A community college north of Sacramento is trying out an innovative way to lower costs for needy students with a new "Endow-a-Bed" program.

Sierra College received $80 million from the state to build a new dorm with 354 beds, where students will pay about $450 a month to live while they are in school.

Sonbol Aliabadi, executive director of the Sierra College Foundation, said donors have stepped up to offer free room and board for a few, very low-income students.

"We have a little over seven beds endowed," Aliabadi explained. "Hopefully, by the time that the dorms are ready, which will be the fall of 2026, we will have all 10 beds endowed already."

A recent report from the State Legislative Analyst found almost one-quarter of students surveyed at California community colleges reported being homeless at some point over the last twelve months.

Only full-time, very low-income students will qualify for the free room and meals at Sierra College. The school estimated it costs about $6,000 per year to offer the lodging, with meals at the school cafeteria at an additional cost.

Aliabadi noted donors are stepping up to keep the program running indefinitely.

"For a one-time investment of $250,000, at a rate of return of 3%, you generate about $7,500 a year," Aliabadi outlined. "That would cover both room and board for one student, in perpetuity."

Sierra College also got a grant to make four emergency beds available in the existing dorms. If a student suddenly becomes homeless, they can stay in the dorm for 30 days and work with the school to find permanent housing.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


get more stories like this via email

As President-elect Donald Trump announces immigration hard-liners as his deputy chief of staff and border czar this week, groups supporting undocumented college students in California are vowing to stand up for people's rights.

Golden State colleges serve 83,000 undocumented students, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.

Jessie Ryan, executive director of the Campaign for College Opportunity, part of the California Undocumented Higher Education Coalition, expressed the mounting concerns.

"We got a glimpse into some of what might be done in Project 2025 statements," Ryan explained. "Looking at things like mass deportation, including ending pathways to citizenship."

There is also concern the Trump administration might pull DACA work authorization from the so-called Dreamers, people brought to the U.S. as children. People can find a map of resources broken down by campus on the website of the California Undocumented Coalition for Higher Education.

Ryan hopes California's sanctuary state law will deter any immigration raids on college campuses but there is no guarantee.

"The mood is very somber, both with the coalition and with our students and families," Ryan observed. "Many of our students and families are feeling fearful and uncertain of what their futures will be and whether or not college remains accessible to them, or if they're even valued as part of the campus communities."

Gov. Gavin Newsom just called a special session of the Legislature and established a legal fund to challenge efforts to undo protections for vulnerable populations.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


get more stories like this via email

CORRECTION: About 180,000 West Virginians have completed some college, but received no credential. An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated these students had dropped out of college in the last year. (1:34 p.m. MDT, Nov. 11, 2024)

The West Virginia Education Policy Commission said its new initiative will help more residents with some college education but no degree earn certificates, opening the door to new career pathways and aid employers seeking qualified workers.

Beez Schell, academic officer for the commission, reported more than 500,000 West Virginia residents have a high school degree and more than 200,000 have completed college courses but do not have a degree. She said the Credential WV initiative is aimed at those people.

"We have a very high rate of high school graduations and then they get into college and they leave," Schell observed. "We know that there's been learning taking place at that time, and so what we want to do is to recognize that."

According to the Education Data Initiative, nearly 180,000 Mountain State students have completed some college, but received no credential. Nationwide, an estimated 36 million people have completed college courses or training, but did not obtain a degree.

Schell pointed out health care and other fields are good options for stacked credentials.

"Some other opportunities are around phlebotomy, pharmacy technician, medical coding and billing, certified nurse aide," Schell outlined.

She noted microcredientals can be a tool to help people continue to pursue a higher-education path, one step at a time.

"The more success that you build in, the more the student or the learner is going to hang in there for just maybe one more step and one more step," Schell explained. "That bachelor's degree definitely makes a difference."

The number of certificate or microcrediental earners younger than age 18 jumped by 18.8% in 2022-2023 compared with the prior year, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.


Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


get more stories like this via email

Artificial intelligence is changing how people learn and work, and universities in North Carolina and across the country are racing to keep up.

William Peace University in Raleigh is one of them, taking part in a national program to help students develop the AI skills they will need to thrive in the workplace.

Lynda Szymanski, vice president of academic affairs at the university, said it is all about giving students real-world experience and preparing them for the demands of today's jobs.

"The statistic that really struck me is, 66% of the leaders said they would not hire someone without artificial intelligence skills," Szymanski noted. "We feel compelled to make sure our students have the skills that they need to be successful."

The latest Gallup poll found 93% of Fortune 500 companies are already using AI in the workplace. William Peace is one of 124 schools selected to participate in the American Association of Colleges and Universities inaugural Institute on AI, Pedagogy and the Curriculum.

Michelle Corvette, director of faculty development and immersive learning at the university, said the new focus brings some challenges, especially in teaching students when and how to use AI responsibly. The goal is to help them rethink how they work and learn, and one way they are doing it is by integrating AI into the curriculum from day one.

"That is something that we do focus on here at William Peace University," Corvette explained. "Because our students experience immersive learning and generative AI in our first-year seminar classes as first years and then all the way to senior. And we don't just save it for our senior seminar students."

As a part of the initiative, she said the university will join other schools in monthly webinars to share ideas. Faculty members will also connect with mentors and AI experts to help navigate learning.