The reinstatement of year-round Pell grants is good news for community college students who otherwise had to take the summer semester off or find other ways to pay for that term.

Completion is priority No. 1 for the nation’s community colleges. But getting beyond the pilot phase to achieve truly scalable results has proved difficult for some. Now, a new nationwide honors initiative that aims to fast-track high-performing students is gaining traction — and its fair share of headlines. But is it right for your college?