Posted on April 29, 2026 at 3:30 PM by Emily Shields
The best way to support Iowa community colleges is to sign-up for our Action Center to join the 1,000+ Iowans ready to help.
At the 60th Anniversary, we are steadfast in our mission of providing accessible higher education and training statewide, for Iowans to learn and work where they live.
In 1966, Iowa legislators carefully constructed and passed the “Area Schools Act.” Some trade schools and two-year colleges already existed throughout the state, but it is with this bill that the system largely as we know it was pioneered with a sustained public investment and an intentional design reaching every corner of the state.
That decision reshaped Iowa. Our community colleges have trained generations of nurses, teachers, welders, mechanics, technicians, and entrepreneurs. They offered second chances and first starts. And these opportunities were based on the simple but powerful belief that higher education should be local, affordable, and within reach for every Iowan.
It was quickly realized that community colleges had been the missing piece needed for workforce development, economic growth, and civic vitality. Over the years, new programs have emerged to partner closely with business and industry to meet workforce needs. Whether delivering customized business training or prospecting new offerings like bachelor's degrees, community colleges have remained dedicated to our mission: meet students and communities where they are.
As we look ahead, one projection may define the decades to come. Education beyond high school is anticipated to become the norm for everyone. Learning will not be confined to a single chapter of life, but woven throughout it, with Iowans returning to build new skills, earn new credentials, and pursue new opportunities. Community colleges will be the place where that reality becomes possible, combining flexibility, accessibility, and deep community roots in ways no other higher education systems can.
While legislators have made great strides on behalf of the public, it is today’s Iowans that must advocate for community colleges as essential public institutions. Community colleges need public support that recognizes education is not only a private benefit, but a shared responsibility with a shared return.
Advocating for Iowa’s community colleges is advocating for Iowa itself. It is a commitment to rural and urban communities alike. It is a certainty that talent lives everywhere and deserves the chance to grow anywhere. And it is a vote of confidence in a future where technology strengthens human connection, learning lasts a lifetime, and opportunity remains close to home.
If Iowans choose to champion community colleges now, we can make the next 60 years even more transformative than the last.
The best way to support Iowa community colleges is to sign-up for our Action Center to join the 1,000+ Iowans ready to help.