To get to yes, college leaders must amplify the college-community connection. While they are prohibited from campaigning, officials can provide information. As they do so, they build relationships that can benefit the college, community, and economy for years to come. But that requires more than tireless hours on the road. It requires a plan and…

There is perhaps no perfect time for community colleges to build new facilities as the pandemic and other factors impact student enrollment. Fall 2020 admission at community colleges dropped 10% from a year earlier, according to National Student Clearinghouse data from December 2020, far outweighing the 1% decline in undergraduates at public and…

When Crystal Bridgeman joined the Siemens Foundation as senior director of workforce development programs in 2014, she pored over research and led conversations about what kind of projects the foundation should invest in to have the biggest impact. Her findings suggested there were a growing number of job opportunities in fields such as advanced…

This article discusses Promise Scholarships in community colleges and sources of funding. The following community colleges and their scholarships are mentioned in this article: (1) Oregon Promise, Oregon; (2) Ventura College Promise, California; (3) Kalamazoo Promise, Michigan; (4) Pittsburgh Promise, Pennsylvania; (5) SEED Scholarship, Delaware;…

In 2015 while higher educational institutions received $40 billion in gifts, community colleges only received about 1.5 percent of that amount--despite the fact that they account for about half of students at any one time, according to an estimate provided by the Council for Aid to Education, which maintains data on educational giving. The reason…

Community college sports teams don't play in nationally televised bowl games or championship tournaments that inspire betting pools in offices across America, but athletic teams at community colleges, especially those in rural areas, play a vital role in attracting a cohort of students who are culturally diverse. This article discusses the…

There was a golden era, in the 1960s and 1970s, when beaming lawmakers smiled on community colleges. Public funds flowed like a river that nourished the nation's two-year institutions. Enrollments grew and everyone was happy, naturally. Over the past few decades, public funds have dried up, and formerly munificent politicians are now beleaguered…

The need for increased accountability in higher education and, specifically, the nation's community colleges-is something most educators can agree on. The challenge has, and continues to be, finding a system of metrics that meets the unique needs of two-year institutions versus their four-year-counterparts. Last summer, President Obama unveiled…

Low-income students face a number of obstacles that go beyond the cost of tuition and fees. For instance, their schooling often requires expenses that aren't covered by financial aid, such as books and commuting costs. What's more, education is often competing for their time with other responsibilities, such as the need to work or take care of…

Rural community colleges are employing several fundraising strategies to offset the pain of increasingly anemic budgets in the face of higher student enrollments. Whether it's educating stakeholders about the potential impact of campus improvements or reaching out to donors for financial support, it's critical to tout the economic and educational…

Community colleges for a long time have operated under the misguided assumption that they should not waste time or resources prospecting and cultivating their alumni in hopes of generating philanthropic support. How could two-year colleges possibly compete with the success of alumni giving at four-year universities--with their selective admissions…

Construction on community college campuses is often paid for out of general capital or operations budgets or by way of taxpayer-approved bonds. But, as state and local money becomes increasingly scarce, many colleges, while still pursuing traditional funding sources, are also considering alternative strategies to support facilities upgrades on…

Facilities and services are a huge drain on community college budgets. They are also vital to the student experience. As funding dries up across the country, many institutions are taking a team approach, working with partner colleges and private service providers to offset costs and generate revenue without sacrificing the services and amenities…

Community colleges are dealing with, and often leading, a historical shift from a 100-year focus on access to a new emphasis on access "and" student success. The impetus for this work comes from many directions--the president of the United States and the secretary of education, at least 30 governors, other state policymakers, the…

The process of reaching out to donors and securing gifts from alumni and other community members presents its share of challenges for community colleges. But, as funding experts Richard H. Morley and Mike Gaudette of the Council for Resource Development write in "Gift Planning: You Can't Afford Not To," there exists a huge financial incentive for…