A note from us
Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter with the latest updates on community college news and events. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up for the Awake58 newsletter here, and you can find last week’s edition on our website.
This week’s edition is by Hannah Vinueza McClellan, director of news and content at EdNC.
N.C.’s Workforce Pell approach highlighted on national stage… Two N.C. community colleges named as Aspen Prize finalists… State Health Plan board votes to increase out-of-pocket costs… The state of college and career advising in N.C. school districts… Plus, a deep dive on Small Business Centers…
Good morning and welcome to Awake58 — Hannah here.
I spent last week in Baltimore attending the Education Writers Association’s (EWA) 79th national seminar, where I spoke with education reporters and stakeholders across the country. I was encouraged by the number of things I left the week excited about — including North Carolina’s rollout of Workforce Pell Grants.
During the convening, I attended a panel on understanding Workforce Pell, which featured the N.C. Community College System’s Andrew Gardner. Other panelists included U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent, Kristin Hultquist with HCM Strategists, and moderator Jeff Selingo, a higher ed journalist. The panel included an overview of the eligibility requirements for Workforce Pell, accountability measures for the program, and who Workforce Pell is designed to help following its July launch.
In North Carolina, roughly 4% of short-term workforce training programs are expected to qualify, which is lower than leaders initially expected. Panelists said that while eligibility and accountability requirements are fairly stringent — including a 70% completion rate, a 70% job placement rate, and a novel value-added earnings measure — they expect guidelines to loosen as the financial aid program is iterated.
“We’ve never seen a financial aid program with as much accountability built in as this one,” Kent said, noting that updated rules are likely after a three-year initial implementation period. When asked about the anticipated budget shortfall of Pell Grants in future years, Kent said it’s something the department is thinking about, but that the “slow burn of new programs will give us time to see the financial impact.”
Gardner shouted out the NCWorks Commission’s recent approval of a policy establishing North Carolina’s Workforce Pell Grant eligibility requirements and application process, adding that the state hopes it’s first to submit its application to the department once the program launches on July 1.
Hultquist said states like North Carolina which have “a consolidated, real plan,” along with employment data systems, will be best positioned to take advantage of Workforce Pell. Gardner said students are already asking advisers how to apply for Workforce Pell, and that colleges are telling students to apply for federal aid and they will get students sorted from there.
“This matters to states because we have entered the skills-based economy and there’s high demand,” Gardner said. “It sets up students to be lifelong learners, on a pathway for reskilling along the way.”
While I was attending EWA, community college leaders across North Carolina met to discuss how to use student data to better engage with adult learners — and how to prepare for Workforce Pell. Leaders talked, among other things, about the importance of aligning data systems to track Workforce Pell’s eligibility metrics. You can read a full recap of the meeting on our website.
What about your college? How are you preparing for the rollout of Workforce Pell, and what are you hearing from students? Let us know by replying to this email.
Until next time,
Hannah Vinueza McClellan
Director of News and Content
EdNC reads
Around NC
Measuring what matters | In this EdNC perspective, Jan Knox from Guilford Tech discusses the mismatch between prevailing success metrics and the reality of community college students, and offers concrete ways that measures could shift to capture success more holistically.
New data on community college students | Two new reports shed light on community college enrollment and outcomes. The U.S. Department of Education released the “Report on the Condition of Education 2026,” which Community College Daily recaps here. Notably, over the last decade, the number of certificates conferred increased 23%, while the number of associate degrees conferred dropped 2%. Separately, the Richmond Fed released aggregate success rates across a wide range of student characteristics, with data pulled from 189 community colleges in 10 states (including North Carolina). Explore the data here.
Gov. Josh Stein tours Pitt Community College | Stein met with students in the construction and industrial technology program to highlight the need for more affordable housing and supporting skilled workers.
Audit finds low long-term vacancies | The N.C. Community College System employs more than 31,000 personnel and has a “very small proportion” of long-term vacancies, according to a state audit.
Registration open for system conference | The N.C. Community College System is hosting its biennial conference on Oct. 14-16 in Raleigh. Early bird registration is now open.
Duke Energy invests in AdvanceNC | Central Carolina Community College announced a $50,000 investment from Duke Energy that will support a dedicated, full-time project manager role for AdvanceNC, a regional partnership of community colleges, universities, and workforce development boards to help strengthen the advanced manufacturing talent pipeline. Learn more about AdvanceNC here.
New apprenticeships in teaching, dentistry | Pitt County Schools, Pitt Community College, and East Carolina University announced a new teacher apprenticeship program; Wake Tech announced the state’s first community college dental assisting apprenticeship.
Central Carolina child care academy graduates first class | The college’s child care academy provided an eight-week intro to early education class, equipping 61 graduates to serve as lead teachers in licensed child care facilities. Learn more about child care academies here.
Cape Fear students work to build new homes | The college’s Live House Project will provide students across numerous programs — including HVAC, welding, and interior design — with hands on experience constructing a home.
Lenoir, Wayne community colleges partner on AI | A new agreement allows Lenoir Community College students to complete their first-year general education courses before enrolled in Wayne Community College’s online AI program.
Other higher education reads
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