Complete College America

08/25/2026

"Doing the quiet, unglamorous coordination work. The follow-up emails, the rescheduled meetings, the careful listening. That's what makes transformation possible."
-- Jamia Stokes, CCA

That description is what CCA's Annual Convening is built around. Not the announcement or the launch. The follow-through. The people inside this work know what Jamia is describing because they are inside it too.

In December, those people gather in San Diego.

CCA Annual Convening | Dec 1-3, 2026 | San Diego
Register: https://completecollege.org/event/the-2026-cca-annual-convening/

08/24/2026

We're so lucky to be partnering with ILACADA again this year to host this conference — it's shaping up to be a big celebration!

📌 Book your hotel room by Wednesday, August 26th for a chance to win free conference registration! Full details at ilacada.wildapricot.org.

08/18/2026

🌴 Field Notes from Florida: CCA's Jamia Stokes visited Tampa for the Talent Strong Florida Summit and saw what over a decade of Alliance strategies looks like in action — from workforce-connected learning at Tallahassee State College to last-dollar scholarships transforming access in Osceola & Orange counties.

https://completecollege.org/news/amplification-lab-field-notes-from-florida-why-the-alliance-team-shows-up-in-the-states/

Jamia Stokes, CCA Alliance Engagement Director for the Southeast region shares her reflections from the Florida College Access Network's Talent Strong Florida Summit. Part of my job as CCA's Alliance Engagement Director for the Southeast is to spend time in the states we work with, not just reading....

08/12/2026

"Building the connective tissue that lets students move. Clearing roadblocks and building pathways students can actually navigate so the learning they've already done follows them toward a credential that counts."

Most students don't fail because they stop trying. They hit walls: credit that doesn't transfer, support that doesn't connect, a system with gaps nobody mapped. The 2026 Annual Convening brings together the people doing that same work in different states, different systems, and different institutional contexts.

December 1-3 in San Diego. Register: https://completecollege.org/event/the-2026-cca-annual-convening/

08/11/2026

California has a goal: 70% of adults with a college degree or credential by 2030. We're about halfway to that deadline - and 1.3 million credentials away from getting there.

In a new op-ed in the Sacramento Business Journal, CCA President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva teamed up with Jessie Ryan of the Campaign for College Opportunity to spell out what it will take for California to close the gap: stronger dual enrollment, smarter transfer pathways, more credit for prior learning, and support for students' basic needs — not just their tuition bills.

In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a goal to help 70% of the state’s adults earn a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030.

08/05/2026

"Keeping the student in the room. Staying anchored to the real person trying to finish something that will change their life and their family's future for generations."

The hardest part of systems-level work is holding the human frame through every meeting, every data set, and every policy discussion where students become a category instead of a person. CCA's Cassie Walizer names what that discipline requires. It is what the 2026 Annual Convening asks of everyone in the room.

CCA Annual Convening | Dec 1-3, 2026 | San Diego
Register: https://web.cvent.com/event/a0ab18b8-29bb-475c-b9bc-72e59c9005d9/register

08/05/2026

Community colleges educate 40% of the nation's undergraduates — and they're uniquely positioned to be pillars of civic life in their communities.

In a new New America report, CCA President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva is quoted making the case that civic leadership shouldn't be a privilege reserved for a few students. As she's put it: no student should get the message that "democracy will not require either their time or their talent."

Every student deserves the opportunity to become a civic leader — not just those on a traditional four-year track.

https://www.newamerica.org/insights/a-renewed-role-for-community-colleges-as-pillars-of-american-democracy/

As trusted pillars of their communities, community colleges are uniquely positioned to champion nonpartisan civic engagement.

08/04/2026

Registration is now open for Beyond Access: Centering Student Success in Corequisite Support!

Join CCA October 8–9 for a free, virtual institute built with and for faculty, advisors, and institutional leaders doing the hard work of continuous improvement in corequisite implementation. Sessions offer practical tools and shared strategies to support the work already underway on your campus.

Every session sends you home with a resource you can put to use right away.

https://beyondaccess.vfairs.com/

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Cancelling your registration will remove your access to the event. If you proceed, you will no longer be able to participate or access event-related materials.

08/03/2026

New episode alert! On this episode of CCA on the Air, Jennifer Torres sits down with Anika Van Eaton and Brendan Williams from uAspire to dig into their report, Caution: Prices May Vary.

After reviewing 211 financial aid offers from schools in 34 states, they found that confusing, jargon-heavy award letters can seriously affect whether students enroll, persist, and ultimately graduate.

It's not just about paperwork — it's about whether students can understand what college will actually cost them. Listen to hear what's broken and what practical fixes states, systems, and campuses can make today.

🎧 Tune in:

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07/28/2026

Big things happening at Compton College. Starting in fall 2027, some basic needs supports — like free meals and farmers market vouchers — will be tied to academic progress milestones, like filing an education plan or staying on pace to graduate.

Complete College America's Meacie Fairfax shared her take with Inside Higher Ed, calling it "the kind of experimentation that the field needs" — and noting that Compton is "leaning in the right direction" for students.

Full story here:

Starting in fall 2027, students need to meet a set of academic requirements to get free meals, housing help and other supports. College leaders say the move will increase completion rates. But basic needs experts are worried.