Vision 2025 | New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Call to Action

Building a prosperous and future-ready New Jersey calls for a relentless focus on helping more New Jerseyans achieve postsecondary degrees and credentials that lead to genuine economic mobility and opportunity. New Jersey’s community colleges offer a unique value proposition to address these needs, based on access, quality, affordability, and innovation, and we stand ready to work with all partners for the benefit of our state.

Joining together to do this work is both a moral and an economic imperative.

We are eager to work with all who share this commitment. To learn how you can get involved, please click here.

Action Pillars

To help more New Jerseyans attain postsecondary degrees and credentials of value, we are committed to the following action pillars. Some call for new legislation or funding, while others advocate for new partnerships between community colleges and with external stakeholders. Many will be undertaken by community colleges themselves, reinforcing and building on progress they are already making. These action pillars represent our collective priorities and will shape our focus in the years ahead. We believe implementing these strategies is the best route to equitable academic, social, and economic mobility for all New Jerseyans and broadly shared prosperity for our communities.

Pillar 1: Helping All High School Students Access Pathways to Postsecondary and Career Success

In order to ensure that more New Jerseyans are on a path to family-sustaining careers, that we have an educated, skilled workforce to support economic growth, and that we close equity gaps, New Jersey must implement innovative efforts to help all high school students get on a path to earning a postsecondary credential or degree.

Pillar 2: Fostering Student Success and Completion in Postsecondary Education and Training

It is not enough to enroll students in postsecondary programs: we must ensure that more students earn a credential or degree. NJ’s Community Colleges serve an incredibly diverse population of students with multiple goals.

Pillar 3: Building Transparent, Seamless, and Stackable Pathways That Respond to the Changing Economy

NJ’s Community Colleges recognize that students take many different and unique journeys to postsecondary credentials and degrees and need transparent pathways that can be accessed in myriad ways. These pathways should seamlessly stack to higher levels of education.

Pillar 4: Helping Adults Attain the Credentials They Need for Career Mobility and Labor Market Success

To keep up with evolving skills and achieve economic and career mobility, more adult and working learners will need ongoing access to education and training. Some of these needs can be met through short-term nondegree credential programs at Community Colleges.

Press Releases

July 21, 2025 | News Story

New Jersey Community College Students Honored with Statewide and National Recognition

In Spring 2025, students from New Jersey’s community colleges received statewide and national recognition for their accomplishments.

The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) recognized 35 students from the state’s 18 community colleges as members of the 2025 New Jersey All-State Academic Team. All honorees are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community college students, and were nominated by their college leaders for their academic performance, leadership, and contributions to both campus and community.

Press Releases

July 21, 2025 | News Story

New Jersey Community College Award Winners: Recognizing Excellence and Achievement

The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) recognized 13 exceptional individuals and one organization as recipients of New Jersey Community College Awards for 2025. These awards, given in eight categories, reflect the essential role that New Jersey’s community colleges play in providing accessible, high-quality, and affordable education that serves to transform lives and communities across the Garden State. The vision, leadership, and achievements of these students, college leaders, trustees, state leaders, faculty, alumni, and partners have been integral to the efforts of the community colleges to build a more prosperous state.

Press Releases

July 1, 2025 | News Story

Statement of NJ’s Community Colleges on the FY26 State Budget

On June 30, the Legislature passed the FY 2026 state budget—signed by Governor Murphy—which restores $20 million in critical operating aid for New Jersey’s community colleges and includes a key investment in the Summer Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program.

A Collective Roadmap for Action and a Future Ready New Jersey

Call to Action

Action Pillars

Pillar 1: Helping All High School Students Access Pathways to Postsecondary and Career Success

Pillar 2: Fostering Student Success and Completion in Postsecondary Education and Training

Pillar 3: Building Transparent, Seamless, and Stackable Pathways That Respond to the Changing Economy

Pillar 4: Helping Adults Attain the Credentials They Need for Career Mobility and Labor Market Success

Contact the Council

Upcoming Events

Latest News

New Jersey Community College Students Honored with Statewide and National Recognition

New Jersey Community College Award Winners: Recognizing Excellence and Achievement

Statement of NJ’s Community Colleges on the FY26 State Budget

Council Newsletter

A Collective Roadmap for Action and a Future Ready New Jersey

Call to Action

Action Pillars

Pillar 1: Helping All High School Students Access Pathways to Postsecondary and Career Success

Pillar 2: Fostering Student Success and Completion in Postsecondary Education and Training

Pillar 3: Building Transparent, Seamless, and Stackable Pathways That Respond to the Changing Economy

Pillar 4: Helping Adults Attain the Credentials They Need for Career Mobility and Labor Market Success

Contact the Council

Upcoming Events

Latest News

New Jersey Community College Students Honored with Statewide and National Recognition

New Jersey Community College Award Winners: Recognizing Excellence and Achievement

Statement of NJ’s Community Colleges on the FY26 State Budget