September 16, 2026
AACC’s new Student Stories Bank is now live! A resource designed to help journalists and policy makers better understand our students, we encourage you to submit your stories to feature on our website. Please share with your public affairs team so that we can better educate decision-makers about what our students need.
I was pleased to welcome Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas to our Advocates in Action (AiA) event this morning. A proud graduate of a community college—and tireless champion of our sector—his remarks energized our 110 members visiting Washington, DC, to make the rounds on Capitol Hill. Rep. Bobby Scott (VA) and Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA) also joined our group, along with Dr. Casey Sacks, acting assistant secretary for career and technical, and adult education at the U.S. Department of Education. Several rich policy discussions structured the AiA events, with journalists, pollsters, and political strategists contributing their multiple insights.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education approved three Workforce Pell grant programs in Nebraska, marking it the third state in the nation to receive program approvals—and the third community college! Eligible students at Metropolitan Community College can now use federal Pell Grant dollars to enroll in programs that prepare students for healthcare and information technology professions.
I am looking forward to speaking at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) in Michigan tomorrow. Like so many of our colleges, their strategic plan is driven by deep commitment to student success in the classroom and the workforce. I was especially struck by GRCC’s articulation of their focus to “serve the community by educating students and sustaining partnerships to create a stronger workforce for the future.” What a pithy way to call out this vital linkage and highlight our community mission as well.
Data tools that connect employment and credentials are increasingly valuable. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has a new report, Springboards to Opportunity, which connects the current production of middle-skills credentials to occupations with a “springboard” potential—in-demand fields with above-median earnings to start and strong wage growth. The report allows searching and comparisons across 55 metro areas.
Strategies to help job-seekers thrive in the AI economy are popping up daily. As we search for valuable ones that are also nonpartisan, I am hearing more about RAISE US, a recent national effort to join employers and governors in tackling this evolving issue. I am eager to see how the organization addresses the likely need for transition training for workers and what role our colleges might play.