The N.C. Community College Child Care Grant program gives each of the 58 community colleges grant funding to distribute to their student parents to help them cover child care costs. However, each year dozens of community colleges are unable to spend all of their child care grant funding.

EdNC spoke with representatives from the North Carolina Community College System and several community colleges to understand the barriers to getting this money to students and what we can learn from the colleges that are consistently spending all of their allotted child care grant funding.

Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt kicked off a tour of all 58 of the state’s community colleges with a visit Thursday to Brunswick Community College (BCC). Championing community colleges is one of three priorities in Hunt’s “Future-Ready North Carolina” policy plan released earlier in February.

“From the coast to the mountains, North Carolina’s community colleges are delivering on the promise to make sure we have a workforce that is ready for the future,” Hunt said after touring BCC’s campus.

Out of dozens of finalists from across the nation, Forsyth Technical Community College is the only community college in North Carolina to receive a 2025 Bellwether Award. Established in 1995, the Bellwether Awards recognize the innovative work of community colleges across the country.

Forsyth Tech won in the instructional programs and services category for their College Lift program. The College Lift program is a seven-year commitment that provides wraparound support services for students, including academic and family support, to ensure that they both make it to college and are prepared for their pursuits in higher education.

When MC Belk Pilon and her team at the John M. Belk Endowment began visiting the 58 community colleges, she said she realized that in the communities that were the most innovative, there was a common denominator. In those communities, the relationships between the superintendents and community college presidents were the tightest, leading to the strongest initiatives and collective leadership.

At the fifth annual convening of superintendents and presidents of community colleges, Superintendent Eisa Cox and President John Gossett were asked to reflect on the leadership of districts and community colleges in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

In the earliest days of a disaster, philanthropists serve as a first responder for funding since they can move money the quickest, getting it into the hands of local leaders who need it the most. Whether that is a reasonable or sustainable expectation needs to be re-evaluated.

But we saw it happen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Philanthropists and other private sector partners leaned in and quickly moved money for early education, schools, and community colleges.

Most of the Office of Civil Rights FAQ pertains to Trainor’s interpretation of the law. While that is litigated in the courts, here is what you need to know about the FAQ.

In this article you’ll find information about:

• The impact on free speech and curricula
• The kinds of programs and activities allowed
• How far the ban extends
• How the OCR will investigate allegations of “covert discrimination”
• What happens if OCR deems a school out of compliance

Transfer update | A new regulation from the UNC System will help shorten a transfer student’s wait period for transcript review, a recent press release says. “The UNC System’s new rule draws on best practices from its own institutions, ensuring that any student who submits three or fewer transcripts to a System institution can expect a credit transfer evaluation within 15 business days. Those who submit four or more transcripts, including international transcripts, will receive an evaluation in 30 business days.”

Student stories | Two Richmond Community College HVAC students will graduate in May and have already landed “high-paying jobs in the HVAC industry,” a recent news article said.

Campus projects | Guilford Technical Community College recently opened a new 14,000-plus-square-foot facility.

The Board of Trustees at Brunswick Community College approved moving forward with the college’s workforce development center.

Craven Community College will soon break ground on their new corporate training center.

Propel NC | Board of Trustee members from Pitt Community College met with North Carolina legislators last week to discuss the need for a new community college funding model and encouraged lawmakers to support the N.C. Community College System’s Propel NC plan.

Small businesses | The Carteret Chamber of Commerce and Carteret Community College’s Small Business Center are partnering up to launch “Pitch It.” This is an opportunity for Carteret area entrepreneurs’ to pitch their business ideas before a panel for a chance to win start-up funding and valuable prizes. Pitch Day is scheduled for June 14. 

Rural colleges | The Belk Center released a report that details the Innovator’s DNA model and lifts up foundational practices related to the model, “based on a study of 17 rural-serving community college presidents who are leading innovation and change on their campuses.”

Recognitions | Carteret Community College President Dr. Tracy Mancini was selected as a recipient of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society’s Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction.

Visits | Robeson Community College recently had a visit from Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight” actress Dr. Angela Bracey who shared her experience with students.