According to a recent publication by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), only 64.5% of eligible students at public community colleges - excluding those with a prior bachelor's degree and foreign learners - applied for federal aid during the 2019-2020 academic year. More than 25% of non-applicants would have likely received some level of a Pell grant based on Expected Family Contribution.

In AACC's analysis of the 2019-2020 data, full-time learners were more likely to apply for federal financial aid than part-time students. Those pursuing an associate degree applied for support more often than those not enrolled in degree-seeking programs. Additional, students who were unemployed or worked part-time were more likely to apply for federal financial aid than those with full-time jobs.

Read the publication by AACC here.

The June/July issue of the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Community College Journal is now available online and in print through subscription. A featured publication by AACC, this journal provides contemporary information, insights, strategies, and connections for those in academia, industry, government, and workforce development.

The latest issue highlights:

• The impact of leadership within the community college setting and how to foster its development
• Data availability and how states can strengthen information systems
• Strategies to achieve a sustainable work-life balance as a leader
• The importance of succession planning and pathways within community colleges
• Artificial intelligence as a tool for reflection and supporting leadership
• An exemplar on connecting students through an innovative, digital campus portal

AACC's June/July publication of the Community College Journal can be accessed online here, and archived issues can be viewed in AACC’s library.

In a collaborative effort, Microsoft and the National Applied AI Consortium (NAAIC) will be offering a free two-day "AI-900 Train-the-Trainer" bootcamp on July 11 and July 18, 2025. This event will assist community college educators in teaching Microsoft Azure AI Fundamental to students. The bootcamp will provide attendees with live interactive instruction lead by a certified trainer, tools to assist in preparation for the AI-900 certification, and access to coursework, learning resources, materials for hands-on experiences, and peer support. 

Applications are due July 7, 2025. Training will occur July 11 and July 18, 2025 from 9:00 AM–3:00 PM EDT. Faculty and educators from U.S.-accredited community colleges are encouraged to apply here.

The National Applied AI Consortium (NAAIC) is now accepting applications for its 2025-2026 mentorship program. Selected community colleges will receive guidance in creating, implementing, and maintaining an artificial intelligence (AI)-focused associate degree, with support from faculty, NAAIC, industry, and business partnerships. Additional features of the mentorship program include travel funds to attend NAAIC's yearly AI Summit, access to resource repositories and professional development opportunities, and support for curriculum genesis and execution.

The deadline for submission is August 1, 2025.

Learn more about eligibility and apply here on NAAIC's website.

Online registration for this year’s HI-TEC (High Impact Technology Exchange Conference) is currently open through July 10, 2025.

HI-TEC 2025 will be held July 21-24 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Supported by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) program, this annual conference focuses on preparing the nation’s current and future workforce of skilled technicians. HI-TEC will bring together educators, industry leaders, trade organizations, and professionals to collaboratively address the evolving demands of technological landscapes and advanced technological education. The conference will explore a wide range of concepts across sectors, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.

HI-TEC will feature two days of pre-conference workshops and specialized interest groups on July 21 and 22, followed by over 100 breakout sessions on emerging areas, workforce development trends, strategies for engaging learners, addressing current challenges in education, and partnerships between academia and industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, interact with...

This year, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Richmond Fed) aims to learn more about the ancillary services - including career counseling, childcare, mental health, and transportation - provided by public community colleges. As reported by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), there has been growing interest on the subject since the COVID-19 pandemic and Richmond Fed's 2024 general survey, which briefly asked about wraparound services. The topic will face a closer look this year, with a separate survey including all community colleges and two-year educational institutions.

The survey is now open until June 27, 2025. Community college employees who work or have knowledge of student affairs or services are encouraged to participate. Access the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's 2025 Wraparound Services Survey here.

A variety of stakeholders are interested to see the data, including state organizations, professional organizations, funding sources, legislators, and educators, according to Richmond Fed. The 10-15 minute survey on wraparound services will investigate what options are currently being provided, barriers to implementation, funding structures, and more.

The Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC) invites educators to participate in a two-day professional training program on July 10-11 or October 7-8, 2025, in Owensboro, Kentucky. Intended for secondary and post-secondary faculty members in advanced manufacturing, sessions will cover key Industry 4.0 topics, the intricacies of competency-based education, uses of virtual reality in the classroom, and resources for funding. Attendees will receive hands-on training and interact with a wide array of curricular resources, with the opportunity to access ongoing Community-of-Practice sessions offered virtually each month. 

Learn more about the Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation training sessions on AMTEC's website. To register, please call 270-686-4410 or email Cadie Underwood at [email protected]. 

Based on data from ten local community colleges, a newly released report from California Completes highlights key takeaways and strategies for recruiting and retaining adult learners. Of those studied, institutions that employed a strategic enrollment management framework tailored to adults - including targeted outreach, flexible class scheduling, comprehensive academic monitoring with early interventions, community partnerships, and data-informed action - saw notable increases in both student enrollment rates and learner academic performance.

The report from California Completes also discusses common barriers faced by the studied community colleges, such as resource constraints, system infrastructure, and inadequate staffing. It goes on to provide recommendations for community colleges looking to strengthen enrollment and retention strategies. This includes leveraging data to focus  and streamline initiatives, fostering partnerships with the community, supporting collaboration across campus, and pivoting to student-focused course scheduling.

Read the full brief here.

Normandale Community College will be offering four of its Vacuum Technology classes (VACT) from May 27 to July 27, 2025. To support professional development in vacuum and thin film technology instruction, faculty and educators can audit these courses at no cost. All classes are provided through an asynchronous, online format. 

The following VACT classes are being offered by Normandale Community College this summer:

VACT 1010 (Foundations of Vacuum Science), 2 credits - starts June 2 and ends July 25, 2025.  

VACT 1293 (Concepts of Rough Vacuum Systems), 1 credit - starts May 27 and ends July 3, 2025. 

VACT 1300 (Introduction to Vacuum System Automation), 1 credit - starts May 27 and ends July 3, 2025.  

VACT 2290 (High Vacuum Equipment), 1 credit - starts May 27 and ends July 3, 2025.

Please contact Nancy Louwagie ([email protected]) for assistance with course registration or if you have any questions pertaining to this summer's offerings.

Mentor-Connect's NSF ATE Budget and Forms webinar will occur on May 21, 2025 from 3:00-4:00PM ET. It will cover personnel direct costs, fringe benefits, biosketches, synergistic activities, charts of accounts (COAs), and more. Register here on Mentor Connect's website. 

Based at Florence-Darlington Technical College, Mentor-Connec provides one-on-one mentorship, professional development opportunities, technical assistance, and focused ATE grant proposal support to two-year academic institutions and their faculty. Beyond its live webinars, it also offers a robust resource library of past webinars, quick reference guides, checklists, and other tools, support prospective and current grantees of the NSF ATE program.