The Importance Of Community College Graduation Rates

Benefits of attending a community college as opposed to a traditional university tend to be overlooked by potential students. They are either unaware of its advantages or do not fully understand how this type of education can benefit their cause. Year after year large amounts of students choose to go straight from high school and in to four-year universities. The problem with this particular situations is that universities in general tend to have 50-400 students in one

Community college is a great institution for students to start their educational journey. Especially when they do not have the funds or lack some of the prerequisite that a university would require. Community college was created to serve the community, traditional and non-traditional students with the best higher education and lifetime learning opportunities. The faculty and staff members at a community college is there to provide leadership in education while going above and beyond to recognize the needs of the students and the community by providing excellent educational programs and support services that are available to all who have the opportunity to take advantage of them. “Student services now include recruitment and retention, counseling, student activities, student health, financial aid, academic support, career centers, transfer centers, and supplemental services such as transportation, child care, and services tailored for specific populations of students” (Cohen, Brawer, & Krisker, 2014, pg. 209). My philosophy in fulfilling the role and mission of the community college, is to establish the mission, vision, goals and values to guide all students on their journey to strive to become successful both in school and in today’s economy.

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions.

Deciding whether to attend a community college or university can be a difficult decision for students especially high school seniors and fresh high school graduates. After graduating from high school, the next step in the academic journey is to attend a college or a university. Before I got into college, I wanted to attend a university. I never considered attending a community college because I considered it irrelevant and less rewarding than a university. Now I have a different view about community colleges and I can clearly point out the major difference between a community college and a university. A community college is a two year college which offers two or three year courses and award associate degrees and certificates. Most community colleges are linked with certain universities which makes it easier for students to transfer. My decision to attend a community was strongly influenced by Cost, easy transition to university, and the need to balance school, work, and social life.

Therefore, students begin dreaming of college; where they will attend and what they will become when they grow up. Unfortunately, the absurd college and university tuition hikes have forced many prospective college bound students to shift gears on their journey to receiving a college degree. One of the modifications made to the dreams of many, is college selection. Thousands of students have opted to start their college careers at a community college. Community colleges are designed to serve as a pathway from high school to college and most offer two-year transfer or university parallel programs that prepare students wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution. Community Colleges are generally more cost efficient therefore, grant access to many more students desiring a higher education. CNN Money journalist, Kim Clark reports that, “While community college tuition posted a sharp 8.7% gain, it's still a bargain: only about $3,000 a year for full-time tuition” (Clark). Clark also suggests that due to recent increases in federal grants and tax benefits, the average total aid was raised above the average tuition price of community colleges, therefore, “the typical community college student got the cost of tuition and most textbooks fully covered” (Clark). According to the College Board, “four out of 10 graduating high school students begin their college careers at community colleges” (Why Community College?). Typically, courses that are

In the article “The Good That Community Colleges Do, Part 1”, author Rob Jenkins discusses the benefits and values of Community College. Recent studies have shown that the value of two-year colleges were hard to predict. In fact, one report shows that the value of a two-year degree is less than that of a high school diploma, while another report shows that most students are receiving a financial return on their degree. While Rob Jenkins believes both reports have valid points and arguments, he states that “so many of the things that community colleges do for their students and communities are difficult to measure empirically” (“The Good That Community Colleges Do, Part 1”).

Community college is an ideal sources for obtaining higher education for many reasons. First, local community colleges provide an affordable alternative to large public and private universities (Grimes, Rezek, Campbell, 2013). In addition to serving as a gateway for economically disadvantaged students, local community colleges serve as a gateway for less academically qualified students (Grimes, Rezek, Campbell, 2013). Many students who are unable to attend highly selective colleges can attend community colleges, obtain a degree and/or transfer to a school that offers or more diverse degree programs (J. Doe, personal communication, November 11, 2015).

The answer might lie in starting outside of the legislation system to objectively show actually change occurring with small, but necessary step to assist community college students. The one thing congressmen and senators forget is the actually effective on these students lives. In the debate and objections, the challenges faced by community colleges students is forgotten.

Acceptance rate is one of the more prominent issues. For example, Stanford, a well known college, has a 5.1 percent admission rate according to their very own website. Furthermore out of the 42,167 applicants of freshmen fall 2014 only 2,145 were accepted. Other colleges with very low acceptance rates include: San Diego State University with 34.5 acceptance rate, UCLA with 18.2 percent, Cal Poly with 34.5 percent, and UC Berkeley with a 17 percent acceptance rate. Many of these colleges also want students who actively participate in school activities and “embrace” high school, someone who was the president of three different clubs, worked during the school year, and has a 3.6+ GPA. As you can see, college is very difficult and demanding. Not only is getting accepted one of the many flustering tasks, but graduating college is also a progressing drawback. Only 63 percent of students who enroll in a four year university will earn a degree, and it will take them an average of six years to do so. The other 37 percent will either drop out of college before finishing or flunk out of their programs (USA Today). Students are dropping out because of the difficulties of college and losing all their money on classes they are failing- money that could be put towards a house, a car, or insurance-more vital belongings in the real

Community colleges across the country face the same problem with student retention. The US Department of Education reports the 95 percent drop-out rate at Baton Rouge Community College, which is low compared to other community colleges. Many students entering college are not prepared for college-level coursework. A great deal of those students struggled with high-school courses, which makes their journey into college more difficult.

In “Public Community Colleges: Creating Access and Opportunities for First-Generation College Students,” Everett argues that community colleges have been increasing to higher educations by enrolling members of low-income, first-generation, and many more. Everett also argues that college is limited because of costs, discrimination, and precollege preparation. Julia Everett also states some challenges faced after admission such as, students who have their mind set to transfer to a 4-year university only 46% actually complete that goal and rates are lower for those with a low-income. Helping first-generations students is beneficial to the economic.

When it comes to continuing education either in postsecondary education or as adult learners, there are several options that students can choose from. Students can go to a public or private school. They can attend a 4 year institution or they may decide to attend a community college. Most students who attend a community college go there to obtain an associate degree, to complete some type of certification, or before they matriculate to a 4 year institution. The cost of attendance to a community college is cheaper than the attendance to a 4 year institution. Research states that African-American students’ graduation rates are less than any other group of students. Since this is an issue at 4 year institutions, I wanted to review this perception at the community college level. In this article, I will review and discuss the content of an article entitled, Calling Out the Elephant: An Examination of African American Male Achievement in Community Colleges by Edward C. Bush and Lawson Bush, V. that was published in the Journal of African American Males in Education in 2010.

There are several micro benefits with raising community college graduation rates. New York State and New York State would enjoy substantial benefits if graduation rates were raised. Raising the graduation

The article from Data Note, Achieving the Dream “Characteristic of Credential Completers,” by author Sue Cleary, Senior Research Associate looks at how the demographic and characteristic of community college students influence on their educational accomplishment.

I believe that community colleges play an important role in higher education in many ways. First, community colleges fill a niche that most four-year colleges or universities do not, which is to provide career training for the skilled trades and jobs that require associate degrees. This results in a well-trained workforce in the community and provides students with opportunities to follow their interests. In addition, with the rising costs of tuition, community colleges offer a less expensive option, giving economically disadvantaged students the chance to attend school and allowing students who intend to continue on to a four-year school the chance to complete required courses at less cost.