Key Takeaways
- •Bipartisan members and witnesses identified community colleges as the primary solution for national workforce shortages, emphasizing the need for continued Pell Grant funding and industry-aligned technical training.
- •Patricia Sims (President, J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College) and Brad Hall (President, Blackfeet Community College) testified that their institutions intentionally avoid federal loans to prevent student debt.
- •Rep. Steny Hoyer (D, MD-5) questioned witnesses on budget cuts, leading Shawn M. Morgan (Vice President, Bevill State Community College) to warn of severe regional labor shortages.
- •Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) called for guardrails against predatory for-profit programs in Workforce Pell, while Rep. Robert Aderholt (R, AL-4) highlighted the cost-effectiveness of two-year degrees.
- •This testimony will inform FY2026 appropriations as the subcommittee balances rising demand for short-term credentials against projected multi-billion dollar shortfalls in the foundational Pell Grant program.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
On March 4, 2026, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing titled "Preparing for the Future: America’s Community Colleges." Chaired by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R, AL-4), the hearing examined how community colleges align education with workforce needs, their cost-effectiveness compared to four-year institutions, and the federal programs that support them. The subcommittee heard from leaders of community colleges in Alabama and Montana, as well as a workforce policy expert, regarding the impact of federal investments like Pell Grants and the Strengthening Community College Training Grants program.
The hearing opened with Chairman Aderholt highlighting a 3 percent increase in community college enrollment in 2025, noting that many students are choosing certificate and associate programs to enter the workforce quickly without the debt associated with four-year degrees. Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) emphasized that while four-year tuition has doubled over 30 years, community college tuition has decreased by 10 percent when adjusted for inflation. However, she expressed concern over potential budget cuts and the need for "guardrails" on short-term programs to prevent predatory for-profit colleges from exploiting federal aid.
Key Testimony
Dr. Patricia Sims, President of J.F. Drake State Community & Technical College (Drake State), testified on the role of historically Black community colleges (HBCCs). She noted that Drake State does not participate in federal loan programs to ensure students graduate debt-free, instead relying on "earn-and-learn" models. She cited the "Connecting Students to Industry" (CSI) program and the "LPN Launch" partnership with Huntsville Hospital as successful models. Dr. Brad Hall, President of Blackfeet Community College (BFCC), discussed the unique role of tribally controlled land-grant institutions. He highlighted that BFCC alumni contributed $15 million to the Blackfeet Nation economy and emphasized the "grow our own" strategy for training healthcare workers and teachers who remain in tribal communities.
Overview
Shalin Jyotishi, Founder and Managing Director of the Future of Work and Innovation Economy Initiative at New America, focused on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. He argued that community colleges are becoming "upskilling hubs" for industries like biotech, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing. He urged the subcommittee to support capacity-building through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Strengthening Community College Training Grants. Shawn Morgan, Vice President of Workforce and Strategic Initiatives at Bevill State Community College (Bevill State), discussed the challenges of serving a 4,600-square-mile rural footprint in Alabama. He highlighted the growth of dual enrollment, which has increased 230 percent in Alabama since 2015, and the development of the Alabama Energy Infrastructure Training Center and Network.
Key Testimony
Policy discussions centered heavily on the Pell Grant program. Witnesses and members discussed the forthcoming "Workforce Pell," which would allow students to use grants for high-demand programs as short as eight weeks. While Republicans and witnesses praised the flexibility of Workforce Pell for fields like CDL and HVAC, Ranking Member DeLauro cited a Brookings Institution study showing that 70 percent of graduates from some 10-week programs earn less than they would have without the program, necessitating strict quality metrics. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D, MD-5) questioned witnesses on the impact of proposed 50 percent cuts to community college funding, which witnesses stated would be "detrimental" to infrastructure and faculty retention.
Overview
The hearing also touched on industry-specific impacts. Rep. Michael Simpson (R, ID-2) discussed the difficulty of recruiting healthcare professionals to remote reservations, suggesting that tribal colleges are the best solution for training local members. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D, PA-4) noted that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is building a high-tech manufacturing facility in her district, requiring a workforce that community colleges are uniquely positioned to train. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R, GA-9) questioned the allocation of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grants at HBCUs and tribal colleges, asking if there was a specific surge in violence; witnesses clarified that while campuses are safe, they deal with the "residuals" of domestic issues students face at home.
Key Testimony
Several organizations were identified throughout the testimony. The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) was cited as a major economic driver contributing $8 billion annually. The National Science Foundation (NSF) was praised for its Advanced Technological Education program and the "BUILT" model for industry leadership. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) were identified as the primary vehicles for scaling capacity-building grants. Other entities mentioned in the context of tech partnerships included OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Intel Corporation, all of which have committed resources to community college AI development. Regional institutions like Lanier Technical College (Lanier Tech), Reading Area Community College (RACC), and Palm Beach State College were highlighted as models of local workforce alignment.
Overview
The hearing concluded with a bipartisan consensus on the value of community colleges, though disagreements remained regarding the appropriate level of federal funding and the specific regulations required for short-term workforce programs. Ranking Member DeLauro requested that witnesses provide specific methodologies for defining "quality education" to help the subcommittee prioritize future appropriations.
Transcript
Good morning, everyone. It is good to have everyone here in the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee today. And thanks to our witnesses for coming to testify this morning on the topic of community colleges. We will hear from these innovative leaders about how their institutions are preparing students for promising careers and delivering an education that is aligned with workforce needs and at the same time being cost-effective. I look forward to hearing about their efforts to help students succeed and become workforce ready and what we should know as we examine programs in this subcommittee's jurisdiction. The secret is clearly out, and that is the value that community colleges deliver students and the local economy. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, community college enrollment grew 3 percent in the fall of 2025. That is double the 1.4 percent increase at public four-year colleges. Enrollment increased 1.9 percent in certificate programs and by 2.2 percent in associate degree programs. That is faster than the approximately 1 percent increase for the bachelor's program. So it is clear that many students are eager to enter or re-enter the workforce more quickly after getting the necessary skills and training in less time and in less money than the traditional four-year degree. That should not come as any surprise as more Americans are questioning what exactly they are getting from a college degree. A September 2025 Gallup poll found that the share of Americans who view colleges as very important has fallen to 35 percent. And that is down from 75 percent in 2010. A separate NBC News poll this past November found only one-third of Americans think that four-year college degrees is worth the cost, down from about half saying it was worth it in 2017. Now, to be sure, by highlighting the success of community college, we are in no way downplaying the role of four-year institutions. But for many years, the federal approach to higher education made a priority and greater access and enrollment for four-year institutions. And while a four-year degree can bring some great career opportunities and higher lifetime earnings, the experience is far from universal. The federal government invests $131 billion annually in financial aid through loans and grants. Despite this outsized investment, too many students do not see the expected benefits and unfortunately a few end up worse off financially. It is encouraging that leaders at community colleges around the country are focused on programs and strategies to set students up for success. Their institutions offer opportunities to learn and gain experience in high-demand fields, avoiding an expensive degree that is not in demand by industry. Our nation's community colleges serve students in all stages of life: students seeking their high school diploma equivalency, those who graduated high school years ago, those that are working students with children, students which seek to switch career fields, and those looking for specific skills to advance in their existing career. Many students enroll part-time because they do not want or they cannot afford to miss a paycheck in the interim. Community college excels at tailoring their programs to all students, offering a range of programs from stackable credentials to associate's degree and offering flexible course schedules at night and on weekends or sometimes even online. Through dual enrollment programs, community colleges are a connection for our K-12 schools, giving students exposure to college material and career opportunities they may not have known otherwise or known was available to them. Through partnerships with local employers, community colleges integrate hands-on learning, which means students can be immersed in the most up-to-date training standards and equipment. Community colleges offer tremendous value. Average in-district tuition and fees for a public two-year school totaled just over $4,000 in the year 2024 to 2025, nearly $8,000 less than an in-state cost for a public four-year school. Today we will hear from higher education and workforce development leaders about what they are doing to prioritize student success and to respond to the needs in the workforce. These leaders across the country from Browning, Montana, all the way to my home state of Alabama are forward-thinking and responsive to the needs of both students and surrounding industry. Securing strong pipelines of workers into critical fields is a win-win for students and also for employers and also for our economy. Whether it is nursing home, commercial truck drivers, line workers, advanced manufacturing, skilled industry trades, or fields like hospitality and education, our workforce needs are growing. Amid an aging population, we also contend with worker shortages and find new ways to mitigate them. Rural areas, much like the district I represent, feel the pressure of addressing workforce shortages acutely. Today we look forward to hearing about the success of these schools and how they are focused on improving students' outcomes. Before I turn to the ranking member for her remarks, I would like to introduce our first witnesses. First is Dr. Patricia Sims, who is president of J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College in Huntsville, Alabama. And I am going to save the next guest to be introduced, Brad Hall, by one of my colleagues in just a minute. And then also I am pleased that we are going to also hear from Mr. Shawn Morgan, vice president of workforce and strategy initiative at Bevill State Community College located in the district that I represent. And also we have Shalin Jyotishi, founder and managing director of the Future of Work and Innovation Economy Initiative at New America. So glad to have each of you here and look forward to you sharing your expertise with us today. And if I could turn now to, we will go ahead and allow Mr. Zinke from Montana to recognize one of our panelists as well.
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