Norco College has been awarded funding by the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) as part of its latest Catalyst Fund Awards. Norco College is among 32 recipients receiving funding totaling $220,000, supporting institutions within California’s public higher education systems. This funding round focused on initiatives aimed at removing cost as a barrier to college through innovative practices that enhance affordability and support equitable access to higher education.
NASH sought out programs and initiatives at institutions within the California State University system, University of California system, and California Community Colleges system that demonstrated innovative practices with potential for replication and scale. The Catalyst Fund focuses on discovering innovative ideas to share with NASH’s extensive network of systems nationwide, helping advance all students.
“NASH’s Catalyst Fund empowers our colleges to implement groundbreaking solutions that address the financial challenges some students face," said Sonya Christian, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. "By enhancing affordability and accessibility, we can ensure that higher education is within reach for everyone. This collaboration highlights the power of collective efforts in transforming lives and communities across California.”
"We are thrilled to recognize innovative initiatives across all three of California's public higher education systems. With NASH's support, these institutions are breaking down financial barriers, making higher education more accessible and affordable for all students," said Jessica Todman, Executive Vice President at NASH. "This investment is a testament to our commitment to fostering student success and sharing best practices across our extensive network through the Power of Systems. We hope the insights gained from this work will enable us to scale evidence-based interventions beyond California, as the collective efforts of all our systems aim to advance prosperity for the nation."
"The Catalyst Fund grant will significantly enhance our ability to support students who face financial challenges," said Dr. Monica Green, President of Norco College. "This funding will allow us to implement and expand programs that make college more affordable and accessible, ultimately helping more students achieve their educational goals."
The additional awarded institutions and system offices presented a number of initiatives focused on areas such as making college accessible and affordable for low-income students by addressing financial needs not covered by traditional aid and reducing net tuition through various means such as reduced rates, fee waivers, scholarships, and microgrants for basic needs. Some also emphasized improving the communication and transparency of cost and financial aid information, providing comprehensive support services like daycare, transportation, food banks, and affordable housing, and implementing strategies to decrease time to degree for low-income, traditionally underrepresented, and non-traditional students.
About the NASH Catalyst Fund
The NASH Catalyst Fund encourages broad engagement of member systems in sharing promising practices that are leading to equitable student success outcomes scalable to fellow systems. Its impact will be far-reaching, but the concept is simple: through pooled philanthropic support, NASH can recognize and incentivize the development of our members’ big ideas that, once proven to work, have the potential to be scaled not only across a single system but amongst peers around the country.
The first round of the NASH Catalyst Fund included $275,000 to recognize hotspots of best practices that demonstrate interventions that are already underway and proving to be successful with the potential to have a catalytic impact in meeting NASH’s measurable goals. More information can be found at https://www.nash.edu).
About the National Association of Higher Education Systems
Founded in 1979, the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) works to advance the role of multi-campus systems and the concept of system-ness to create a more vibrant and sustainable higher education sector. NASH systems are comprised of more than 700 campuses and serve more than 7.5 million students in nearly every state in the United States. To learn more about NASH and its national transformation agenda, the Power of Systems, visit (http://www.nash.edu).
About Norco College
Norco College, a part of the Riverside Community College District, is dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable education and fostering an inclusive environment for all students. With a commitment to innovation and community engagement, Norco College offers a wide range of programs and services designed to support student success and address the diverse needs of its student population. To learn more about Norco College, visit (https://www.norcocollege.edu).