Debunking the “13th Grade” Stigma: The True Challenges Facing Community College Students

What factors might cause community college students to pause their studies? And what motivates them to return? Summer intern Lauren Lawler explores these questions and reflects on her personal experience as a community college student.

How Many Students Are Taking Dual Enrollment Courses In High School? New National, State, and College-Level Data

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released new data that, for the first time ever, provide college-level counts of the number of high school dual enrollment students, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and gender. John Fink details a first look at this new information, which represents years of effort among dozens of organizations pushing for better dual enrollment data.

Unlocking Opportunity: New Tools to Help More Colleges Improve Post-Graduation Success at Scale

In this blog post, researchers from the Aspen Institute and CCRC share takeaways from their work with ten community colleges and introduce tools designed to help colleges increase the number of students on a path toward high-value programs.

The Present and Possible Future of the FAFSA

In this blog post, summer intern Deenika Oladipo writes about the rollout of the simplified FAFSA form, how it was received by students and administrators, and what students can expect this year when filing for FAFSA.

Understanding Program Choice: Why I Chose to Study English in College

CCRC Intern Basmala Zyada writes about how working on a research project on how students choose programs made her reflect on her own impulsive decision to major in English.

Designing Equitable Higher Education Structures: Taking Students’ Time and Energy Resources Into Account

This blog discusses the constraints some students have on their time and energy resources and how colleges can rethink their culture, policies, and practices to take time and energy resource inequities into account.

Video: The Role of Community Colleges in Preparing Students for the Green Economy

An August webinar focused on the role community colleges can play in preparing for the significant workforce transitions that are occurring as colleges, governments, and industries work to limit, adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change. A recording of the webinar is available within this blog post.

Inside CCRC: Catherine Rivas on Combining Clinical Psychology and Research

Catherine Rivas is joining CCRC this summer as a research intern. In this Q&A, Rivas delves deeper into her own college experience and her motivations for research.

Inside CCRC: Basmala Zyada’s Journey From English to Education

Basmala Zyada is joining CCRC this summer as a research intern. In this Q&A, Zyada shares her journey in the humanities, her creative writing endeavors, and her experiences navigating the world of educational research.

The Importance of Help Seeking in Community Colleges

Studies have shown that seeking help from counselors and advisors and informal sources such as family and friends leads to improved student learning and increased self-efficacy, but too few students actually reach out. Amanda Zerbib explores what research tells us about students' help-seeking habits.

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