Why Community College

Providing More Choices
According to an article at Central Michigan Life, a bill that would allow community colleges to offer select four-year degree programs passed through the State House last June. The bill then went to the Senate’s Committee on Education for review, where it is currently under discussion. The bill would allow for a handful of career-oriented degree programs to be offered at community colleges statewide, including programs in energy production, concrete technology, maritime technology, culinary arts and nursing.

The Benefits of Dual Enrollment
Two recent studies from the National Center for Postsecondary Research show that dual enrollment has some positive effects on college enrollment and completion. According to a report at the Council for the Study of Community Colleges website, one study found that students who took dual enrollment classes were12 percent more likely to go to college and seven percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than those who did not participate in dual enrollment courses. However, the positive effects were restricted to students who took classes on the college campus, instead of in their own high school classrooms.

California community colleges are supposed to be an affordable way for state residents to get a higher education, whether they are recent high school graduates or professionals looking to make a career change. Currently, the system boasts around 2.6 million students from all demographics, coming to campuses to find the education and training they need to create a better life for themselves and their families. Community colleges have long been touted as a way to break the poverty cycle, allowing first-generation college students to find good jobs and income once their college education is completed.

USA Today reports that according to the American Association of Community Colleges, 388,000 students over the age of 50 were enrolled in community colleges in 2009. The number indicates a 6-percent increase from 2007 and a 12-percent rise from 2005. Currently, people in this age demographic make up around five to six percent of the total community college population across the country.

Stabilizing Enrollment Still Features High Numbers