Congressional leaders reached a budget deal Sunday night that includes restoring year-round Pell grants, beginning with the 2017–2018 award year. Restoration of year-round Pell has been a top AACC priority since its elimination in FY 2011.The omnibus bill funds federal agencies through September 30. Starting July 1, the maximum Pell Grant increases to $5,920. A […]
Advocacy and Funding Articles
Celebrating Community College Month
Community College Month is a time when college leaders should be bragging about all the contributions they make to the lives of students and to the community. Here are some ideas about celebrating your institution: Invite the public for a visit. Campus tours are a great way of showing off your programs. Include demonstrations with […]
Success from the ground up
When I was asked to write on the Coastal Bend College’s (CBC’s) approach to outreach, I wondered where to begin. I say this to make a point. The first step to take when planning an outreach campaign is to have a plan. Effective outreach campaigns don’t happen by accident. Conversely, when you have an effective […]
Report roundup
Here are three reports you should know about this month. The number of students earning their first undergraduate degree — both associate and bachelor’s degrees — in 2015-16 declined by 1.4 percent from the previous year, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The number of first-time graduates ages 25 […]
The latest on campus carry laws
More states are passing campus carry laws. Eight states have provisions allowing the carrying of concealed weapons on public postsecondary campuses: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. This is according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. In 24 states, the decision to ban or allow concealed weapons on campuses is made […]
Getting to yes
In 2011, a bond measure that would benefit Clackamas Community College (CCC) in Oregon failed. The main lesson from that loss, says CCC President Joanne Truesdell, was to know your demographics, and pay attention as they shift. “We learned two important things from that experience,” Truesdell says. “One is that we had a larger number […]
Rhode Island makes a promise to students
Two weeks ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo laid out a proposal for free tuition at state colleges. Now Rhode Island’s Governor Gina Raimondo has announced plans to offer tuition-free education for full-time students at the state’s public postsecondary institutions. Rhode Island’s Promise would provide two years of free college for every Rhode Island student […]
Infrastructure plan would create many jobs that require some college
A new analysis of President-elect Donald Trump’s $1 trillion proposal to revamp the nation’s infrastructure could create as many as 11 million new jobs over the next decade, including positions that would require at least an associate degree or postsecondary certificate. About 45 percent of the new infrastructure jobs would require at least some college […]
New skills for a changing workforce
Strengthening and expanding career-education opportunities is the goal of the New Skills for Youth initiative. Ten states will pilot the program: Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wisconsin. They’ll work to increase the number of students who graduate from high school prepared for careers. Each state is receiving a $2 […]
Emergency funding helps seven Ill. colleges
In September 2016, the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) declared a state of emergency for the community college system due to the drastic loss of state revenue over the last two years. Colleges have struggled financially while waiting for the state’s General Assembly to pass a comprehensive balanced budget. Last June, lawmakers passed a stopgap […]