Bay College president joins peers J.B. Buxton and Georgia Lorenz to examine the Trump administration’s impact on higher education, and specifically, community colleges with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe.
Dr. Nerita Hughes, president of Bay College in Michigan, took part in a discussion on NPR alongside two fellow community college leaders about how the Donald Trump administration’s shifting federal policies are affecting their institutions.
During the conversation, Hughes noted that while community colleges may rely less than major research universities on large federal grants, they face new pressures — especially in supporting students’ non-academic needs like mental health services, food pantries and career closets.
The discussion underscored a growing recognition that community colleges play a distinct and often overlooked role in preparing students for employable trades. As Georgia Lorenz pointed out, public conversations about the high cost of higher education and the burden of student debt rarely acknowledge that community colleges are far more affordable and already offer hands-on pathways in fields like automotive technology and construction.
Dr. Hughes agreed with Lorenz, stating, “The closer that we can get aligned with the trades, the greater that we will be.”
Together, these comments highlight a crucial message: not all colleges are expensive, and community colleges provide accessible, job-ready training that directly meets workforce needs.
To listen to this discussion and read the transcript, go to https://www.npr.org/2025/11/16/nx-s1-5606966/three-community-college-presidents-discuss-the-trump-administrations-impact-on-them
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About Bay College
Bay College is the community’s college with a mission of: Student Success, Community Success, and Culture of Success. Bay is devoted to each individual’s achievement in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce by providing career certificates, associate degrees, transferable university credits, industry certifications, trainings, and professional development programs which develop skillsets, enrich individuals, and advance careers. #BayIsTheWay