The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is one of the largest community college systems nationally, proudly empowering approximately 140,000 students annually to succeed by providing the education, training, and skills they need to reach their goals and give back to their communities. MCCCD has 10 colleges spanning Maricopa County and is the largest workforce development provider in the state, adding $7.9 billion to the county's annual economy – the equivalent of 2.3% percent of the total gross regional product of Maricopa County.

To further broaden its statewide and national impact, MCCCD developed a 2025 legislative agenda. The following items are the recommended direction of MCCCD's elected Governing Board. Staff will refine specific positions in consultation with the Governing Board's Public Affairs Committee. The full Governing Board may, at its discretion, amend their directives as needed.

MCCCD has 10 colleges spanning Maricopa County and is the largest workforce development provider in the state, adding $7.9 billion to the county's annual economy.

Preserve And Strengthen Local Governing Authority:

• Enable MCCCD to diversify revenue sources and keep tuition and fees affordable. Ex: Reinstatement of Maintenance and Operations funding from the state general fund; Support efforts to modernize the expenditure limitation formula; Push back against constraints to local authority.
• Affirm MCCCD's ability to offer a wide variety of degrees, certificates, and credentials. Ex: Preserve baccalaureate degree authority and reduce barriers to growing these programs.
• Minimize administrative barriers in legal compliance, rules, and regulations. Ex: Ensure fund requirements comply with programmatic offerings; Modernization of federal data collection processes.
• Support policies that protect the rights of students, faculty, and staff both academically and professionally. Ex: Support policies that safeguard student engagement.

Create And Sustain Workforce Development Initiatives:

• Secure funding for programs responding to the highest-need workforce areas in the county, state, and nation. Ex: Support expansion of and scholarship opportunities for teacher preparation, nursing and other high demand programs; Preserve and expand investments in adult education programs; Support investment in short-term workforce driven credential programs.
• Provide short-term credential programs that enhance access to employment. Ex: Promote investment to develop and expand programs in high-demand occupational areas; Drive workforce reskilling and upskilling efforts.
• Maintain the state's STEM and Workforce Development formula funding. Ex: Improve labs and makerspaces for classroom and community uses; Generate new program slots in high-demand fields.
• Help launch, grow, and sustain small businesses through investments in small business development and entrepreneurial incubators. Ex: Support funding for our Small Business Development Centers, with an emphasis on drawing down full matching dollars.
• Nurture data infrastructure to capture labor market outcomes. Ex: Collaborate with public agencies to capture licensure and employment data for certain fields (e.g., nursing, teaching).

Improve Outcomes For Students With Holistic Supports:

• Bolster opportunities for quality education at an affordable price, such as expanding Pell and Promise scholarships. Ex: Ensure support reaches beyond tuition to include fees and other necessary costs of higher education; Support changes to Pell and other grants that enhance student access (end taxation of Pell, increase maximum, expand programs included); Expand student supports to access scholarships.
• Promote local, state, and federal policies and investments that enhance vital basic needs services. Ex: Support efforts to improve student access to affordable housing, food and basic needs support, technology, broadband internet, transportation, textbooks and learning materials, and child care.
• Strengthen resources for students and groups who experience barriers to educational access. Ex: Strengthen resources to Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Minority-Serving Institutions; Support FAFSA completion efforts.
• Elevate early college pathways to promote college access, awareness, and preparedness. Ex: Support early college, co-enrollment, and dual enrollment partnerships; Support the early college instructor pipeline.
• Improve transfer pathways to promote equitable access to bachelor's degrees. Ex: Support standardized methods of evaluating transfer credit; Reduce administrative burden by improving or automating manual processes.