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Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter where you’ll find the latest updates on community college related news and events around the state. Plus, a look at what’s trending nationally in higher education.
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NCCCS announces the launch of Boost… The Board of the State Health Plan moves to set premiums based on salary tiers… A look at leadership in the North Carolina House and Senate committees on education… A comprehensive guide to North Carolina state government… Q&A with chair of the State Board of Community Colleges… Electric vehicles and community college education… ApprenticeshipNC conference agenda released… CFNC’s FAFSA 101… State funding models and how they shape enrollment in workforce education programs… Plus, the confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education, is scheduled…
Hi all — Emily Thomas here with this week’s Awake58.
Last week, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) announced the launch of Boost — an accelerated college-to-career program designed to increase completion rates and move students into high-wage, high-demand careers. The program’s launch is supported by a $35.6 million grant from Arnold Ventures and is the largest private grant the system has received. Fifteen North Carolina community colleges will implement the program, starting with eight this fall and seven more fall 2026.
The Board of the State Health Plan also moved to set premiums based on salary tiers last week. Premium increases are likely for all educators, according to a discussion by the Board.
The Board’s press release said, “the goal of the tiered premiums is to make coverage more affordable for Plan members at lower salary levels.” The vote last Friday did not approve premiums, but gave the Board authority to set premiums based on salary tiers. The vote to determine actual premium rates would take place sometime this summer.
You can find the initial moderate changes discussed by the Board and a look at how many employees are estimated in each salary tier in this recap article.
A new legislative session has begun. EdNC curated a comprehensive guide to the North Carolina state government, which includes information about legislative, executive, and judicial power. We also put together a list of recently announced House committees pertaining to education, along with each committee’s members and their role, political party, home district, and occupation, if listed on the General Assembly’s website. We also published the same list for education leadership in the Senate.
Last week, Blue Ridge Community College President Dr. Laura Leatherwood shared how community colleges are ramping up to meet the growing demands of electric vehicle (EV) education in this perspective. The United States saw 1.4 million new electric car registrations in 2023, the perspective says. The North Carolina Department of Transportation recorded over 90,000 zero-emission vehicle registrations, as of April 2024.
In other higher education news, the Senate has scheduled the confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education. The hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 13. Stay tuned for more EdNC coverage.
We want to hear from you! Do you have a story idea or policy issue that you’d like to see us cover? You can reply directly to this email or send a message to [email protected].
Until next week,
Emily Thomas
Director of Postsecondary Attainment — EdNC.org
EdNC reads
What is Boost? Fifteen N.C. community colleges to participate in new accelerated college to career program
Boost will be rolled out over the next two years with technical assistance from the CUNY ASAP National Replication Collaborative. The program will serve students across the state, starting with eight community colleges in 2025 and seven more in 2026.
The 15 colleges implementing Boost are: Alamance, Bladen, Caldwell, Cape Fear, Central Carolina, Central Piedmont, Cleveland, Forsyth Technical, Isothermal, Johnston, McDowell Technical, Robeson, Sampson, Wake Technical, and Western Piedmont community colleges.
Board of State Health Plan moves to set premiums based on salary tiers
Increases in premiums are likely for all educators, according to the discussion by the Board, and Friday’s vote may mean veteran educator premiums increase even more. The vote was part of a larger discussion on the health plan’s structure and strategies to “avoid a looming fiscal crisis,” according to a Board press release.
The plan provides health care coverage to nearly 750,000 teachers, charter school employees, community college employees, other state employees, retirees, and dependents, according to the website.
Leadership of the North Carolina House for the 2025-26 session
A new state budget for the next two fiscal years is on the table, and in the education space there has been talk of addressing school voucher funding and policy, teacher pay, Hurricane Helene relief, and new approaches to education funding, like a weighted student funding formula. You will find a list of recently announced House committees pertaining to education, along with each committee’s members and their role, political party, home district, and occupation, if listed on the General Assembly’s website.
Leadership of the North Carolina Senate for the 2025-26 session
You will find a list of Senate committees pertaining to education, along with each committee’s members with their role, political party, home district, and occupation, if listed on the General Assembly’s website. At the bottom of the page, you can also find the leadership of the Senate and staff of Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham.
Perspective | A new era of driving: Building the electric vehicle infrastructure through community college education
With more people ditching the gas pump and going all-electric, North Carolina is facing a need for more EV mechanics and engineers. As community college educators, we’re in a unique position to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing automotive industry while fueling the expansion of sustainable driving in North Carolina.
Q&A | Looney on the state’s community colleges: ‘We’ve got a lot of wind in our sails’
Editor’s note: This story was first published by NCInsider on Jan. 21, 2025.
Gov. Josh Stein praised the system as among the nation’s best, highlighting the need for continued investment. As the system seeks nearly $100 million for Propel NC, a new model for modernizing the funding of the state’s 58 community colleges, State Affairs spoke with Tom Looney, chair of the State Board of Community Colleges, about what’s ahead for 2025.
Around NC
Student stories | Dual-enrolled Beaufort County Community College student Javen Styons will earn two degrees and his high school diploma, and plans to transfer to North Carolina State University to study veterinary medicine.
Lenoir resident Cassandra Reid is the first student to graduate from the 911 Communications & Operations program at Richmond Community College.
FAFSA | This FAFSA 101 page from College for North Carolina (CFNC) guides parents and guardians step-by-step through the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process.
CFNC will also offer two FAFSA-related webinars this month. On Monday, Feb. 17 from 6 to 7 p.m., CFNC will walk attendees through the 2025-26 FAFSA form for dependent students. On Monday, Feb. 26 from 6 to 7 p.m., CFNC will provide information about financial awards packages. You can learn more about the webinars and register on CFNC’s website.
State Board of Community Colleges | The Board recently named John Kane as vice chair.
Enrollment | Both Nash and Edgecombe community colleges saw enrollment increases in the Spring ’25 semester. Edgecombe’s curriculum enrollment increased 7.65% in the last year. Nash saw a 7.9% growth in headcount and a 7.6% increase in full-time equivalent students.
Events | Wayne Community College will host the Mexican “Consulate on Wheels” Feb. 10-14 to allow Mexican citizens to get identification documents. Appointments are required and free to schedule.
Cape Fear Community College invites local employers to its Second Chance Employer Engagement Coffee Hour on Friday, Feb. 14 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in room 101A of the G Building on CFCC’s downtown campus. “This event offers the opportunity for interested employers to learn about second chance hiring, connect with like-minded professionals, and explore resources that support justice-involved individuals seeking meaningful employment,” according to a college press release.
On Feb. 20, myFutureNC will also be hosting its annual event, the State of Educational Attainment in North Carolina. Mark your calendars and learn how we can all work together to close the educational attainment gap in our state. Invite your team to join virtually as myFutureNC shares the steps we need to take to ensure that by 2030, 2 million North Carolinians hold a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree. You can register online.
The ApprenticeshipNC Conference is set for March 10-11 at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham. You can find the agenda and registration details here.
Fayetteville Technical Community College and the North Carolina Military Business Center will host a Federal Food Symposium April 1-2. More information about the event can be found here.
MerleFest, a music festival fundraiser for Wilkes Community College, is scheduled for April 24-27. You can find the full lineup and more information here.
Other higher education reads
