The dwindling number of Colorado students who didn’t complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the 2020-21 school year—nearly 1,900 fewer than the previous year—has raised concern among advocates focused on helping high school students realize their higher education dreams. 

Especially troubling to educators and others in the state: The most pronounced downturns occurred at schools with greater low-income populations and a high number of students of color.

Community colleges have been experts in delivering short-term programming for adult learners for decades; this is where they thrive and where other institutions can leverage their expertise. 

In this interview, Sandra Kurtinitis of the Community College of Baltimore County discusses how quality microcredentials can offer a fast and flexible way to get learners back into the workforce and keep them relevant throughout their career.  

Since Aug. 1, the test positivity rate in Stanislaus County has climbed from 8 percent to nearly 13 percent. On Aug. 16, 740 new COVID cases were reported in the county, which has a population of roughly 550,000. And on the campus of Stanislaus State, part of the California State University system, nine positive cases prompted contact tracing to 88 people who then had to be monitored.

Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn explains how she made the tough decision to shift classes online just days before the start of the semester.