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On June 3rd, ŷ������Ͷע’s Future of Work and Innovation Economy initiative and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) co-hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill on “Not Just Universities: How NSF Funding Opens Community College Pathways to the Future of Work and the American Dream.” Sponsored by the , Representatives Bill Foster, a Democrat from Illinois, and Jim Baird, a Republican from Indiana, opened the panel.

As Foster explained, the CHIPS Act authorized nearly doubling NSF funds, but appropriators have not matched that level. In fact, NSF may face cuts of , with a 75% cut to the agency’s STEM education directorate, if Congress follows the administration’s proposed budget. The remainder of the event, expert after expert explained all the ways this would cause harm. As Representative Baird emphasized, the workforce development made possible by NSF has bolstered our nation’s economy, public health, and national security. And, importantly, the education supported by NSF has provided a reliable pathway to the middle class, a core tenet of the American Dream, and something increasingly challenging for people to achieve.

Employers rely on skilled technical workers to do the work they need done; these workers rely on community colleges to get the skills they need to succeed on the job, and community colleges rely on NSF to catalyze innovation and collaboration.

Research from ŷ������Ͷע's Future of Work and Innovation Economy initiative has highlighted the unique value of NSF funding in helping community colleges meet the needs of both traditional and emerging STEM industries. NSF’s Advanced Technological Education program has supported more than 600 community colleges since its inception in the early 1990s. During the briefing, ŷ������Ͷע's Shalin Jyotishi cited new programs , like NSF’s Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC), NSF’s , and , which support capacity-building, work-based learning, and economic development partnerships, respectively. These NSF programs are in areas like AI, biotechnology, textiles innovation, and beyond.

Dr. Daniel Phelan, President of Jackson College in Michigan, began his remarks with a direct appeal to appropriators to “minimally ensure that we have $9.9 billion in funding available for NSF to help us advance science and technology funding, ensuring the health and well-being of that ecosystem. I can tell you that because without NSF funding at Jackson College, we would not be where we are, full stop.” NSF funding opened doors for the college, allowing them to focus on blockchain work, integrating it within other fields, and working with the local K-12 system to ensure students have the building blocks they need early.

As Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs at SUNY Corning Community College, Tony Wohlers says he constantly thinks about two things: the community and the students. He added that “NSF is facilitating that mission we are seeking in terms of helping our students be successful, giving them the knowledge and skills to be successful in the workforce and ultimately contribute to a better place to live for all of us.” At SUNY Corning, a successful optics program made possible by NSF resources is helping the community thrive economically and promoting national security at the same time. SUNY Corning was one of the community college partners participating in the

As a Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) student, Judy participated in an NSF-funded program, which gave her “all the tools [she] needed” to design a mobile app and pitch it successfully. From access to top-of-the-line equipment, mentorship, public speaking, and career exposure, this experience gave Judy the skills and the confidence to pursue her bachelor’s degree in business from The George Washington University and secure a prestigious scholarship.

Finally, the audience heard from an industry leader why federal investment from the NSF matters to businesses. David Shahoulian, Director of Workforce and Governmental Policy at Intel, explained that NSF funding undergirds the work Intel does. All the investments Intel makes in research and development wouldn’t mean anything without the next generation of engineers, computer scientists, and skilled technical workers. He called the NSF a “great taxpayer investment” because of the funding that the private sector matches to create programs that meet their needs, but also have a public benefit. The AI upskilling program Intel cofunds with NSF, for example, does not just benefit Intel. Rather, students can use those skills in a variety of industries, including healthcare and manufacturing. In addition to its direct investments in community college AI education, with NSF in workforce training, alongside other industry partners such as .

As Democrats and Republicans continue to jockey for the support of the middle class, appropriators in particular should keep this in mind when considering the budget for NSF education. The benefits of NSF funding to the middle class, industry, and the nation writ large are clear—as are the harms of slashing the agency’s budget.