The Coordinating Commission recently submitted to the Governor and Legislature its postsecondary operating budget and capital construction recommendations for the 2013-15 biennium.
The Coordinating Commission recently released Section C of its annual Factual Look at Higher Education in Nebraska. Section C analyzes the numbers of full-time instructional faculty and the average salaries of full-time instructional faculty at Nebraska's public and independent postsecondary institutions. It does not include for-profit/career schools. Among the findings of Section C:
The Coordinating Commission in 2011-12 awarded more than $780,000 in scholarships to low-income Nebraska high school students through the Access College Early (ACE) scholarship program. The scholarships cover tuition and mandatory fees for these students to take college courses from participating Nebraska colleges and universities, either through dual enrollment or early enrollment agreements. Some more ACE numbers from 2011-12:
Applying for the Access College Early (ACE) scholarship is now even easier.
The Coordinating Commission, which administers the program, has converted the ACE application from a manual to a completely online process. Participating students, guidance counselors and college representatives can access the new application from the main ACE page on the commission website.
The commission awards more than 2,000 ACE scholarship awards annually to low-income Nebraska high-school students who enroll in courses at Nebraska’s eligible colleges and universities.
The Coordinating Commission typically saves Nebraska taxpayers millions of dollars a year by reviewing capital construction projects at the state's public postsecondary institutions.
The Nebraska Constitution requires the commission to review, monitor and approve or disapprove capital construction projects that use more than $2 million in tax funds to construct facilities, or more than $85,000 per year in tax funds to operate and maintain. Disapproved projects cannot receive state funds for construction or ongoing operating and maintenance costs.
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has appointed a new commissioner, Dr. Deborah A. Frison, to the state's Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE).
As one of 11 commissioners, Frison will work with CCPE staff to fulfill the commission's many duties, which are spelled out in both the state's Constitution and in statute. Frison represents District 2, which covers north Omaha.
The Coordinating Commission awarded nearly $15 million to more than 15,000 needy college students last year as part of the Nebraska Opportunity Grant program.
The state of Nebraska provides the Nebraska Opportunity Grant - formerly the Nebraska State Grant - to students who meet certain qualifications. Qualifications include being a Nebraska resident, attending a Nebraska postsecondary institution, and having a minimum Expected Family Income (EFC) as determined by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Coordinating Commission is now accepting applications for the 2012 ACE Plus Scholarship Program. ACE Plus scholarships are available to full-time, first-year and second-year college students who received an Access College Early (ACE) Scholarship in high school.
The ACE Plus Scholarship was developed by the Coordinating Commission to encourage former ACE students to attend college full time. It's funded by the federal College Access Challenge Grant. The ACE Plus program first awarded scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year. In that first year:
The Coordinating Commission recently honored longtime Commissioner Dr. Dick C.E. Davis of Omaha, who served on the Commission since its inception, in 1991, until January 2012.
Coordinating Commission Executive Director Marshall Hill recently testified on numerous bills under consideration by the Legislature.
