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Community colleges and other higher education institutions will benefit from new federal funding for workforce development programs and artificial intelligence advancement in education, the federal government announced on Nov. 10.
In 2026, the Department of Education will make $50 million available for the creation and expansion of short-term programs, which are more common at community colleges and are now eligible for federal Pell grant funding, according to a news release.
Additionally, a $50 million initiative for artificial intelligence will fund dual-enrollment programs where high school students can earn college credits for completing coursework on artificial intelligence offered by their local higher education institutions, according to the department.
“These priorities will ensure that grantees have the resources needed to build on our administration’s successes and support initiatives that will continue to enhance the educational experience for all students,” Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent said in the Nov. 10 release, which also noted grants are available for promoting civil discourse and accreditation reform.
These federal funding boosts coincide with a modest resurgence at community colleges across the nation. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that enrollment at public two-year higher learning institutions increased by 288,000 students, or 5.4 percent—the largest among all types of colleges and universities—between the spring of 2024 and this past spring.
The research center also noted that enrollment in undergraduate certificate programs increased by 19.1 percent between 2022 and 2024, compared to 13 percent for graduate certificate programs, 2.9 percent for bachelor’s degree programs, and 6.9 percent for associate degree programs.
Enrollment in both undergraduate and graduate programs, as of May 2025, was still below pre-pandemic levels (2019–2020 academic year), the research center reported.
According to College Board’s annual survey, Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid, the average in-state tuition costs for community colleges last year were $4,050, compared to about $11,600 for public four-year colleges and more than $43,000 for private four-year schools.
On Nov. 6, members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee said community colleges are underappreciated for their role in providing millions of Americans access to affordable higher education.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), a physician by trade, noted that community college after his high school graduation, combined with his service in the Army reserves and three jobs, provided a path to medical school.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said higher education systems should improve transparency about transfer credits from community colleges to both public and private colleges and universities while also giving high school students the chance to earn a year or more of dual enrollment credits before earning a diploma.
“Fifty percent of George Mason University students started in community college,” Kaine said. “And on graduation day, you can’t tell from [grade point average] who started in community college. You can’t tell from the jobs they’re getting. But the one way to tell is how much debt they have.”
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.
