Community College Project
Reporting
Reporting Objectives
Deep reporting about institutions that shape local opportunity
The Community College Project is designed to produce in-depth investigations and accountability journalism about colleges that are essential to local economies but often overlooked by the press.
Partner newsrooms will select areas of focus with Open Campus editors. Published work could include data-driven accountability stories, a major investigation with follow-ups, or public service tools that may be used to better understand and navigate these institutions and their programs.
Latest Stories
‘Let down by legislators’: Thousands of Minnesota college students face reduced financial aid due to legislative inaction
Minnesota is stripping away how much aid students receive from its State Grant Program, because of a $131 million budget hole that lawmakers neglected to fill.
As financial aid for workforce training launches, North Carolina community colleges find few courses mesh with strict federal rules
Officials estimate less than 1% of course sections will be eligible for Workforce Pell.
Coverage areas
Questions this project can help people answer
Student outcomes
Are students completing credentials that lead to transfer, good jobs and economic mobility?
Workforce promises
Are workforce programs aligned with local labor markets, employer needs and student goals?
Public dollars
How are taxpayer dollars, grants and institutional resources being used, and who benefits?
Access and barriers
Which students are being served well, and where are cost, transportation, child care or bureaucracy getting in the way?
Governance
Who makes decisions about programs, budgets and strategy, and how transparent are those decisions?
Community impact
What happens when colleges succeed, fall short or change direction in communities that depend on them?