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Trends in Community College Enrollment and CalFresh Eligibility During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Trends in Community College Enrollment and CalFresh Eligibility During the COVID-19 Pandemic

California Policy Lab | January 2025

Sam Ayers, Jennifer Hogg, Johanna Lacoe, Alan Perez & Jesse Rothstein

This policy brief describes how eligibility for CalFresh changed among community college students because of broader college enrollment changes during the height of the pandemic and due to the temporary eligibility changes Congress made to SNAP.

Many California Community College Students Are Eligible For—But Not Receiving—CalFresh Benefits

Many California Community College Students Are Eligible For—But Not Receiving—CalFresh Benefits

California Policy Lab | December 2024

Jennifer Hogg, Sam Ayers, Johanna Lacoe, Alan Perez & Jesse Rothstein

Using a linked database of student-level administrative data on college enrollment, financial aid, and CalFresh participation, this brief estimates how many California community college students are eligible for CalFresh, how many students are taking up those benefits, and how many are missing out.

Portraits of Resilience: Southern California Community College Students Navigating Challenges Amid the Pandemic

Portraits of Resilience: Southern California Community College Students Navigating Challenges Amid the Pandemic

Wheelhouse | July 2024

Mayra Nuñez Martinez

Drawing on narratives by five community college students, this brief offers insights into the evolving challenges students faced during and after the pandemic and discusses how colleges can address student needs in the post-pandemic period.

Labor Market Opportunities and Declining Community College Enrollment in the Pandemic Era The Picture in Los Angeles County

Labor Market Opportunities and Declining Community College Enrollment in the Pandemic Era The Picture in Los Angeles County

Center for Education Policy Research | July 2024

Brian Johnson & Elise Swanson

Using data from the Quarterly Workforce Indicators, this brief explores changes in the Los Angeles County labor market and in the working-age population as a plausible explanation for some of the enrollment decline at the county’s community college campuses.

Regaining Ground: Enrollment Trends in the Los Angeles Community College District in the Wake of COVID-19

Regaining Ground: Enrollment Trends in the Los Angeles Community College District in the Wake of COVID-19

Center for Education Policy Research | July 2024

Soumya Mishra & Elise Swanson

In this brief, the authors examine changes in enrollments at the Los Angeles Community College District between fall 2017 and summer 2023 to document the extent of pandemic-era enrollment declines overall and across student populations.

From the Disruption of the Pandemic, a Path Forward for Community Colleges

From the Disruption of the Pandemic, a Path Forward for Community Colleges

Wheelhouse | June 2024

Michal Kurlaender, Susanna Cooper, Francisco Rodriguez & Edward Bush

This article in Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning proposes flexibility in course formats as a key strategy to encourage enrollment and persistence post-pandemic and explores challenges associated with enrollment recovery. The authors include recommendations for college leaders to reengage students moving forward.

Filling the Gap: CalFresh Eligibility Among University of California and California Community College Students

Filling the Gap: CalFresh Eligibility Among University of California and California Community College Students

California Policy Lab | June 2024

Jesse Rothstein, Johanna Lacoe, Sam Ayers, Karla Palos Castellanos, Elise Dizon-Ross, Anna Doherty, Jamila Henderson, Jennifer Hogg, Sarah Hoover, Alan Perez & Justine Weng

This report links college enrollment and financial aid application data and compares it to CalFresh eligibility rules to create more precise estimates of how many students are likely eligible for CalFresh. The authors pinpoint the eligibility criteria and program rules that appear to have the biggest impact in determining eligibility.

How Did Pandemic Recovery Funding Support California Community Colleges?

How Did Pandemic Recovery Funding Support California Community Colleges?

Public Policy Institute of California | May 2024

Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya & Kevin Cook

The survey findings in this report explore how Higher Education Emergency Relief funding supported students and institutions during the pandemic and illuminate differences by key college-level demographic, district structure, and college characteristics. Findings may guide future funding and policy efforts and inform campus strategies.

CalFresh Participation Among California’s College Students: A 2020–21 School Year Update

CalFresh Participation Among California’s College Students: A 2020–21 School Year Update

California Policy Lab | April 2024

Alan Perez, Sarah Hoover, Jamila Henderson, Jennifer Hogg, Johanna Lacoe & Jesse Rothstein

This data point provides estimates of CalFresh participation rates among community college and University of California (UC) students in California. It updates numbers from a previous first data point, which focused on CalFresh enrollment during the 2019–20 school year.

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