A note from us
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. 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 Ben Humphries, a reporter and policy analyst with EdNC.
Community College Day at the General Assembly… Workforce Act of 2026 is filed… Forsyth Tech and Stanly Community College named as semifinalists in Aspen Prize… Guilford Tech invests in growing apprenticeships… Plus, a leadership exchange between community college leaders in California and North Carolina…
Good morning from downtown Raleigh — Ben here. The legislative short session is underway, which means I must don a button-down and tie, rather than the usual purple EdNC T-shirt, for the foreseeable future. The past couple of weeks have been lively already, with hundreds of bills filed, a couple of deals already struck, and lots of competition for a table in the cafeteria beneath the Legislative Building.
On Wednesday, community college staff, students, and advocates will congregate on Halifax Mall to speak with legislators and the public. The N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) is asking, chiefly, for $93 million in recurring funding for Propel NC, and an estimated $102 million nonrecurring to accommodate “historic” enrollment growth.
Propel NC, first launched in January 2024, is a funding model for the NCCCS that would prioritize funding for programs that prepare students to work in high-wage, high-demand sectors.
Last year, the General Assembly didn’t pass a budget because of an impasse between House and Senate Republicans. Each of the chambers’ proposed budgets would have partially funded NCCCS’s 2025 Propel NC funding request.
Also notable is NCCCS’s request for $3.1 million recurring for ApprenticeshipNC, the state agency that registers apprenticeship programs and supports employers in setting up apprenticeship programs. That funding, according to the system, is critical: Department of Labor grants set to expire in June threaten 18 staff positions and all marketing and communications capacity.
Read EdNC’s full reporting on the 2026 NCCCS funding request here.
The “Workforce Act of 2026,” one of the bills to be filed so far this session, aligns with NCCCS’s request for ApprenticeshipNC funding. The legislation, which includes four pillars put forward in February by myFutureNC, would fund ApprenticeshipNC, NCcareers.org, NC Workforce Credentials, and an expansion of transfer technology. The total cost of the Workforce Act is roughly $9.1 million.
Cecilia Holden, president and CEO of myFutureNC, asked members of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee to support the legislation in April, saying it is critical for hitting the state’s attainment goal of 2 million North Carolinians ages 25-44 holding a degree or credential by 2030.
You can track the bill’s progress on the General Assembly website. The House version is House Bill 1163 and the Senate version is Senate Bill 986. HB 1163 also includes other items that aren’t part of myFutureNC’s ask, including a teacher bonus program.
What will end up in the budget, if indeed there is a budget passed this year? Too early to tell. That uncertainty, though daunting, does leave room for advocacy — and that brings us back to Community College Day at the General Assembly.
I suspect many readers of this newsletter will be there tabling, talking with lawmakers, and professing the good work that community colleges are doing. I’ll be there, too — if you see me, come say hello!
Until then,
Ben Humphries
Reporter and policy analyst, EdNC
EdNC reads
Two North Carolina community colleges named semifinalists for $1 million Aspen Prize
Forsyth Technical Community College and Stanly Community College were named among the 25 semifinalists, chosen from nearly 1,000 colleges nationwide for their performance data and “practices aligned to achieving high and improving levels of student success.”
What community college leaders in North Carolina and California learned from each other after natural disasters
Leaders from California and North Carolina community colleges recently engaged in a six-month leadership exchange, sharing lessons on disaster recovery and workforce development.
Partnership in practice: GTCC shares promising strategies for apprenticeship programs through several successful collaborations
Guilford Tech serves more than 150 apprentices a year through the college’s Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) chapter and the Guilford Apprenticeship Partners. Learn more.
Business leaders call on legislature for child care subsidy investment this session
Business leaders and owners advocated for legislative funding this session for the child care subsidy program, which helps low-income working and student parents afford care.
Charlotte nonprofit expands college access program to surrounding region
CLTRising provides tailored support with navigating the college admissions process to a small cohort of high school juniors and seniors.
Around NC
Workforce Pell won’t work if students don’t know it exists | In this EdNC perspective, Forsyth Tech’s Devin Purgason discusses the college’s strategy for ensuring students can take advantage of Workforce Pell.
College transfer as a workforce strategy | In this EdNC perspective, Blue Ridge Community College President Laura Leatherwood discusses how transfer programs help students meet the demands of high-demand, high-impact careers.
Governor visits Davidson-Davie for National Apprenticeship Week | Last week, Gov. Josh Stein visited Davidson-Davie Community College to celebrate the college’s success in growing health care apprenticeship programs. Learn more about those efforts in this EdNC article.
Graduation roundup | Community college graduation season is underway! Read the story of a 70-year-old graduate at Roanoke-Chowan Community College, a mother and son graduating together at Cape Fear Community College, and a student who says Craven Community College gave him a “second chance.”
Fayetteville high school receives national award for college application efforts | Seventy-First High School received the School of Excellence award from the American College Application Campaign, recognizing efforts to support first-generation college students.
Wake Tech student team named national finalist in Community College Innovation Challenge | The project focuses on the use of artificial intelligence to help utility providers identify needed repairs and better protect communities from outages.
Charlotte workshop to help Latino families navigate college | The workshop, which featured Central Piedmont Community College and College for North Carolina, connected families with information on college affordability.
How Helene amplified community colleges’ role in local news and information | EdNC’s Caroline Parker, President Shelley White from Haywood Community College, and Kerri Glover from A-B Tech discussed this topic during a summit in the fall. Read a recap from their conversation here.
ICYMI | EdNC covered the future of Maine’s free community college program in February. Last month, Gov. Janet Mills made the program permanent for future high school graduates. Learn more.
Other higher education reads
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