauging-the-impending-skills-shortage/) - Between 2024 and 2032, 18.4 million workers with postsecondary education are expected to retire, outpacing the 13.8 million younger workers entering the labor market with similar educational qualifications. At the same time, the U.S. economy is expected to add 685,000 new jobs requiring postsecondary education and training. These challenges, among others, are leading the U.S.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1022/)
- [Fighting for MSIs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/fighting-for-msis/) - Community college advocates and other stakeholders are rallying to send Congress a strong message to fight for federal funding for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), which the Trump administration has targeted for cuts. Supporters of MSIs -- which include Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, among others
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1021/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/funding-roundup-414/) - The Dalal Family Foundation has committed to a $2 million gift to renovate the current Middlesex College Performing Arts Center (PAC), while also providing ongoing support to the New Jersey college’s arts program. “In today’s digital age, where face-to-face connection is often missing, live performances provide something special,” said Nayan Dalal, who created the foundation.
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/snapshots-98/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/newsmakers-332/) - New CEO Heather Spillers Poole is the next chancellor of Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC). She currently serves as executive vice chancellor of academic affairs and student services and director of foundation relations at CLTCC. Louisiana Community and Technical College System leadership cited Poole's instrumental role in expanding academic programs aligned with Louisiana’s workforce
- [Community college radio’s future](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/community-college-radios-future/) - Community college radio and television stations are among the network of broadcasters nationwide hit by the $1.1 billion cut to the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, forcing the 58-year-old non-profit to shut down later this month. “Federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting made up nearly a quarter of our annual budget,
- [DataPoints: Retrained rather than replaced](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/datapoints-retrained-rather-than-replaced/) - Companies that use artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations are more likely, so far, to retrain employees than lay them off or adjust hiring practices, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey of businesses in its service region. As more businesses tap AI, there's been general concern about its impact on the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1020/)
- [Tap Mentor-Connect for grant application advice](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/tap-mentor-links-for-grant-application-advice/) - Geography Professor Jonathon “Jon” Little is enjoying a streak of good news for the geospatial information science technology (GIST) program at Monroe Community College (MCC). He’s preparing to start his third ATE grant on October 1. Also, the New York college will soon receive state funds to upgrade its geographic information system lab for the
- [Washington Watch: ED to nix funding for MSI grants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/washington-watch-ed-to-nix-funding-for-msi-grants/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Wednesday announced that it will end discretionary funding to several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) grant programs that provide substantial support to community colleges, including Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Island-Serving Institutions. According to ED, these programs “violate the equal-protection component of the
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/funding-roundup-413/) - The Edmonds College Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Program (CAP) received a $575,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) that will help support the program through the end of 2026. CAP is an eight-week, 300-hour tuition-free intensive program held at the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center (AMSC) at Paine Field. The training prepares students with hands-on
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1019/)
- [Heading for a career readiness crisis?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/heading-for-a-career-readiness-crisis/) - Findings from a new Cengage Group survey show that the disconnect between employers, educators and students appears to be growing at a time when available entry-level jobs are shrinking. The Cengage Group 2025 Graduate Employability Report says educators and employers are prioritizing different career readiness skill sets, and they often can't agree on who should
- [DataPoints: Educational attainment in the U.S.](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/datapoints-educational-attainment-in-the-u-s/) - Data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that nearly half (49.6%) of adults ages 25 or older have earned some form of postsecondary credential. The most common highest credential for adults is the baccalaureate, held by 23.7% of adults, while 10.9% have an associate degree and 14.9% have earned a master’s degree or
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1018/)
- [Green building trends and tips](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/green-building-trends-and-tips/) - The green building industry is seeing continued growth. That’s affecting higher education as colleges build new or retrofit old facilities, and as they prepare students for the green workforce. Ryan O’Neill, associate director for client solutions at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides insight about trends, tariffs, training and more. This Q&A comes from
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/reporters-notebook-222/) - DOL provides $8M to help revamp shipbuilding industry ED expands role of ombudsman Will new Workforce Pell carry Trump's name? Enrollment roll DOL provides $8M to help revamp shipbuilding industry The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced an international shipbuilding fellowship and training development program to rejuvenate the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The four-year project
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1017/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1016/)
- [Leading the eco-charge](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/leading-the-eco-charge/) - For some colleges, the idea of "sustainability" might mean installing a solar array or purchasing some recycling bins. Yet, at community colleges nationwide, environmental stewardship is not just an add-on, but a fundamental thread woven into the fabric of the institution. A sustainability master plan serves as the blueprint for this work, shaping a college’s
- [Managing student loan repayment in 2025: Why proactive counseling is non-negotiable](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/managing-student-loan-repayment-in-2025-why-proactive-counseling-is-non-negotiable/) - Repayment is real – yet many student loan borrowers aren’t making a move. As of fall 2024, more than 20 million borrowers entered active repayment, and the results point to a challenging landscape. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), delinquency rates for student loan borrowers have doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels and the
- [A renewed approach to community journalism](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/a-renewed-approach-to-community-journalism/) - In 2017, during a wildfire in Redding, California, a group of sociology professors and students at Shasta College and community members started a podcast to report in real-time vital information about the fires to help their community. It was something the traditional local media couldn't provide, as the town's newspaper was recently acquired by a
- [In these classrooms, the teachers were the students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/in-these-classrooms-the-teachers-were-the-students/) - Oregon's Portland Community College (PCC) recently welcomed more than 60 high school teachers, administrators and counselors for its annual educator externships that aim to develop the future workforce by educating local teachers and their students on career pathways in the area. The hands-on experiences were developed through collaborations between PCC, the Portland Area Career Technical
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1015/)
- [Powering local innovation through workforce development](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/powering-local-innovation-through-workforce-development/) - Community colleges educate a significant portion of our communities' current and future workforce, serving as key producers of local talent and providers of workforce training. For example, today, in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, Maricopa Community Colleges educate more Arizona residents than any other college or university in the state, positioning us as the leading
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/reporters-notebook-221/) - Upcoming Mentor-Connect webinar Va. college approved for ED’s Prison Education Program New journalism degree for incarcerated students Pa. college launches Transfer partnership in Wrexham Industrial sewing bootcamp Upcoming Mentor-Connect webinar Join Mentor-Connect Principal Investigator Pamela Silvers and National Science Foundation (NSF) program officers to learn about funding from NSF’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1014/)
- [Washington Watch: Setting the table for upcoming neg-reg sessions](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/washington-watch-setting-the-table-for-upcoming-neg-reg-sessions/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) last week filed public comments on the sector’s priorities for implementing the education components of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) reconciliation legislation. AACC’s comments were part of the opening stages of the formal negotiated-rulemaking process that the Education Department (ED) must go through when it promulgates new
- [House Republicans release key funding bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/house-republicans-release-key-funding-bill/) - The House Appropriations Committee leadership has released the text of the fiscal year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS-ED) appropriations bill. As expected, the bill makes deep cuts to education and job training programs, though not as extensive as those proposed in the Trump administration’s FY 26 budget. Nonetheless, while
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1013/)
- [Preparing for Workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/preparing-for-workforce-pell/) - Community and technical colleges are starting to prepare to implement what many of them have long advocated for: Pell Grant funding for students pursuing short-term workforce training programs, otherwise known as Workforce Pell, allowed for the first time by the federal funding bill signed into law in July. Many community college workforce development education leaders
- [Equipping the toolbelt generation](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/equipping-the-toolbelt-generation/) - In higher education, we are often reminded of the inevitable: we are standing on the edge of an enrollment cliff. The number of people turning 18 each year is declining nationwide, and in turn, annual college enrollment rates are falling. This “demographic cliff” was a long time coming. In fact, we can pinpoint its start
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/headlines-1012/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/09/newsmakers-331/) - New CEO Jennifer Wilbanks will serve as the next president of Central Carolina Technical College (South Carolina), beginning in mid-October. She currently is executive vice president for academics and workforce development at South Carolina's Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Wilbanks has more than 22 years of experience in higher education, previously serving at Piedmont Technical College in
- [Using AI to increase student engagement](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/using-ai-to-increase-student-engagement/) - Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. A Delaware County Community College (DCCC) English professor thinks that — rather than banning it from the classroom — schools and colleges should teach ethical AI literacy to help students and educators use it effectively while avoiding plagiarism. “My classrooms are filled with recent high school graduates who
- [Dems defend HSIs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/dems-defend-hsis/) - Congressional Democrats are pushing back on a Trump administration move that could jeopardize the $350-million Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) grant program, which serves more than 230 public two-year colleges. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Democratic co-chairs of the Senate and House HSI caucuses, are among a handful of Democrats who this week
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1011/)
- [Sustainability as strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/sustainability-as-strategy/) - As community college leaders, we face mounting pressures: tighter budgets, changing student demographics and changing funding landscape. At Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), we discovered that sustainability isn’t just about doing good — it’s smart business. By aligning our operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we’ve created a framework that tackles multiple
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/snapshots-97/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/snapshots-96/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1010/)
- [The quiet power of organizational culture](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/the-quiet-power-of-organizational-culture/) - After 25 years in higher education leadership, spanning classrooms, boardrooms and crisis rooms, one lesson rises above the rest — one I wish I had fully appreciated at the start of my journey: leadership is not just about vision, strategy or results. It’s about culture. In my earliest roles, I was deeply focused on execution.
- [The benefits of women’s sports](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/the-benefits-of-womens-sports/) - The National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region 19 — which comprises 26 two-year colleges in New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania — is proud of its women’s sports opportunities. During the 2024-2025 academic year, 999 female student-athlete participants across 10 sports, fielding a total of 104 women’s teams. This is a significant increase from 855
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1009/)
- [Supply chain and demand](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/supply-and-demand/) - Logistics and supply chain management are no longer confined to a company’s back-end operations. These principles of the modern business world are now a crucial facet of organizational strategy — or at least they should be, according to community college leaders at the forefront of this work. In partnership with local industry, two-year institutions are
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/funding-roundup-412/) - While unveiling a new gateway sign this month at Bucks County Community College’s Epstein Campus, philanthropist Gene Epstein announced the expansion of a scholarship program to help Lower Bucks high school graduates attend the college. Last March, the Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund donated $100,000 to allow 100 students to attend their first year
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/03/funding-roundup-392/) - Philanthropists Gene and Marlene Epstein presented a $100,000 check to Bucks County Community College (Pennsylvania) on March 14. This donation from the Gene & Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund will provide 100 full-time, first-year students with need-based scholarships for education-related expenses. “Figuring out how to pay for college should not be a barrier for a young
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1008/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/reporters-notebook-220/) - Bill would offer tax credits for business investments Expanding baccalaureate programs Bill would offer tax credits for business investments Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) has introduced a bill to encourage employers to invest in physical infrastructure and equipment at community colleges, career academies and other institutions to serve local workforce development needs. The Skilled Workforce Act
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1007/)
- [Ariz. senator wary of Trump policies' impact on community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/ariz-senator-wary-of-trumps-policies-on-community-colleges/) - Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) is raising concerns about the effects the Trump administration's actions are having on community colleges, noting that uncertainty over funding and changes in policies can hamper their work, especially in workforce and economic development. In an August 21 letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Kelly noted the overall impact community
- [Washington Watch: ED details changes to FAFSA](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/washington-watch-ed-details-changes-to-fafsa/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) has released details on how it will implement changes to the federal student aid application made in the recently passed reconciliation legislation. ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid said on August 15 that changes to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- [How will fall enrollments look?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/how-will-fall-enrollments-look/) - With many community colleges still preparing to start their fall terms and many students in the process of registering for classes, it’s too soon to get solid numbers on fall enrollments at community colleges. But some two-year colleges are already sharing their numbers and, anecdotally, it looks like it's shaping up to be another strong
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1006/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1005/)
- [Advancing change while preventing burnout](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/advancing-change-while-preventing-burnout/) - I have been working in education for a long time and have been through the many changes that inevitably come with time. For community colleges, change is constant as we strive to meet the ever-changing needs of students and the community. Change is good and is usually an indicator of progress. Change can also be
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2022/11/newsmakers-217/) - New CEOs Bryan Renfro will serve as the seventh president of John Wood Community College (JWCC) in Illinois, effective January 1. He is currently vice president of academic instruction at Paris Junior College in Texas. Previously, Renfro served in various academic affairs leadership roles, including associate vice provost of academic and workforce affairs at Tyler
- [One obstacle away from opting out](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/one-obstacle-away-from-opting-out/) - A new report highlights the tight rope community colleges walk when it comes to onboarding students before they even begin classes, with more than half of them nearly quitting because of various obstacles, such as slow responses and uncertainty about career goals. It also observes that staff are often stretched thin in meeting students’ expectations.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1004/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1003/)
- [A call for better data on multiracial students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/a-call-for-better-data-on-multiracial-students/) - Data systems must better collect information on multiracial and multiethnic students who comprise a growing share of the college-going population, according to a new report. The portion of multiracial students enrolled in college more than doubled between 2011 and 2021, jumping from 2.1% to 4.3%, according to the report from the Institute for Higher Education
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/funding-roundup-411/) - A partnership between College of Western Idaho (CWI) and Perpetua Resources is opening doors for Idaho students to pursue careers in mining, thanks to a new $250,000 scholarship fund and a shared commitment to workforce development. During a visit this month to Valley County, U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Idaho Governor Brad Little joined
- [Washington Watch: A new process for awarding federal grants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/washington-watch-a-new-process-for-awarding-federal-grants/) - The Trump administration this month published a far-reaching executive order outlining new policies and procedures for awarding federal grants. The August 7 order requires all federal agencies to designate senior political officials as responsible for reviewing all discretionary grant opportunities. The duties of those appointees will include: Vetting proposed grant announcements prior to publication Ensuring
- [Ever green](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/ever-green/) - As the Trump administration seeks to roll back or end federal investment in clean energy technologies, community college leaders may be wondering what impact these changes will have on the future of sustainability initiatives and green jobs training programs. A 2022 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected strong job growth in occupations
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1002/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/newsmakers-330/) - New CEOs Aron Gabriel has been appointed as the next president of Mayland Community College (North Carolina). He will start his new position in January after 12 years with Newton-Conover City Schools, most recently serving as its superintendent since 2018. Gabriel has long been an advocate for connecting education to real-world opportunities, according to a
- [Washington Watch: Potential exemption from new data reporting requirements](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/potential-exemption-from-new-data-reporting-requirements/) - Community colleges could be exempt from most of the new transparency and reporting requirements of college admissions data, as directed by a presidential memorandum issued last week. According to an Education Department (ED) document to be published Friday in the Federal Register, open-access institutions, such as community colleges, “have minimal or no risk for civil
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1001/)
- [Tapping theatre to learn and grow](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/tapping-theatre-to-learn-and-grow/) - College students who take an independent study expect to work by themselves, guided by a professor. But for five Raritan Valley Community College students enrolled this summer in a Theatre Independent Study class with theatre professor Dennis Russo, their “independent” work took on a much greater meaning. As part of their independent study, students Arielle
- [Reimagining postsecondary pathways: Apprenticeship degrees](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/reimagining-postsecondary-pathways-apprenticeship-degrees/) - Over the past decade, apprenticeship degrees have created affodable pathways into various occupations, ranging from cybersecurity to the skilled trades. These programs address the talent gap in middle-skill jobs and offer students early exposure to career options, advancing equity and access for diverse learner populations. The need for apprenticeship programs is increasingly evident. A 2024
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-1000/)
- [DataPoints: Where does WIOA Title II funding go?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/datapoints-where-does-wioa-title-ii-funding-go/) - Title II of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) provides block grants to states for Adult Education and Literacy (AEFLA). The purpose of AEFLA’s basic state grant program is to: Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency. Assist adults who are parents or family
- [Surveying higher ed's online landscape](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/surveying-higher-eds-online-landscape/) - Investments by colleges and universities in online non-degree credentials have more than doubled since 2018-19, with nearly 70% of public two-year colleges leading the way, according to a new report assessing online learning in higher education. However, while overall online learning continues to grow, the pace could slow down among community colleges compared to four-year
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-999/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-998/)
- [A new ROI metric and dashboards](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/a-new-roi-metric-and-dashboard/) - The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has launched a new return-on-investment (ROI) metric and dashboards to help students, policymakers and institutional leaders explore trends in student outcomes among the commission's institutional members, which are primarily California community colleges. The Student Achievement Dashboards pull from three data sources: institutionally reported annual data, federally
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/funding-roundup-410/) - The Robert Miner Family Foundation this month presented the Westmoreland County Community College Educational Foundation with a $500,000 check to establish the Robert Miner Family Foundation Opportunity Scholarships for students pursuing careers in health professions, technology and industrial arts. The scholarships aim to bridge the gap for students who may not qualify for federal aid
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-997/)
- [Looking forward](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/looking-forward/) - These are daunting times for community college administrators. MiraCosta College, under the leadership of President Sunita Cooke, has adopted a forward-thinking approach to planning that considers multiple scenarios, including not just a reduction in funding but also potential systemic collapse. A "futures thinking" approach has the California college well positioned to pivot quickly and adapt
- [Turning job training into college credit](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/turning-job-training-into-college-credit/) - Everett Community College (EvCC) is expanding access to college credit for adult learners through new partnerships with local community organizations. Through these partnerships, known as “crosswalks,” students who complete specific training programs can earn credit toward a degree or certificate through the Washington college’s growing Academic Credit for Prior Learning (ACPL) program, which awards
- [Washington Watch: Trump issues memorandum on college admissions](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/washington-watch-trump-issues-presidential-memorandum-on-college-admissions/) - President Donald Trump has issued a presidential memorandum on college admissions, which was followed by a directive from Education Secretary Linda McMahon to the National Center for Education Statistics that provides more detail on how the memorandum will be implemented. The August 7 memorandum includes commentary similar to previous administration statements concerning college admissions and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-996/)
- [Embracing the growth of women’s flag football](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/embracing-the-growth-of-womens-flag-football/) - Women's flag football is growing on community college campuses across the nation, with help from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Since 2021, the NJCAA Foundation has partnered with NFL Flag and Reigning Champs Experiences (RCX Sports) to provide $200,000 in grants for NJCAA institutions beginning flag football on their campuses. At the end
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/reporters-notebook-219/) - AACC offers public comments ahead of OBBB implementation Transfer agreement creates opportunities in Appalachia AACC offers public comments ahead of OBBB implementation On Thursday, David Baime, senior vice president for government relations for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), offered public comments on the community college sector’s priorities for the implementation of the education
- [New graduate finds a second chance and a new purpose](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/new-graduate-finds-a-second-chance-and-a-new-purpose/) - At 57, Lamont McClusky didn’t think he’d find himself back in a classroom, let alone standing at a podium delivering a speech to fellow Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) graduates. Legally blind, and for years overwhelmed by life’s hardships, McClusky once believed his time “had come and gone.” But today, he’s a proud high school
- [Excelencia in Education recognizes programs improving student success](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/excelencia-in-education-recognizes-programs-improving-student-success/) - Programs at North Shore and Portland community colleges are among those being recognized by Excelencia in Education. The organization today announced its finalists for the 2025 Examples of Excelencia, recognizing programs that “demonstrate intentionality and impact in improving Latino, and all, student success in higher education,” according to a press release. “The programs recognized as finalists
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-995/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-994/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/newsmakers-329/) - New CEO Samuel Todd Brand, who has served as interim president of Big Sandy Community and Technical College for the past year, has been named the Kentucky college’s new president. During his interim leadership, the college increased the number of graduates and added two new programs -- an EKG certificate and a dual-credit practical nursing
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-993/)
- [Statewide effort prioritizes mental health support for students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/statewide-effort-prioritizes-mental-health-support-for-students/) - A Health Minds Study conducted last year at the 16 schools across the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) revealed the need for more mental health support for students. According to the study, 68% of students showed signs of depression, and 66% reported anxiety symptoms. But only 27% of those who screened positive for
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/funding-roundup-409/) - Thanks to a $1.2 million King County grant, Bellevue College in Washington can soon provide more support to underserved student veterans. Students served will receive one-on-one case management, connections to community resources, wraparound support services and up to $20,000 for tuition and additional expenses, according to the college. “What we’re really hoping for is that
- [Younger presidents who have grown into the roles](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/younger-presidents-who-have-grown-into-the-roles/) - When they became community college presidents in their 30s and early 40s in the 2010s, they faced skepticism — or at least surprised reactions — from some people on their campuses and in their communities as to whether they were truly ready to lead. Six years after they were last profiled in Community College Daily,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/headlines-992/)
- [Keeping the water system flowing](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/keeping-the-water-system-flowing/) - Automation may be replacing people in many industries, but water is not one of them. According to Hillary Caron, water education and programs coordinator for the city of Grand Rapids, there are hundreds of careers behind every drop of clean water. “We have technical jobs, like operators, engineers, chemists and mechanics,” Caron said. “We also
- [Senate bill rejects key Trump budget cuts](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/senate-bill-rejects-key-trump-budget-cuts/) - Senate appropriators on Thursday passed a bipartisan education and labor spending bill for fiscal year 2026 that would keep the Pell Grant maximum award at $7,395 for the 2026-2027 school year and preserve the $65-million Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCC) program. It would also fund many education and workforce development programs important to community
- [Nudging for success: How behavioral science can support smarter student decisions at community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/08/nudging-for-success-how-behavioral-science-can-support-smarter-student-decisions-at-community-colleges/) - Community college students face a maze of high-stakes decisions — applying for aid, selecting courses, managing work schedules, and taking on loans. Yet many of these choices are made quickly, emotionally, and sometimes without fully understanding the long-term consequences. This is where behavioral science can help. Drawing from Daniel Kahneman’s theory of Fast and Slow
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-991/)
- [Washington Watch: DOJ issues guidance on 'unlawful discrimination'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/washington-watch-doj-issues-guidance-on-unlawful-discrimination/) - The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday issued a memorandum to all federal agencies that further delineates specific practices that the Trump administration considers violations of civil rights law, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The memo generally follows previous executive orders and guidance documents in this area. While the guidance applies to
- [Unlocking leadership reflection with AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/unlocking-leadership-reflection-with-ai/) - With the support of my board, I secured an executive coach three years ago. After 15 years as president at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), I sought clarity on the college’s direction and my role in leading it. My executive coach guided me through a year of inner work and renewal that led to another
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-990/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-989/)
- [Reach prospective students with a strong SEO strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/reach-prospective-students-with-a-strong-seo-strategy/) - Early last year, Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) in Michigan prioritized an assessment of how its website appeared in organic search results. The findings were eye-opening: The college ranked for internal human resources topics and employee wellness initiatives, but not for academic programs or workforce training opportunities. In essence, the institution was hiding in plain
- [DataPoints: Federal direct student loans](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/datapoints-federal-direct-student-loans/) - The federal government disbursed roughly $88 billion in new federal loans in the 2023-24 fiscal year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Based on data from the U.S. Education Department’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 88.5% of all postsecondary institutions had students enrolled who received a federal loan, while 86.7% of public community colleges
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/newsmakers-328/) - Interim CEO Christina Royal will serve as interim president of the Connecticut State Community College. Her term runs from August 1 to June 30, 2026. Royal previously was president of Holyoke Community College (HCC) in Massachusetts before retiring in 2023 and starting her own consulting business. She is also a 2024-2025 Judith Block McLaughlin President-in-Residence
- [Redesigning connections](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/redesigning-connection/) - At Montgomery County Community College (Montco), students come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, each bringing a unique path to their education. With 14,919 students (FY 2023-24) across its online, Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses, 75% are enrolled part-time, 28% are 25 or older and 18% are still in high school, attending Montco through dual enrollment.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-988/)
- [Teaching time-starved healthcare providers to cook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/teaching-time-starved-healthcare-providers-to-cook/) - It’s reasonable to assume that healthcare providers would tend to eat healthily, but very often the exact opposite is true. They're just as stressed as everybody else. They face intense pressures and time constraints. Nurses who work 12-hour shifts simply don’t have enough hours in the day to shop for, prepare and eat nutritious, home-cooked
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/funding-roundup-408/) - A $5.7 million federal investment will unite community colleges in north Texas to reshape healthcare education. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, the PATH (Partners in Advancing Talent in Healthcare) Project unites Dallas College, Tarrant County College, Navarro College and Hill College, along with the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, in an effort to expand
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-987/)
- [Workforce Pell is finally here. What will it take to get it to work?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/workforce-pell-is-finally-here-what-will-it-take-to-get-it-to-work/) - The higher education community didn’t find much to celebrate in Congress’s passage of the “big beautiful bill,” with one notable exception: the expansion of Pell grants to shorter-form workforce training programs. Workforce Pell has finally become law after years of advocacy, stalled negotiations in Congress and a groundswell of support from educators, employers and learners.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-986/)
- [ED's rulemaking schedule may push Pell, other changes to 2027](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/eds-rulemaking-schedule-may-push-pell-other-changes-to-2027/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) announced Thursday that it will hold negotiated-rulemaking sessions to implement the higher education portions of the recently passed budget reconciliation law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. ED said it will hold two rulemaking sessions, one in the fall to address student loan changes and one in late
- [Bringing nanopore tech to STEM classrooms](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/bringing-nanopore-tech-to-stem-classrooms/) - Under a microscope, some crab larvae look the same. But, thanks to a new grant, Bellevue College (BC) students and faculty are using nanopore technology to rapidly identify the unique DNA of multiple crab species this summer. The project is one of three pilot projects funded by a Lockwood Foundation Grant from the Bellevue College
- [Applied associate of science degrees: Pathways for workforce and transfer](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/applied-associate-of-science-degrees-pathways-for-workforce-and-transfer/) - As North Carolina experiences rapid industrial growth and significant population changes, its community colleges are playing a critical role in shaping the state’s future workforce. Historically, students pursuing associate of applied science (AAS) degrees entered the job market immediately after graduation. But today, a growing number are charting a different course – transferring to four-year
- [Opening doors for displaced federal workers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/opening-doors-for-displaced-federal-workers/) - When the Trump administration began massive layoffs of federal workers earlier this year, community colleges jumped in to help displaced workers prepare for new careers. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) announced NOVA next (New Employment, Exploration and Transition) in March. The program enables unemployed federal workers and federal contractors to enroll in select courses at
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-985/)
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/funding-roundup-406/) - Kirtland Community College (Michigan) will use a $10,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation to support its fall Kickstart program, which introduces incoming students to the experience of college life and its courses. “The Kirtland Kickstart program is a great way for new college students to build confidence while beginning college,” said Cesalee Kuffel, Kirtland
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/funding-roundup-407/) - A $26,250 vote of confidence came to Paris Junior College (PJC) recently from an important member of the national watchmaking profession. The Horological Society of New York (HSNY), one of the oldest continuously operating horological associations in the world, gave a $6,250 grant to the PJC watchmaking program and $20,000 in scholarships to four watchmaking
- [A Virginia partnership taps earn-and-learn approach](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/a-virginia-partnership-taps-earn-and-learn-approach/) - Caitlin Payne had a difficult path to the upskilling she needed to move ahead in her healthcare career while attending to the needs of her family, which includes four boys, two with chronic health conditions. But joining a generous Earn While You Learn (EWYL) program offered by her employer, Charlottesville, Va.-based University of Virginia Health
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-984/)
- [Presidents’ treks raise money, awareness](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/presidents-treks-raise-money-awareness/) - Tim Cook could be using his vacation time to rest up before the fall semester starts. Instead, he’s pounding the pavement to help students. Cook, president of Clackamas Community College, is on a 50-day, 1,500-mile run throughout Oregon. During the journey – dubbed Running for Oregon Community College Students (ROCCS) – he’s stopping at all
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-983/)
- [AI for college leaders: Things I wish I’d known sooner](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/ai-for-college-leaders-things-i-wish-id-known-sooner/) - Lately, I’ve had more and more conversations with colleagues and staff members about AI. What I’ve noticed across these conversations is that while there’s broad awareness of basic tools, the depth of understanding and usage of those tools is extremely varied. I’ve seen students use it (and misuse it) for just about everything. I’ve seen
- [DOL to manage ED's adult ed, CTE programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/dol-to-manage-eds-adult-ed-cte-programs/) - With the Supreme Court on Monday clearing the way for the Trump administration to shrink the Education Department's workforce, the department on Tuesday announced plans for the Department of Labor (DOL) to manage its adult education and career and technical education (CTE) programs. The Education Department (ED) said in a release that DOL will take
- [Metallica Scholars Initiative continues to expand](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/metallica-scholars-initiative-continues-to-expand/) - A national workforce development program supported by the rock band Metallica is rolling into its seventh year with a new cohort of community colleges and its largest grant to date of about $3 million. Metallica’s philanthropic organization All Within My Hands (AWMH) on Monday announced that 15 community colleges this fall are joining the Metallica
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/newsmakers-327/) - CEO on the move Kendra Ericson is now the 10th president of Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) in South Dakota. She previously was president of St. Luke's College (Iowa) for the past five years. Ericson's background spans multiple sectors and roles, beginning as a practicing nurse before transitioning into academic coaching, professional development leadership and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-982/)
- [House sets top-line number for FY 26 funding](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/house-sets-top-line-number-for-fy-26-funding/) - While congressional Republicans will press down on spending for domestic programs, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee has indicated that his panel will not make dramatic cuts to align with the president’s budget request. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) announced on Thursday that the House will allocate $705.6 billion for discretionary, non-defense programs for fiscal
- [Facing pressure, Trump administration to release at least some withheld ed funding](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/facing-pressure-trump-administration-to-release-ed-funding/) - Editor's note: This article was updated at 4 p.m. on July 18. The Trump administration will release at least some of the $7 billion in federal education grants that were not awarded as scheduled on July 1, according to a social media post on Friday by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), who chairs of
- [Making the case for good data](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/making-the-case-for-good-data/) - Policymakers, college leaders and students all rely on clear, timely data for decision-making. But not all data systems are created equal. Angela Perry, a senior advisor for postsecondary and workforce pathways at the Data Quality Campaign, answers a few questions about data availability and how states can improve their data systems. This article comes from
- [Looking ahead at distance learning, AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/looking-ahead-at-distance-learning-ai/) - Community college presidents and senior leadership recently gathered for a deep dive into two hot-button issues for two-year colleges — the future of distance learning and artificial intelligence (AI). The leaders convened May 19-20 at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to participate in a series of presentations, conversations and thought sessions during the inaugural President’s
- [A needed career spark](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/a-needed-career-spark/) - At Portland Community College’s Swan Island Trades Center, the clang and bright sparks of welding tools gave way to a different kind of activity — one of celebration, accomplishment and new beginnings. The maritime welding program’s recent completion ceremony honored a group of students who didn’t just earn certificates in maritime welding and ship fitting
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-981/)
- [DeRionne Pollard to lead AACC](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/derionne-pollard-to-lead-aacc/) - DeRionne Pollard this fall will become the next president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). She is the first woman to take the helm of the 105-year-old community college organization. The announcement on Wednesday by the AACC board of directors comes after a rigorous national search and a special meeting of
- [Americans more confident in higher ed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/americans-more-confident-in-higher-ed/) - After a decade-long trend of lowering opinions of higher education, a new Gallup poll indicates an uptick in Americans' confidence in two- and four-year institutions. Forty-two percent of surveyed U.S. adults said they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, up from 36% in each of the past two
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-980/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-979/)
- [Creative approaches to house students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/creative-approaches-to-house-students/) - Community college leaders have long realized that the more barriers to success they can eliminate, the more likely students are to graduate. Now, a growing number of colleges are adding housing insecurity to the list of barriers they’re tackling by providing stable, safe and affordable housing options for students. The number of community colleges that offer
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-978/)
- [A nation of immigrants imperiled](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/a-nation-of-immigrants-imperiled/) - At the recent graduation ceremony for Northern Essex Community College’s Center for Adult Education, we celebrated the accomplishments of 24 students who had completed their High School Equivalency exams, dozens more who finished English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) programs, 15 inductees into the National Adult Education Honor Society and six newly naturalized citizens
- [Next steps for Workforce Pell and other changes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/next-steps-for-workforce-pell-and-other-changes/) - After years of trying to get Congress to allow Pell grants to cover certain quality short-term workforce education programs, advocates finally got their wish when Workforce Pell passed via the massive budget reconciliation legislation signed into law on July 4. But there's still much to do before Workforce Pell is up and running at community
- [Washington Watch: ED, DOL clamp down on services to undocumented individuals](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/washington-watch-ed-dol-clamp-down-on-services-to-undocumented-individuals/) - The Trump administration late last week started to crack down on services to undocumented individuals, including certain programs offered through the departments of Education and Labor. On Thursday, the Education Department (ED) issued a final interpretative rule that effectively prohibits certain ED programs from serving undocumented learners. On the same day, the Department of Labor
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-977/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/newsmakers-326/) - New CEO Alan Smith, who has served as Gadsden State Community College’s interim president since June 1, is now its permanent president. “My connection to this college spans more than 35 years, when I began my education journey, and has shaped who I am today. This is an incredible honor that I embrace with great
- [The newest generation of presidents](https://www.ccdaily.com/2019/07/newest-generation-presidents/) - During his first week as president of Phoenix College in Arizona, Larry Johnson, Jr., dressed like a student – with ripped jeans and a hoodie – sat in the back of a classroom and joined the discussion. Johnson borrowed the idea from the “Undercover Boss” TV show. None of the students knew there was an
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-976/)
- [A broader conversation about AI ethics in higher ed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/a-broader-conversation-about-ai-ethics-in-higher-ed/) - In May, artificial intelligence (AI) use in the classroom once again took center stage when a student sued Northeastern University. The lawsuit arose after the student discovered that her professor had used ChatGPT to create or edit course materials without proper citations, while simultaneously prohibiting students from using AI in any form, cited or otherwise.
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/funding-roundup-405/) - Allan Hancock College is the first school selected to participate in the Nurses Project, launched by the Cloverlane Foundation. The college received $35,000 in grant funding to resources for nursing students. A new fund will create a textbook loan program for students in the college’s licensed vocational nursing (LVN) program, which will expand to include
- [Washington Watch: Senate passes reconciliation bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/washington-watch-senate-passes-budget-reconciliation-bill/) - By a 51-50 vote, with the tiebreaker cast by Vice President J.D. Vance, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed the so-called “One Big Beautiful” reconciliation bill. Shortly before the final vote was tallied, Senate Republicans released near-final text of the bill, which did not make any significant changes to the higher education provisions compared to
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/headlines-975/)
- [CEO on social media](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/ceo-on-social-media/) - The students, faculty, staff and community residents of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Wisconsin know all about their president, Anthony Cruz. They know he loves pickleball. He likes to eat out. He recently got a new pair of Adidas sneakers. He and his wife visited the Milwaukee Zoo. He proudly displays a sizable collection
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-974/)
- [Creating a positive culture on campus](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/creating-a-positive-culture-on-campus/) - It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Commencement season is upon us, and I will admit that it was always one of my favorite events on campus. Graduation was an annual reminder of the collective efforts of faculty, staff, trustees and administrators to support student success. Like your graduates, I hope that you are
- [Community colleges as engines for economic development](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/community-colleges-as-engines-for-economic-development/) - For more than two decades, I’ve seen firsthand how community colleges change lives. I began my career as an adjunct sociology instructor at a large urban-suburban community college. Today, I serve as vice president for academic affairs and workforce development at a community college that serves residents in a city and six large counties. Over
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/funding-roundup-404/) - A $40,000 donation from Sean Quinn, CEO of Wafer World, will provide financial support for Palm Beach State College (PBSC) engineering technology students. The Wafer World STEM Scholarships were announced this month at a STEM reception at the Florida college. “We’ve got a tremendous shortage of trained workers, and we’re trying to solve the problem.
- [Lumina aims to help rural colleges reach adult learners](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/lumina-aims-to-help-rural-colleges-reach-adult-learners/) - A new initiative spearheaded by Lumina Foundation aims to help rural and semi-rural community colleges reach and enroll more adult learners. Lumina is working with CollegeAPP and StrategyForward Advisors to help six selected colleges over two years with their branding, outreach and marketing efforts by using proprietary predictive modeling to increase engagement and enrollment of
- [Washington Watch: Hope remains for workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/hope-remains-for-workforce-pell/) - Editor's note: This article was updated at 8 a.m. on June 30, 2025. The Senate parliamentarian has approved a modified version of workforce Pell provisions in the budget reconciliation bill that the Senate Budget Committee released late on Friday. Last week, the Senate parliamentarian found that the initial workforce Pell provisions in the bill did
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/snapshots-95/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-973/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/newsmakers-325/) - CEO on the move O. John Maduko, president of Connecticut State Community College (CT State), has been appointed interim chancellor for Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, which comprises the community college system, four state universities and an online institution. His term, which begins July 1, is for one year. “President Maduko has a proven record
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-972/)
- [Washington Watch: Workforce Pell dealt major blow in reconciliation bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-workforce-pell-dealt-major-blow-in-reconciliation-bill/) - The Senate parliamentarian has determined that provisions in the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill that would establish workforce Pell grants do not comply with the rules governing the budget reconciliation process, according to material released by Senate Budget Committee Democrats on Wednesday evening. While this is a major setback, it does not necessarily mean the end
- [Persistence, retention drop among older students](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/persistence-retention-drop-among-older-students/) - While overall persistence and retention rates have remained relatively flat among community college students who entered in fall 2023, the rates for older learners show big drops, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Fall 2024 enrollments for two-year students who entered college in fall 2023 declined by 0.4 percentage
- [Washington Watch: House ed committee passes accreditation bill](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-house-ed-committee-passes-accreditation-bill/) - The House Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday approved legislation on accreditation that is, in part, designed to put into effect President Donald Trump’s executive order on accreditation. H.R. 4054, the Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act was sponsored by committee member Rep. Randy Fine (R-Florida) and introduced just five days before the committee markup. The
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-971/)
- [Washington Watch: Reconciliation roller coaster](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-reconciliation-roller-coaster/) - Senate Republicans continue to work through a bevy of political, policy and procedural hurdles to enact their version of the fiscal year 2025 budget reconciliation legislation ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline. The House passed its measure last month by one vote. Since then, Senate committees have released legislative text for provisions in their
- [Goodson to head AACC board of directors](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/goodson-to-head-aacc-board-of-directors/) - Leigh Goodson, president of Tulsa Community College (Oklahoma), will become chair of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board of directors on July 1, succeeding Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, president/superintendent of California’s MiraCosta College District. John Enamait, president of Stanly Community College in North Carolina, is chair-elect of the board of directors. Goodson has led
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-970/)
- [Preparing today for tomorrow](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/preparing-today-for-tomorrow/) - Nobody likes feeling stuck in their career, says Howard Spearman, president of Rock Valley College (Illinois). In fact, Spearman’s dedication to creating succession pathways at Rock Valley is directly shaped by his own experiences, he adds. "I’ve been in roles where I didn’t have other opportunities to showcase my skills, so I promised myself I
- [Maine's free community college scholarship ends](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/maines-free-community-college-scholarship-ends/) - Maine’s Free College Scholarship ends with the Class of 2025 graduates after state lawmakers declined to fund future graduating classes in the budget signed by the governor on Monday. The Free College Scholarship, which started in fall 2022, is a last-dollar scholarship that covers 100% of tuition and mandatory fees at Maine’s community colleges for
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/newsmakers-324/) - CEO on the move Larry Johnson, Jr., will become the seventh president of Bronx Community College, effective July 14. He is currently president of Guttman Community College, a position he has held for four years. During his tenure as Guttman’s second president, the New York City college saw historic enrollment growth and has expanded its
- [Equity opportunities in middle-skills occupations](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/equity-opportunities-in-middle-skills-occupations/) - A workforce gap among middle-skills workers -- those with certificates and associate degrees -- can present an opportunity to diversify workers and provide a pathway to good-paying jobs in growing fields, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The 73-page report outlines the challenges and opportunities for
- [Students foggy about non-degree programs](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/students-foggy-about-non-degree-programs/) - New findings from a survey of U.S. learners indicate that colleges may need to improve communication around credit requirements, transferability and alternative credentials to retain college students and bring back those who have stopped out or decided not to attend altogether. Sixty percent of stop-outs -- individual who left college before completing a degree --
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/funding-roundup-403/) - Southwest Tennessee Community College looks to produce the next generation of creatives with a $500,000 grant from the Assisi Foundation of Memphis. The grant will support the Southwest Entertainment Production Initiative (SEPI), a capital improvement campaign to revitalize the college’s communication, graphic and fine arts (CGFA) department. The goal is also to boost the region’s
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-969/)
- [Expanding what success means for our nation’s community colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/expanding-what-success-means-for-our-nations-community-colleges/) - As debates rage about the value of higher education and confidence continues to erode in the impact of higher education institutions, community colleges need to remind the public and policymakers of their mission and demonstrate the understandable and measurable effects for the students they enroll and the communities they serve. Community colleges have always been
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-968/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/reporters-notebook-218/) - Dems balk at plan to move CTE programs to DOL Houston Community College has a new name Stout to step down as ATD chief next summer MassBay recognized for its cybersecurity programs Dems balk at plan to move CTE programs to DOL Congressional Democrats are calling on the Trump administration to halt its efforts to
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-967/)
- [Washington Watch: Lawsuit hits HSI program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-lawsuit-hits-hsi-program/) - The U.S. Education Department’s (ED) Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program, which has been funded for 30 years, is the centerpiece of a lawsuit just filed by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions. The latter is the group that successfully sued Harvard College and the University of North Carolina, leading to the Supreme Court’s
- [DataPoints: Leaving money on the table](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/datapoints-leaving-money-on-the-table/) - Nearly one in five (17%) students enrolled in public community colleges did not apply for any federal student aid and would likely have been eligible for a Pell Grant, according to an analysis of data from the 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. During the 2019-20 academic year, 61% of public community college students applied
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-966/)
- [Solving a DNA extraction conundrum](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/new-hampshire-students-solve-dna-extraction-conundrum/) - Two students at NHTI-Concord’s Community College have solved a problem that has affected the school’s Biology II class for years. Noah Ford and Sophia Lemay refined a complex method to successfully extract DNA from a bacteriophage, allowing future classes to make new virus discoveries. In NHTI’s Biology II curriculum, students must isolate a virus from
- [Washington Watch: AACC joins higher ed groups supporting of Harvard](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-aacc-joins-higher-ed-groups-supporting-of-harvard/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has joined with the American Council on Education and 26 other organizations in an amicus brief supporting Harvard University’s lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit was filed after the administration froze more than $2.2 billion of Harvard’s federal research grants, citing alleged governance failures and a lack
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/funding-roundup-402/) - Mt. San Jacinto College in California announced that its certified nursing assistant (CNA) program has received a $30,000 grant from the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation to reduce student financial burdens. The grant is designed to eliminate common financial obstacles faced by CNA students. Funds will go toward covering essential expenses, such as certification exam fees,
- [Finding the right blend](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/finding-the-right-blend/) - Sarah Parker, president of Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO), has four children in elementary and middle school. Mordecai Brownlee, president of the Community College of Aurora (Colorado), has two children in elementary school. Kim Barnett-Johnson, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College’s Fort Wayne and Warsaw campus, has a son who turns 14 this year
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-965/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/newsmakers-323/) - New CEO Clinton R. Hayes will become the fourth president of Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC), effective July 1. He is currently provost/senior vice president of academic affairs at Somerset Community College (SCC) in Kentucky, a post he has held since 2019. Hayes has served at SCC -- his alma mater -- since 2007, holding
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-964/)
- [Follow the leader](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/follow-the-leader/) - Sania Kamani wasn’t entirely clear about her path forward, but she knew that four years of traditional college learning in classrooms was not for her. “Since I was 16, I’ve been building my resume and looking for opportunities to grow, but the idea of becoming stagnant while in college didn’t appeal to me,” she said.
- [Wildfires inspire students' STEM innovations](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/wildfires-inspire-students-stem-innovations/) - The Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) aims to foster solutions developed by two-year college students to address real-world STEM problems. What is particularly unique this year is how many finalist projects came about from discussions about wildfires. During a CCIC poster showcase held on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, 12 student-led teams from community colleges across
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-963/)
- [Snapshots: The 2025 CCIC poster showcase](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/snapshots-the-2025-ccic-poster-showcase/) - On Tuesday, student teams that comprised the 12 college finalists for the 2025 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) pitched their STEM-related solutions for real-world problems during a poster session held at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center that included special guests. Below are photos from the event. (All photos by EPNAC.com)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/reporters-notebook-217/) - A new airport ground support equipment certificate A central hub for training in transportation careers Austin college's executive vice chancellor for the future New ED appointees include some familiar faces A new airport ground support equipment certificate South Seattle College (SSC) is partnering with the Port of Seattle on a new certificate program in airport
- [Washington Watch: Major victory for community colleges in Senate](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-major-victory-for-community-colleges-in-senate/) - The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Tuesday evening unveiled its reconciliation proposal containing changes to higher education student aid and repayment policies. While the bill builds on the higher education provisions of the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it fully rejects the House bill’s problematic changes to Pell Grant eligibility
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-962/)
- [Should colleges help students pay down their debt?](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/should-colleges-help-students-pay-down-their-debt/) - With student loan debt approaching the $2 trillion level and default rates rising, Republicans in Congress have advanced legislation that would require colleges to repay a portion of its students’ unpaid loans. The idea of risk-sharing is not new. In the pre-Covid era, the suggestion that colleges should have some skin in the game by
- [From soil to cyber](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/from-soil-to-cyber/) - What if a single campus building could prepare students to both grow North Carolina’s food supply and protect it from cyberattacks? At Blue Ridge Community College, we believe that well-designed facilities do more than house programs — they bring disciplines together, reflect industry realities and prepare students for the interconnected workforce. As higher education evolves
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-961/)
- [Diving into butterflies](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/diving-into-butterflies/) - Over 25 years ago, Gwen Shlichta had just completed her undergraduate degree and was eager to undertake a research job before starting graduate school. She found a position as a lab technician in the Kingsolver lab at the University of Washington, where she spent the next four-and-a-half years conducting experiments on cabbage white butterflies (scientifically
- [A strategic plan rooted in real voices](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/a-strategic-plan-rooted-in-real-voices/) - When Carroll Community College in Maryland launched development of its next four-year strategic plan, the leadership team wasn’t thinking about just KPIs and goal statements. They were thinking about trust. Visibility. Inclusivity. And what it would look like to build a plan not just for the community but with it. As a result, when Carroll
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-960/)
- [NSF funding critical in preparing students for a changing workforce](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/nsf-funding-critical-to-preparing-students-for-a-changing-workforce/) - National Science Foundation (NSF) programs have provided community colleges with opportunities to equip the current and next generation of skilled workers. But proposed massive funding cuts put those vital programs at risk. A June 3 briefing on Capitol Hill focused on how NSF funding opens up community college pathways to the future of work. The
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/newsmakers-322/) - CEO on the move Michael S. Brophy has been named the eighth president of Hudson Valley Community College, effective August 1. He brings more than 35 years of experience in higher education to the New York college and currently serves as president of Hilbert College in Buffalo. At Hilbert, a Catholic college, Brophy increased enrollment
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-959/)
- [ED chief emphasizes risk-sharing, workforce Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/ed-chief-emphasizes-risk-sharing-workforce-pell/) - U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Wednesday that risk-sharing and workforce Pell are among her top higher education policy priorities, as related in H.R. 1, aka the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. During the three-hour-plus hearing, McMahon didn't provide many new details on the Trump administration's
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/funding-roundup-401/) - The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation has awarded the Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) Foundation a three-year, $1.68 million commitment to support students in the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute, health sciences and workforce development programs. Twenty-two years ago, with Phil and Carole Ratcliffe's support and encouragement, the Maryland college launched the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute (ESI)
- [Washington Watch: ED’s new student aid verifications to fight fraud](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-eds-new-student-aid-verifications-to-fight-fraud/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Friday announced a new effort to weed out fraudulent student aid applications. This is an issue that primarily only affects community colleges because of their low tuitions and open access policies. For context, community colleges have sought the department’s help for some time to detect fraudulent students who use
- [A steady stream of support for apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/a-steady-stream-of-support-for-apprenticeships/) - The Trump administration's push to reach 1 million new registered apprenticeships annually will need more public-private partnerships, as well as help from training providers such as community colleges, U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer told a House committee on Thursday. The nearly three-hour House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on the budget request and policy priorities
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-958/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-957/)
- [Washington Watch: Contact your senators to protect Pell](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/washington-watch-contact-your-senators-to-protect-pell/) - The U.S. Senate is accelerating action on its version of the House’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” It is increasingly possible that the Senate bill, and therefore also the final reconciliation bill, will include devastating cuts to Pell Grant eligibility based on enrollment intensity. It is crucial that community colleges contact their senators now in
- [Students take the lead on Pell advocacy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/students-take-the-lead-on-pell-advocacy/) - At Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), our mission is to recognize academic excellence and provide students with opportunities to grow—and to lead. And when it comes to leadership, advocacy is where we believe it must begin. We know our members care deeply about the issues that shape their futures. But too often, they lack the tools
- [Washington Watch: More deep cuts revealed in Trump budget request](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-more-deep-cuts-revealed-in-trump-budget-request/) - The Trump administration late Friday released additional information that fleshes out its fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget proposal to Congress. The new materials fill in some additional details for higher education and workforce programs that were not contained in the “skinny” budget released a month ago. As the skinny budget made clear, the budget request
- [Gutting NSF will undermine community college pathways to work](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/gutting-the-nsf-will-undermine-community-college-pathways-to-the-future-of-work/) - Just a few days after delivering his 100-day address at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, President Donald Trump released a budget proposal that would slash funding for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) by more than half. For 75 years, the agency has played an indispensable role in funding STEM workforce training at America’s
- [Good news (mostly) on stop-outs, re-enrollment](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/good-news-mostly-on-stop-outs-and-re-enrollment/) - For the second year in a row, the number of college students “stopping out” before earning a credential has declined. At the same time, the number of students with “some college, no credential” (SCNC) re-enrolling has increased. Slightly more than 2.1 million people stopped out of college between January 2022 and July 2023. That’s about
- [Washington Watch: Some community college TRIO grants canceled](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/washington-watch-some-community-college-trio-grants-canceled/) - Several community colleges late last week received notices from the U.S. Education Department (ED) canceling their TRIO Upward Bound continuation grants. While the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is still working with its membership to assess the full scope of the cancellations, this is an extremely worrying development for community colleges that participate in
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-956/)
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/headlines-955/)
- [Preparing students to fight cancer with data](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/preparing-students-to-fight-cancer-with-data/) - San Jacinto College will extend its cancer data management program to students nationwide beginning June 2025. Cancer registrars are data specialists who document the full history, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of U.S. cancer patients. Their work advances research and treatment and improves cancer prevention and screening. With demand for registrars on the rise across the
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-954/)
- [Maryland program addresses teacher shortage, supports displaced federal employees](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/maryland-program-addresses-teacher-shortage-supports-displaced-federal-employees/) - Maryland Gov. Wes Moore visited Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus on Tuesday to announce a new program to help displaced federal workers prepare for teaching jobs. To support the new Teacher Quality and Diversity Program, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) will provide $1 million in grants to 11 colleges and universities. The grant recipients will
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-953/)
- [Arizona college launches three-year bachelor’s degree program](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/arizona-college-launches-three-year-bachelors-degree-program/) - Yavapai College (YC) announced May 22 that it will offer a three-year bachelor’s degree – the new Optimized 92-credit Bachelor of Applied Science in Business (BASB) degree. The degree will launch for the upcoming fall 2025 semester, and the Arizona college will be the first community college in the United States to offer a three-year
- [Washington Watch: Preserving Pell, front and center](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/washington-watch-preserving-pell-front-and-center/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has written to the Senate Labor, Health, Education and Pension (HELP) Committee, outlining its position on the higher education provision in the House-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The Senate will likely craft its reconciliation bill by modifying the House bill's provisions. Both chambers must agree on a
- [A GAO review of registered apprenticeships](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/a-gao-review-of-registered-apprenticeships/) - As the Trump administration champions for expanding registered apprenticeship (RA) programs, a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on RAs examines opportunities to expand these earn-and-learn programs as well some well-known barriers, such as administrative burden and cost. The agency provided a general overview of earn-and-learn programs with a focus on registered apprenticeships. Its review
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-952/)
- [A journey of learning](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/a-journey-of-learning/) - What I wish I’d known in preparation for a college presidency is to have realized in my early years how much I would learn and how that journey of learning would enrich my life and translate into being a more effective president and, I hope, better person. I wish I would have been more appreciative
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/funding-roundup-400/) - In Florida, Valencia College’s nursing program has received $2 million in state grants for simulation equipment, scholarships and faculty recruitment. This marks the third consecutive year that the state has awarded Valencia College Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) grants. The grant program provides matching funds, on a dollar-to-dollar basis, to colleges and universities that
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/snapshots-94/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/33094/)
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/newsmakers-321/) - New CEOs Linda Kingston will become president of Minnesota's Lake Superior College (LSC) on July 1. She is currently the college's vice president for academic and student affairs, a position she has held since 2020. Previously, Kingston served Winona State University from 2017 to 2020 as assistant vice president for distance learning and summer session,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-951/) - Clinton Community College Day will honor the New York school's nearly 60 years at its present location as it prepares to relocate to SUNY Plattsburgh's campus and CVPH, a hospital and healthcare provider, for the start of the fall semester.
- [Learning while leading](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/learning-while-leading/) - This July, I will celebrate two significant work-related anniversaries: 20 years at Zane State College and 10 years as president. The higher education ecosystem has changed so drastically that the challenges facing today’s presidents look quite different from those just a few years ago. I can think of many things I wish I’d known over
- [Washington Watch: What's in the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/washington-watch-whats-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/) - The House early Thursday passed its massive fiscal year 2025 budget reconciliation bill – the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." This sets the stage for Senate action and subsequent negotiations between the two chambers. The stakes could not be higher for community college students and institutions. Although the House-passed bill contains some positive features, overall,
- [Your feedback on 'AACC Competencies'](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/your-feedback-on-aacc-competencies/) - The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is accepting comments to help revise the association's popular AACC Competencies for Community College Leaders. Many institutions use the guide, which highlights the leadership skills needed to be effective in today's community college, as a central part of employee development. AACC will host several feedback sessions in June
- [More talk about apprenticeships, block grants](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/more-talk-about-apprenticeships-block-grants/) - The U.S. labor secretary on Thursday again pitched block grants for workforce development programs and expanding apprenticeships, this time to Senate appropriators, some of whom questioned how it could be done when the department seeks to cut funding for training programs that support apprenticeships. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Labor Department's budget
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-950/)
- [Wary of proposed changes to Pell eligibility](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/wary-of-proposed-changes-to-pell-eligibility/) - A Senate hearing Wednesday on higher education touched on a lot of topics, but it was the work of community colleges -- especially in stretching their modest budgets and providing pathways to good-paying jobs -- that caught the ear of several lawmakers. The Senate Labor, Education, Health and Pensions Committee discussed with witnesses a range
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-949/)
- [McMahon highlights budget, priorities](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/mcmahon-highlights-budget-priorities/) - As the budget debate continued on Capitol Hill, Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday sat before a House Appropriations subcommittee to talk about education funding. In its fiscal year 2026 budget outline, the Trump administration aims to slash about $12 billion from the Education Department (ED). The cuts align with the president’s campaign promise to
- [Washington Watch: House moves forward with reconciliation plan](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/washington-watch-house-moves-forward-with-reconciliation-plan/) - The House last week wrapped up a series of marathon markups in three key committees – Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture. Together, the bills advanced by these three committees represent the bulk of House Republicans’ reconciliation priorities and deliver significant changes to public benefits programs and tax policy. The bills were each
- [Newsmakers](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/newsmakers-320/) - New CEOs Jeffrey Alexander is the next president of Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC), effective July 1. He is currently vice president of academic affairs at the Nevada college. At TMCC, Alexander has championed efforts to expand access, improve student success and strengthen partnerships with industry and regional agencies, according to the college. His work
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-948/)
- [Using data, technology to advance student outcomes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/using-data-technology-to-advance-student-outcomes/) - The use of labor market information (LMI) and student outcomes data, as well as the innovative use of technology, are key for improving students’ economic outcomes. Last year, the Project on Workforce and Education Design Lab studied four community colleges working to integrate LMI, student performance data and new technologies to better support underserved students.
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/funding-roundup-399/) - El Paso Community College (EPCC) will use a $85,521 Texas Workforce Commission grant to provide specialized training for an area business. The college will work with Bain Enterprises, LLC, to provide more than 980 hours of training for the upskilling of 102 new and current employees at the company. The grant will cover tuition and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-947/)
- [First a survey, now a strategy](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/first-a-survey-now-a-strategy/) - St. Petersburg College (SPC) this summer will develop a college-wide strategy to inform and train employees on artificial intelligence (AI) based on findings from a spring survey about employees’ views and use of AI. In just a few months, the Florida college will launch several initiatives, such as summer institutes, for faculty and staff to
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-946/)
- [CC baccalaureates spread as resistance wanes](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/community-college-baccalaureates-spread-as-resistance-wanes/) - Community college baccalaureate programs continue to become increasingly commonplace as more two-year schools overcome political resistance with a combination of strategic degree build-outs based on student and workforce demand, along with a respectful, partnership-oriented stance toward their university brethren. As of mid-April — and the numbers change regularly — 24 states allowed community colleges to
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-945/)
- [Much apprenticeship talk, but no budget details](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/much-apprenticeship-talk-but-no-budget-details/) - U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Thursday focused much of her budget pitch to House appropriators on the president's goal to reach 1 million new registered apprenticeships annually, but Democrats wanted details on the Trump administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. At a House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee hearing,
- [2025 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation transfer scholars](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/2025-jack-kent-cooke-foundation-transfer-scholars/) - Miami Dade College's Maite Roque Franco wants to be a physician. Jessica Gallegos of LaGuardia Community College aims to become a music producer and sound engineer. Odudu Ekpenyong, who attends UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ, aspires to be an airline captain. They each plan to transfer upon graduation from their community college to
- [Campus tour takers now tour guides](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/campus-tour-takers-now-tour-guides/) - Kailey Sohn has gotten pretty good at walking backwards. On a recent Friday morning, the 21-year-old Harper College student is backpedaling alongside a construction site, her gaze focused on the 22 fourth-graders on her campus tour, making sure they stay safely together. When Sohn hears some of the kids, who attend Euclid Elementary School in
- [State, local funding down for two-year colleges](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/state-local-funding-down-for-two-year-colleges/) - Inflation-adjusted state and local education appropriations decreased 3.3% ($396) at two-year institutions from 2023 to 2024, reaching $10,899 per full-time equivalent (FTE), according to an annual report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO). At four-year institutions, education appropriations per FTE increased 1.5% ($197) over the same year, reaching $10,820. Broken down, state
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-944/)
- [A rare FAA exemption for WarrenUAS](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/a-rare-faa-exemption-for-warrenuas/) - Over five years, Warren County Community College (WCCC) in New Jersey has built what is recognized as one of the best drone training program in the country, adding professional staff, more than 100 unmanned systems and last week getting one of only five rare Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exceptions to fly and offer training on
- [Standing up against proposed higher ed cuts](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/standing-up-against-proposed-higher-ed-cuts/) - For the past few months, America’s most prestigious universities have been under attack by a president intent on chastening “woke elites” and flexing his political muscle to show that not even the world’s most esteemed institutions of higher learning are beyond his control. While public attention has been focused on Ivy-leaguers like Harvard, Columbia and
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-943/)
- [Mind over injury](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/mind-over-injury/) - When a severe brain injury strikes, tasks that most people take for granted can become overwhelming. But at California's Santa Monica College (SMC), people with acquired brain injuries are discovering new paths forward to find greater independence as well as a supportive community. Since 1991, SMC’s Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program has assisted adults with
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-942/)
- [Autism awareness training for law enforcement](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/autism-awareness-training-for-law-enforcement/) - Lorain County Community College (LCCC) is home to the only law enforcement autism training course of its kind in Ohio, helping officers statewide navigate sensitive encounters with individuals on the autism spectrum. LCCC delivers the course “Interacting with Special Needs Populations: Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder” and provides officers with the tools and insight to recognize
- [Overcoming transfer obstacles with AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/overcoming-transfer-obstacles-with-ai/) - In late 2024, the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities teamed with consulting company Sova and Zachary Pardos from the University of California, Berkeley to launch the AI Transfer and Articulation Infrastructure Network (ATAIN). The initiative aims to streamline the transfer process for community college students through the
- [Snapshots](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/snapshots-93/) - Photos from institutional members of the American Association of Community Colleges.
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-941/)
- [A new AI model: The Human Guided Learning Ecosystem](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/a-new-ai-model-the-human-guided-learning-ecosystem/) - As artificial intelligence (AI) continues its rapid evolution, a wave of apprehension has swept through higher education. Many fear AI will supplant educators or render our institutions obsolete. But what if this focus is misplaced? What if the future of higher education doesn't just survive AI, but thrives because of it? Imagine a system where
- [Funding roundup](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/funding-roundup-398/) - Miami Dade College (MDC) announced the launch of the Miami Startup Ecosystem Internship Program, supported by a $1 million grant from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and JPMorganChase. The program will offer students paid, hands-on learning experiences at tech startups and scalable small businesses. Over the next two years, the program will place at least 200
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-940/)
- [Washington Watch: Tax-Free Pell Grant reintroduced in Senate](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/washington-watch-tax-free-pell-grant-reintroduced-in-senate/) - A bipartisan group of senators on the Senate Finance Committee this week reintroduced the Tax-Free Pell Grant Act, a top priority for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa), Tom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) on Tuesday introduced the legislation, which is identical to the
- [Career-ready in the age of AI](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/career-ready-in-the-age-of-ai/) - As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape education, work and daily life, educators across disciplines face a timely and transformative opportunity: to equip students with the AI literacy they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. AI is no longer confined to computer science or engineering — it’s a cross-disciplinary competency that intersects with
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-939/)
- [Reporter's notebook](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/reporters-notebook-216/) - Rhode Island's new online RN-to-BSN program Wisconsin partnership opens nursing, teaching degree paths Tennessee college provides scholarships to study abroad Kids on Campus project making Head Start connections Rhode Island's new online RN-to-BSN program The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is partnering with Rhode Island College to offer a fully online registered nurse to
- [Richmond Fed to expand survey about wraparound services](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/richmond-fed-to-expand-survey-about-wraparound-services/) - There are anecdotal stories about how wraparound services — from childcare and transportation, to mental health and academic and career counseling — are helping to keep community college students enrolled and on a path to completion. Now, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Richmond Fed) wants to take a closer look at what wraparound services
- [Adults without degrees still value higher ed](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/adults-still-value-higher-ed/) - Despite a growing public skepticism about higher education, Americans without degrees or credentials still view postsecondary education as essential for career success. That's the top-line finding in an annual report on the state of higher education from Gallup and Lumina Foundation released on Wednesday. Non-degree or credential-holding adults place the highest value on graduate degrees,
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-938/)
- [ED resumes collecting defaulted student loans](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/ed-resumes-collecting-delinquent-student-loans/) - The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Monday officially resumed collections on defaulted federal student loans, as recent reports indicate delinquency rates are higher than ever. Those who don't resume payments risk withholdings from Social Security benefits, tax refunds and garnished wages. The federal government has not collected on defaulted student loans since March 2020, when
- [Headlines](https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/05/headlines-937/)

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