Enrollment at Community Colleges Usually Rises During Recessions. This Fall, It Plummeted
Money.com
After much speculation in the spring and summer about how the pandemic would affect students’ fall enrollment decisions, new data confirms that many first-year students have opted to delay going to college.
When the community can’t go to college
Politico.com
Many community colleges serve students who are the least likely to be able to afford a college education and the most unlikely to finish their degrees. So when the first enrollment figures of the pandemic era arrived, the stats jolted higher education experts: Community colleges experienced the biggest decline.
No Home, No Wi-Fi: Pandemic Adds Strain on Poor College Students
New York Times
The Underappreciated Value of America’s Community Colleges
Governing.com
They can play a larger role in rebuilding economies, breathing life into broken communities and enhancing diversity. Providing 14 years of free public education is an idea that deserves a closer look.
Why does community college enrollment look so different this year? COVID
The CTMirror
Yessenia Ayala planned to continue taking courses at Capital Community College this semester to progress toward a degree in early childhood development. And then the pandemic touched down in Connecticut. Ayala, of New Britain, was left adrift as she struggled to navigate whether she would receive financial aid this fall.
Dutchess Community College enrollment drops, sees interest in early admission
Poughkeepsie Journal
Dutchess Community College saw a drop in enrollment for the fall semester, albeit a smaller decline than the school anticipated. The college has 4,855 students enrolled for the semester, 12% fewer than fall 2019. However, Dutchess Community College had anticipated a 20% dip in enrollment this semester, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Community Colleges Can Be Engines of Economic Recovery
New York Times
With the proper funding and innovation, two-year public colleges can handle job training for millions of people.
The latest crisis: Low-income students are dropping out of college this fall in alarming numbers
The Washington Post
Many low-income students say they don’t have good enough WiFi at home to take online courses.
How Community Colleges Are Serving the Most Vulnerable
Two-year colleges worked quickly to help students get through the pandemic, pivoting to drive-through food banks and community partnerships.
It’s Time to Digitally Transform Community College
edsurge.com
Selective colleges and their leafy residential campuses are nice, but in these pandemic times, community colleges are coming into the spotlight. With an uncertain fall and a deep economic downturn, many believe two-year colleges may be the best answer to meeting the higher education needs of both traditional and non-traditional students and workers looking to learn new skills.
Transfer Access to the Liberal Arts
Small liberal arts colleges have a crucial opportunity to engage actively with community colleges for the benefit of both students and themselves, write Loni Bordoloi Pazich and Meagan Wilson.