Why Community College

A new study from Achieving the Dream, a non-profit organization, was created to improve community college outcomes for low-income students. The study, titled, “Where to Begin? The Evolving Role of Placement Exams for Students Starting College,” found that tests commonly used by colleges to determine incoming student placement may be inaccurate and create hurdles to student success in college. The study found that other factors, including high school grades, may be better measures of success.

Choose Your Classes Wisely
Doing well in community college classes is important, but doing well in the right classes is critical for students who are looking to possibly transfer to a four-year institution in two years. While advisors can help students make good class choices, there are also some general rules of thumb to follow when creating your community college course list.

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

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.

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.