Advocacy and Funding Articles

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 […]

Reaching $20M in 18 months

Running a $20 million fundraising campaign wasn’t in Leigh Goodson’s plans when she became president of Tulsa Community College (TCC) in 2014. But over the last six years, Oklahoma has cut its higher education budget allocation by about 30%, and colleges are increasingly looking for revenue streams. That started Goodson and TCC on a fundraising […]

Getting a better picture of international enrollments

Over the last four years, there has been a historic decline in international student enrollments at community colleges (-18%). And that decline has only gotten worse during the pandemic. The annual IIE Open Doors International Student Census and U.S. Study Abroad Surveys help higher education administrators better understand the level of international educational exchange at […]

Use Instagram Stories to up college engagement

When Snapchat hit the scene in 2012, social media began a major shift to the “story” format for content sharing. Snapchat may have kicked off the trend, but Instagram has the edge. Dominating the story landscape with constant improvements, Instagram Stories have catapulted to the strategy forefront for organizations seeking to reach and engage their […]

A welcomed gift in a time of need

Author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced on Tuesday that she is giving away nearly $4.2 billion to 384 organizations, including about a dozen community colleges, to help communities most in need due to the effects of the pandemic. Among the recipients is Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in New York City, which will receive […]

Tap sports teams to tell the community college story

Well before the pandemic struck, Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) was in search of something more, something bigger, to tell its story. The Michigan college found its solution in an expanded advertising program with regional sports teams. Although many sports remain on pause for now, the program will pick back up once normal activities resume. […]