Why Community College

Veterans struggling to find full-time employment now have another service at their disposal. The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) was originally created as part of the 2011 VOW to Hire Heroes Act, and it helped veterans receive training in a variety of high-demand industries through local trade schools and community colleges. While the original VRAP initiative has expired, veterans in 2026 can still access expanded workforce training opportunities through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the GI Bill, and the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program.

What is VOW and VRAP?

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 was designed to offer a smoother transition to veterans exiting military service and preparing to work in the private sector. The program was signed into law by President Obama and funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program was created through a joint effort between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor.

As originally structured, VRAP trained more than 99,000 veterans for high-demand jobs through technical schools and community colleges nationwide. Today, workforce retraining remains a major focus at community colleges, many of which continue expanding short-term credential and career certification programs for veterans and adult learners. Community colleges have increasingly partnered with regional employers to provide workforce-aligned training in health care, information technology, manufacturing, logistics, and skilled trades.

Recent reporting from Community College Review highlights how

Education is frequently touted as the great equalizer in today’s society, but a number of educators are now suggesting the education system may not be doing its job in effectively reducing disparities. Recent studies also seem to support these claims, offering evidence in the form of standardized test scores and college completion rates that suggest all things may not be created equal in the world of academia today. Does higher education at community colleges perpetuate this inequality, or is it the solution today’s society needs to reduce concerning disparities? The answer to that question may be yes on both counts.

In this video, Dr. Pedro Noguera discusses the role of community colleges in reducing racial inequality in education.

Colleges Increasing Access, Not Completion Rates

Inequality does not appear to be a result of restricted access to higher education opportunities. Since the recession, students have been heading to institutions of higher education in droves, whether to train for a new career or launch a successful field of study right out of high school. The increased enrollment at community colleges, in particular, has broadened the field to students from all economic and cultural backgrounds, guaranteeing a more diverse student body at many institutions across the country.

Unfortunately, the increased access to community colleges does not necessarily lead to higher completion rates. In fact, graduation rates at many community colleges are downright dismal – with less

Prospective college students that come from families where many have already forged the path through higher education have many resources at their disposal when it comes time to head to the college of their choice. In contrast, those who will be the first in their family to attend college do not have the same advantage of experience within the family to light the way. For those students, programs like Trio Upward Bound help them to understand what higher education is about and find the path through a college education that will benefit them most in the future. To that end, community colleges across the country offer Upward Bound programs to motivate students to explore higher education and determine the college path they want to take.

This video looks at the Harvey Mudd College Upward Bound program.

History of Trio Upward Bound

The origins of Upward Bound date back to the Educational Opportunity Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. According to the Council for Opportunity in Education, the experimental program was first introduced to reduce barriers faced by low-income and first-generation college students that created inequality in educational opportunities for those students. The program is offered through colleges, universities, and community colleges, and funds are distributed to individual programs through the issuance of competitive grants.

Upward Bound is just one of three programs that are

The job market appears to be evolving rapidly in recent years, as the Great Recession has caused a shift – and even a nearly complete disappearance – of many industries. This evolution has sent many adult workers back to school, searching for new career paths that would be more lucrative and stable. The academic landscape often looks very different to adult workers worried about supporting and balancing families and working around professional schedules to achieve their education dreams. With that in mind, consider this list of adult-friendly community college degree programs and tips to help you determine whether now is the right time to pursue a community college degree.

Is Now the Right Time for Community College?

There are a number of reasons to consider continuing education as an adult, including:

• Inability to advance in your current position without additional education
• Sudden unemployment (such as a layoff) and difficulty finding a new job without a degree
• Need to make a career change when current career runs out of opportunities
• Fulfill a lifelong dream of achieving a college education

All of these reasons are legitimate courses that lead to community college. However, before you leap, it is important to count the cost – including the time and money involved in higher education – to be sure you are prepared to make the investment. Next, research all your opportunities, in terms of schools and degree programs, to be sure you find the best one for your needs.

Degrees from the Plus 50

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The latest report from the American Association of Community Colleges “tells it like it is,” calling the American Dream imperiled and asking two-year colleges nationwide to raise the bar on higher education standards. While the new report does offer some positive feedback on the current condition of community colleges in terms of growth and success, it also provides feedback on where schools are lacking and what can be done to bring these institutions to a place where they can serve students and the business community most effectively. There are seven problems and seven solutions, providing a blueprint colleges can use to improve the quality of education and professional training.

Shifting the Focus

The Chronicle of Higher Education explains that this report, titled “Reclaiming the American Dream: Community Colleges and the Nation’s Future,” is the culmination of several months of research by a 38-member community. Those involved in the report include college presidents, education-policy experts, and leaders of non-profit groups.

“This is a brutally honest report,” Walter Bumphus, president of the American Association of Community Colleges, told the Chronicle. “For years we have been focused on access, and now we need to turn our attention equally to student access. It takes courage to say we can do better.”

The report offers a new perspective on the condition of community colleges beyond their commitment to an open-admission policy and providing access to students who are typically underserved. Once the students are enrolled, their success becomes