The application period for the 2025-26 Career Academy Incentive Fund remains open through April 17 for the next grant cycle.

The Career Academy Incentive Fund supports increased access to career academy programs through regional centers and highlights partnerships between school districts, community colleges, business and industry and other partners. Successful proposals promote equitable access to high-quality career and technical education programs and include at least one school district and one community college. Priority consideration will be given to applicants who focus on programming delivered to at least four school districts. The Department will also consider tier 2 proposals that improve or expand existing career academies delivered through a regional center.

For more information, please contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.

The 2025 Annual Condition of Iowa’s Community Colleges report is now available on the Department’s website. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the performance, trends and impact of Iowa’s 15 community colleges.

Drawing on statewide data, it highlights enrollment patterns, student outcomes, workforce contributions, and financial conditions, offering policymakers and educators a clear picture of how these institutions serve students and the broader economy.

The report notes continued significant increases in noncredit and joint-enrollment programs, with the total completions for noncredit programs increasing by more than 26 percent. Additionally, the number of certificates and diplomas awarded by Iowa’s community colleges increased by 13.3 percent.

For more information on the 2025 Condition of Community Colleges report, contact Bureau of Community Colleges administrative consultant Vlad Bassis at vladimir.bassis@iowa.gov.

The State Park and Institutional Roads Program provides funding to construct, reconstruct, improve, and maintain roadways, including bridges, within the boundaries of state-owned lands or community college property. Sixty-five one-hundredths of one percent of the Road Use Tax Fund is allocated to maintain and improve the State Park and Institutional Roads system.

The Park and Institutional Roads System has over 600 miles of roadways. State agencies participating in the program are the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC), the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) State Fair Board, the Department of Human Services (DHS), the National Guard of Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Board of Regents and the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Capitol Complex.

If interested in participating in this program, please complete this form to submit a proposal for State Park & Institutional Road funds for the calendar year 2031.

The deadline for calendar year 2031 road fund proposals is EOB Friday, May 29, 2026.

These funds are limited due to past obligations, so please limit your requests between $100,000 and $400,000 to accommodate more than one project per calendar year and note that the average project award amount has historically been approximately $200,000. The scoring rubric favors proposals from institutions that have not recently received funds.

Per Iowa Code, each agency is allocated a percentage of the fund based on the following: Iowa DNR (45.5%), Board of Regents (30%), Iowa DHS (6.5%), Iowa Department of Education (6%), Iowa DOC (5.5%), National Guard of Iowa (4%), State Fair Board (2%), and Iowa DAS Capitol Complex (0.5%).

For more information, please contact Education Program Consultant Dr. Jeff Fletcher at jeffrey.fletcher@iowa.gov

As part of reporting and planning for the Workforce Training and Economic Development (WTED) program, colleges recently reported to the Department some of the many innovative ways WTED funds are used to meet industry needs. This month, we want to share how Hawkeye Community College uses WTED funds to supplement GAP tuition assistance programs.

This supplementation enables more individuals to earn industry-recognized credentials in high-demand fields and secure employment in those fields.

The WTED funds are financing tuition for noncredit training programs in healthcare, manufacturing, construction and transportation.

“GAP tuition assistance funding does not stretch far enough to serve all of those in need of gaining access to high-demand industry-recognized training and credentials,” said Hawkeye Community College Director of Workforce Training and Community Development Chris Hannon. “Having access to this resource allows for greater workforce development and community impact.”

In fiscal year 2025, 118 students accessed training in high-demand programs through tuition assistance funded by WTED.

For more information on WTED, contact Bureau of Community Colleges Administrative Consultant Robin Shaffer Lilienthal at robin.lilienthal@iowa.gov.

The Bureau of Community Colleges staff continues its series of technical assistance webinars with an April 23 session on the supplemental weighted funding formula and student reporting.  

This session will focus on the basics of supplemental weighted funding and elements of entering data into the district's Student Information System for correct reporting to Student Reporting in Iowa. Attendees will be provided the documentation and information necessary to calculate the funding formula to determine supplemental weighting as well as the review of definitions and rules for accurate SRI data entry.

Recordings of previous sessions are also available on the technical assistance webpage.

Participants can visit the Community College Technical Assistance Webinars webpage to register or contact Education Program Consultant for Program Quality and Faculty Support Derreck Calkins at derreck.calkins@iowa.gov. 

It’s back for a second year! The 2026 Health Sciences Career Day returns this spring to introduce Iowa’s most in-demand health care careers and pathways to middle school and high school students. Iowa educators with classes in STEM, health sciences-related career and technical education and more are encouraged to register their classes or groups of students for the live, virtual event set on May 14.

Sponsored by the Iowa Hospital Association, Iowa Department of Education and several Iowa health systems, the Health Sciences Career Day offers career-connected learning and exploration of health care careers through engaging videos and live panel discussions. Participating students will hear from each provider on their education and training as well as real-life career experiences during the event.

Six high-demand health care fields will be highlighted during this year’s Health Sciences Career Day. Each 30-minute career segment will feature health care professionals who work in health systems in Iowa, including:

● 9 a.m. Pharmacy – Great River Health, West Burlington
● 9:30 a.m. Nursing – MercyOne, Des Moines
● 10 a.m. Radiology – Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Council Bluffs
● 10:30 a.m. Physical Therapy – Cass Health, Atlantic
● 11 a.m. Emergency Medical Services – Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids
● 11:30 a.m. Surgical Services – Unity Point Health, Des Moines

Registered participants will be able to access all sessions, and educators are welcome to join with an entire class or make sessions available to groups of students interested in health sciences and related careers. The format is flexible, so participants can join based on class schedule or interest in specific careers.

Questions regarding the Health Sciences Career Day can be directed to Corey Martin, Iowa Hospital Association senior vice president of education services, at martinc@ihaonline.org or Heather Meissen, Department administrative consultant, at heather.meissen@iowa.gov

April is Community College Month, an opportunity to celebrate and champion how community colleges serve your students and communities. 

The Department looks forward to highlighting the success of Iowa's 15 community colleges on social media and encourages you to do the same on your campuses and communities.

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), which sponsors the month, has also created a toolkit to provide resources and inspiration for maximizing the impact of Community College Month.

Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend two exciting annual statewide conferences this spring.

Iowa's annual Work Based-Learning Conference is scheduled for April 6, 2026.

Meanwhile, the annual Iowa ACTE Conference is slated for June 19, 2026.