Happy Holidays From CCSNH

Season’s greetings from the Community College System of New Hampshire.

As we reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2024, we want to say thank you for what you do individually and collectively to support student growth and success across our seven colleges. The thousands of individuals we serve go on to play critical roles in our workforce and communities and we are grateful to everyone who supports these journeys.

From all of us at CCSNH, we wish you a bright and merry holiday season.

New Program Offers Tuition Reimbursement To First Responders

The New Hampshire Department of Safety, along with the Community College System of New Hampshire and the Police Standards and Training Council, partnered to launch a program dedicated to the state’s first responder workforce. The First Responder program will support career development, recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians by providing reimbursement of costs for courses taken at any of New Hampshire’s community colleges.

“We ask a great deal from our first responders in communities across the state, and they consistently rise to the challenge,” said Dr. Mark Rubinstein, Chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire. “The Community College System of New Hampshire appreciates the opportunity to partner with the State to support those first responders, who take what they learn in our classrooms and put that knowledge to work in ways that make a difference every day throughout New Hampshire.” 

The program was proposed by State Sen. David Watters and included in the state budget passed in June. Law enforcement officers and current full-time career, part-time, on-call or volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians qualify for reimbursements through the program. The program covers tuition and fees for one course per semester and is subject to eligibility, available funding and successful completion of the course. Funds are also available for costs associated with NH Fire Academy courses.

CHIPS Act Designates $35M to NH-Based Microelectronics Center and Training

On Monday, Dec. 11 the U.S. Department of Commerce announced about $35 million for BAE Systems to modernize the Microelectronics Center (MEC) in Nashua. It’s the first funding announcement from the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to strengthen manufacturing, supply chains, and national security in the US. The MEC develops advanced semiconductor technologies to meet military demand. 

As local and state commitments contributed to the funding application, both the state of New Hampshire and the City of Nashua are offering workforce incentives through Nashua Community College (NCC). The state of New Hampshire will provide tuition assistance for NCC's microelectronics bootcamp and the Nashua City Council is providing funds to establish a new clean room training course at NCC.



“Nashua Community College is poised to take this challenge,” said Jon Mason, Director of Workforce Development at NCC. “Our Microelectronics program is a solid foundation which has led to related training opportunities such as a Microelectronics Apprenticeship, a Soldering and a Precision Manufacturing Boot Camp, and a new Test Technician program which is currently under development.” 

NHTI Ranked a Top College for Online Degrees

NHTI–Concord’s Community College has been ranked one of the best schools for online degrees in a public service field by STEPS (Student Training & Education in Public Service). Only 13% of colleges and universities in the U.S. earned a spot on the rankings for AY 2024.

Public service degrees give students the opportunity to pursue careers where they can support those most in need, both locally and globally. This includes fields such as teaching, social work, public administration, criminal justice and public health.

“Our goal was to identify the best colleges with online degree programs where graduates can make a meaningful difference in their communities through education, public policy and other career paths,” said Kyle Smith, a community outreach specialist at STEPS.

This ranking arrives at a time when enrollment in online degree programs remains high. The most recent national data (Fall 2021) from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 60% of students take at least one class online and 30% are enrolled exclusively in online courses.