CCRC in the News
LI Community Colleges See Marked Declines in Enrollment
Community college enrollment has been decreasing on Long Island for the last decade, and the pandemic accelerated the trend. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins told Newsday that the declines are not only a reflection of COVID-19, but also the importance of a four-year degree in communities like the New York City suburbs.
25% of Students Postponed College During Covid, Some Indefinitely
CCRC Director Thomas Brock discussed the alarming dip in community college enrollment, particularly among subpopulations of students including Black men, with CNBC. Because students can register for community college classes up until the semester begins, fall enrollment numbers will remain unclear for several more months.
The Student Debt Crisis Is Crushing Black Americans. Here's How Loan Forgiveness Could Help
Black Americans on average owe about 50% more in student debt after they graduate than their white peers, prompting some to calls for debt cancellation as an anti-racist policy. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Judith Scott-Clayton told USA Today that the focus should be on helping students with the lowest levels of loan debt first because they often struggle the most to pay them off.
Transfer Enrollment Drops
Although the number of students transferring from two- to four-year colleges went up this spring, transfer enrollment is down overall and across community colleges in particular. CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink told Inside Higher Ed he is not surprised by the trend, because bachelor's degrees are increasingly seen as offering the most secure path to a stable, resilient job.
Community College: How Education’s ‘Best-Kept Secret’ Stays Afloat
In the midst of pandemic-related enrollment declines, community colleges across the country have innovated to better serve and retain students. In this Christian Science Monitor story, CCRC Director Thomas Brock explains how important the sector is to students' and communities' short- and long-term economic prospects.
Rethinking Dual Enrollment to Advance Equitable Transfer
In this Inside Higher Ed op-ed, CCRC's John Fink and Davis Jenkins argue that colleges should utilize dual enrollment programs to expand college access and offer underserved students an on-ramp to postsecondary education.
Biden Pitches $12B for Community College Infrastructure
President Biden's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure package includes $12 billion for states to upgrade community college facilities and technology. CCRC Director Tom Brock told Higher Ed Dive that the proposal likely meets or exceeds community college officials' expectations and emphasized that campuses need more funding for instruction and student supports.
Motlow State Adult Pathway Approach Gains National Attention
This story from the Cannon Courier describes findings from CCRC's January 2021 report on strategies three guided pathways colleges in Tennessee use to help adult students enter programs of study, stay on path, and enhance learning.
Community Colleges Have Lost A Lot Of Students During The Pandemic. Here's How One Campus Has Kept Theirs
Los Angeles Community College (LACC) credits its caring, "customer service" approach to outreach for its success in keeping students enrolled despite pandemic declines across similar institutions. CCRC Director Thomas Brock told Laist that mimicking outreach strategies like LACC's could help campuses attempting to bring students back into the fold.
Financial Aid Applications Are Down. Does That Mean Fewer College Students?
Amid the pandemic, FAFSA applications are down 9% overall and to an even greater extent among low-income and non-White students. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Elisabeth Barnett told Marketplace that pandemic-related job losses not only hurt prospective students' economic outlook but also take a mental toll that makes it harder to plan for the future and fill out a complicated form like FAFSA.