• February 17, 2026

‘It’s Just Convenient For Me’: New Hinds Community College Program Topples Barriers to Higher Education  

Maria Cormier spoke with Mississippi Today about ways community colleges are supporting students through wraparound services like childcare, financial support, and food and transportation assistance.

• February 11, 2026

Community Colleges Struggle to Serve Growing Population of Multilingual Students, New Study Finds

The EDU Ledger covered a CCRC report on multilingual learners and the significant barriers to persistence and completion they face, despite representing a substantial portion of the student body at institutions serving immigrant communities.

• February 11, 2026

Keeping Track of College Transfers

In Wilmington Biz, John Fink discussed how establishing clear transfer pathways can ensure the success of transfer students, who often take longer than expected to complete their programs on time.

• February 10, 2026

Dual Enrollment Surges to 2.8 Million Students as Equity Gaps Persist

The EDU Ledger reported on a newly released CCRC fact sheet that covers the growth of dual enrollment, who has access to it, and considerations for improvement.

• February 6, 2026

Commentary: Support Nontraditional Students by Expanding Child Care at Community Colleges

Governor Kathy Hochul's proposal for free childcare is an economically sound investment that would provide essential support for parents at community colleges, who often struggle to juggle work, school, and caregiving responsibilities, Pascale Mevs wrote in the Times Union.

• February 4, 2026

4-Year Institutions Eye Programs Eligible for Workforce Pell

Tom Brock told Inside Higher Ed he was heartened that four-year institutions would be able to attract new student demographics through short-term workforce programming funded by FIPSE grants, but cautioned about the lack of evidence that short-term programs boost students' earnings.

• January 28, 2026

Bachelor’s Degrees at Community Colleges: Lawmakers Say Yes, UC and CSU Say Slow Down

In California, a proposed bill would allow community colleges to confer bachelor's degrees, but public and university systems are opposed. Davis Jenkins spoke with CalMatters about community college baccalaureates: “I don’t think CSU has anything to worry about.”

• January 26, 2026

Mountain Empire Embarks on Restructuring Amid Challenges for Community Colleges

John Fink spoke with Cardinal News about dual enrollment and community college funding: “It’s a way to … draw in students who might not otherwise go to college, but now, because they’re starting in high school at your college, they may come back after,” Fink said.

• January 26, 2026

Why a State’s Private Colleges Are Feuding With Its Community Colleges

The Chronicle of Higher Education wrote about a new proposal in Iowa that would allow community colleges to confer bachelor's degrees. Iowa is precisely the kind of state where community-college bachelor’s are needed, Davis Jenkins told the Chronicle, and its colleges have the capacity to offer them.

• January 23, 2026

Author Spotlight: Community Colleges and Career Success

Davis Jenkins spoke with Campus News about CCRC's book, More Essential Than Ever, the role of community colleges in the higher education landscape, and ways to increase community college student success.