When the state began to push back against college textbook prices, Ohio colleges and universities got innovative. In 2017, “We were seeing in Ohio an atmosphere where the public was attacking higher ed textbook costs,” said Jack Hershey, president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) during a session at the AACC […]
Advocacy and Funding Articles
Building a solid foundation
When Sauk Valley Community College was founded in 1965, the Sauk Valley College Foundation was simultaneously established alongside it as an independent 501(c)(3). The college’s founders had the foresight to know that philanthropy would be critical to building a college-going culture in the rural northwestern Illinois community it served. By the time David Hellmich became […]
Workforce development needs more support
To figure out how to develop a robust workforce pipeline, especially as businesses struggle post-Covid to find skilled workers, it makes sense to look at what’s preventing people from enrolling in programs that provide the skills for those jobs. Take the situation of Victoria Browning, a student at the Community College of Aurora (CCA) in […]
More funding for community colleges, students
The Biden administration on Thursday announced funding and other initiatives to support community colleges and their students, as well additional guidance on using previously awarded Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds. Continuing the Biden administration’s focus on community colleges, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday visited Bergen Community College in […]
New program offers service opportunities, college funding
California is connecting service with affordable higher education through the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps. The program was announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week. It’s the largest state-level investment in a college service program in California history. Forty-five colleges and universities were selected as inaugural partners for the program. Through #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, up to 6,500 […]
The national standard for a free college tuition scholarship
Delaware led the nation in 2005 when it became the first state in the country to offer two years of free college tuition to recent high school graduates. The Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) scholarship was born thanks to the foresight of former state Sen. Harris B. McDowell, who recognized that college was too expensive […]
A game-changer for a generation
A group of kindergartners in Virginia recently brought home good news to their parents: their college tuition, textbooks and fees would be paid for when they graduated from high school. In fact, all current K-12 students in Martinsville and Henry County have a guarantee of two-and-a-half years of tuition-free education at Patrick & Henry Community […]
Donors want to see an immediate impact
When it comes to fundraising for community colleges, Ann Decker has some advice: listen to the potential donor and be transparent. It’s on that bedrock strategy that the Indian River State College (IRSC) Foundation in Florida has increased its assets four-fold to $200 million over Decker’s 14-year career at the college. “It is very easy […]
Going straight to good use
In the cold of a Nebraska winter, amidst the misery of the Covid pandemic, recruiters from Northeast Community College in Norfolk began reaching out to high schools with a message of hope for students. In mid-December, the college — to its astonishment — had received a $15 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Its leaders […]
College students get a fresh start
Dallas College’s Fresh Start program canceled outstanding debts for around 11,000 students who attended classes during the spring, summer and fall 2020 semesters, and another 3,700 students from the spring 2021 semester. A total of more than $5.8 million was paid off under the federal government’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), designed to help […]