This panel will begin with a discussion of the latest trends in pandemic and post-pandemic community college enrollment from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The Community College Research Center will then discuss the federal emergency aid disbursed to community colleges through Higher Education Emergency Relief funds. The Public Policy Institute of California will discuss this research with particular attention to the survey results in California. Lastly, the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University will take a deep dive into the implementation and efficacy of a specific local policy designed to improve distance education for students in the Los Angeles Community College District in response to pandemic enrollment declines.

Presenters

Jennifer Causey, Senior Research Associate, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

Tia Monahan, PEAR Fellow CCRC

Olga Rodriguez, Director of the PPIC Higher Education Center, Public Policy Institute of California

Kevin Cook, Research Associate, Public Policy Institute of California

Rachel Worsham, Senior Research Analyst, Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University

Tom Brock, Director, CCRC

State financial aid programs have the potential to substantially augment the support that students receive from the federal Pell Grant. Federal programs, most notably the Pell Grant program, have historically played the role of providing a foundation of support, with states providing enhanced support when specific conditions were met. In recent years, however, states have moved to innovate their financial aid programs in ways that have the potential to increase aid received, meet a wider range of student needs, and serve a broader population of postsecondary students. This session includes presentations from a set of four evaluations, each of which assesses a state financial aid program that is central to their state’s mission of supporting postsecondary students.

Presenters

James Benson, Program Officer, Institute for Education Sciences, US Department of Education

Veronica Minaya, Senior Research Associate and Program Lead, CCRC

Brian McCall, Professor of Education, Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan

This session includes four papers that address various aspects of the relationship between community colleges and labor markets, including studies from Virginia, California, and Florida. These papers use a range of empirical methods to describe and estimate the effects of state, local, and institutional policies geared toward improving community college students’ academic outcomes and career trajectories. Each of the papers offers relevant and timely policy implications for state and local policymakers who are interested in improving community college outcomes and strengthening the relationship between community colleges and the labor market. These studies also hold important implications for institutional stakeholders in improving community college enrollment and student success.

Presenters

Sade Bonilla, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Daniel Sparks, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Elise Swanson, Associate Director of Research, Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University

Anthony Bald, Doctoral Student, Harvard University

Thea Dowrich, Senior Research Assistant and PEAR Fellow, CCRC

Angela Estacion, Senior Research Associate, WestEd

Accelerating Recovery in Community Colleges Network