2 October Itawamba Community College joins national initiative on College Cost Transparency October 2, 2023 By Thomas, Donna S. Career Center, General 0 Itawamba Community College has joined the College Cost Transparency Initiative, a coalition of more than 360 higher education institutions that have voluntarily committed to follow a set of principles and standards that ensure transparency, clarity and understanding around student financial aid offers, which was announced this week. Together, these institutions serve more than 3.5 million college students in the United States. “Choosing to attend college is one of the most significant financial aid decisions a student or family can make,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “Knowing how much it will cost up front is crucial, and ICC is committed to providing students clear and accurate financial information. We are proud to be a partner in this work.” The monumental commitment comes as lawmakers, think tanks and government entities continue to scrutinize the financial aid offers that colleges and universities present to students. The principles and standards recommended by the CCT – a task force composed of the leaders of 10 higher education associations representing college presidents, financial aid offices and admissions and school counselors which originated last fall – respond to the needs of students and families in a distinct and careful manner. “Students and families need upfront, accurate and clear information when making decisions about college,” said Peter McPherson, chair of the CCT task force and president emeritus of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). “Some standard terminology and clear requirements on what is to be included in financial aid offers is important. Colleges and universities are committing to give students and families the information they need.” Moving forward, the College Cost Transparency Initiative will be managed by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. This work is generously sponsored by a grant from Strada Education Foundation. “As a former student and current college financial aid administrator, I can see how students and parents would be confused about how much a college degree actually costs,” said Terry Bland, ICC Financial Aid director. “We welcome the College Cost Transparency Initiative and all that it will bring with it. At ICC, we are revamping our College Cost webpage, our Shopping Sheet and our Financial Aid award letter to fully support this initiative. It is a very arduous task to pull together all of the direct and indirect costs for every program and lay them out in a format that is easily interpreted by potential students and their parents.” Bland currently serves as immediate past president of the Mississippi Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators for 2023-24 and is a longtime member of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Among the principles and standards that financial aid offers to undergraduate students are Transparency, ensuring that costs are understandable for students and families and include the most accurate estimate possible of student cost. Describe and explain all types of aid offered using standardized, plain language. Prominently display critical components, such as an estimate of the student’s total cost of attendance, categorized by costs to be paid to the institutions and separated into grants and scholarships, student loans and student employment/work, an estimated net price and more. Follow U.S. Department of Education guidance regarding referencing Parent PLUS Loans. Provide information about employment requirements and information on job placement if student employment is offered. Explain the terms and conditions and information on how much student loan debt may cost over time if federal student loans are included. ICC is one of two community colleges and one university in the state that are committed to use CCT standards by Nov. 1 or later. The others are Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Blue Mountain Christian University. Related Articles Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... ICC joins in MACJC effort for legislative support JACKSON- In an effort to get the Mississippi Legislature’s attention, community college presidents, faculty and students reminded everyone at a Capitol building press conference Feb. 27 that community/junior colleges provide a vast array of educational and economic opportunities for everyone. “The annual MACJC Capitol Day is an opportunity for the 15 community colleges to have a unified voice since we are all working toward the same goal, which is to provide quality instruction while preparing students for successful futures,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. Additionally, the two-year college system also provides a healthy return on every dollar spent on the nation’s oldest community college system. MACJC Legislative co-chair and Jones College President Dr. Jesse Smith encouraged legislators to “face the facts.” “For every dollar invested in the community college system, the return on the investment is four-dollars and eighty-six cents. That’s a worthwhile investment if you’re just talking about an investment but what about the people?” asked Smith. Long lists of facts were shared with the crowd, like ... Aspen Institute names ICC as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Aspen Institute Names Itawamba Community College as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Eligible for 2021 Aspen Prize $1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named Itawamba Community College as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. Based on strong and improving in student outcomes—including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings and equity—15 percent of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff.” The 150 community colleges named today as eligible to compete for the ... ICC named one of nation's top 150 community colleges Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. Those selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit data and narratives as the next steps in an intensive data and practice review process, culminating in the announcement of the Prize winner in spring 2023. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to be afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty ... Aspen Institute names ICC as one of nation's top 150 and eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff, without whom it would not be possible.” ICC was selected as a top community college in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 and as a semifinalist in 2023. The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community ... Community college faculty renew plea for funding, salary increases JACKSON – Mississippi has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the United States, yet the 15 community colleges, which are ideally positioned to offer the programs that impact the state’s job growth, continue to be chronically underfunded. Mississippi has more than 40,000 job openings but the majority of those jobs require some education and training beyond high school, but not a bachelor's degree. Community college career and technical programs are demand-driven educational programs tailored in each community to meet local needs. The Mississippi Faculty Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MFACJC) wants to make sure legislators and communities understand how beneficial the community college system is to our state, said MFACJC President Mary Warren, who teaches at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. However, to make good on the promises of those benefits of a quality education, educational resources need to improve. That includes salary increases for faculty who have not had a state-funded raise since 2008, she said. “I can truly appreciate all the work our legislators do to make Mississippi a better place to live, but I think it’s time we fund ... Comments are closed.