Paid Drug Testing Trials: The Risks to Community College Students

Should You Declare Academic Bankruptcy?

Americans who have made bad financial decisions can begin fixing their poor financial history by declaring bankruptcy.

• However, for community college students, did you know that a similar process exists for bad grades?
• A semester riddled with poor grades can be wiped clean with academic bankruptcy.
• While an academic bankruptcy will not magically disappear from your records in seven years as a financial bankruptcy does, there are many advantages to undergoing the process.
• However, there are also some definite negatives to making this decision.

Canva generated this picture of a student at his laptop.

Pros of Academic Bankruptcy

Although academic bankruptcy may sound like a novel term, it may help raise your community college GPA.

• When you declare educational bankruptcy, you essentially erase the grades of one entire semester or quarter.
• If you’ve gotten good grades during your first two semesters in community college and then had one lousy semester due to medical, family, or other issues, that one bad semester can completely ruin your GPA.
• By declaring that one semester bankrupt, the grades that you received will not be calculated as part of your overall GPA.
• This can be a good strategy to repair and boost your cumulative GPA.

If you have lost your financial aid eligibility because of a cumulative GPA that does not meet the minimum requirements, then declaring academic bankruptcy may help you regain your financial

In this weak economy, California's community colleges face deja vu fears that surfaced nearly a decade ago in the state. After a proposed budget cut of $215 million dollars for nearly 108 California community colleges in 2001, critics of former Governor Gray Davis argued that his proposed funding cuts would negatively impact thousands of college students. Sadly, although Davis has been replaced by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, it seems as though California community college students and leaders are facing an all too familiar fear.

California has made national headlines with its many economic struggles and set-backs, and now the state faces grave concerns expressed by community college students. According to recent reports from the California Legislative Committee, new budget cuts proposed by Arnold Schwarzenegger could prevent thousands of potential students from affording community college for the upcoming fall semester. As Schwarzenegger has planned to gradually phase out the Cal Grant aid, which provides support for lower-income college students, some experts fear that nearly 200,000 students' collegiate plans may be deterred. According to the Los Angeles Times, Cal Grant support is the state's main financial aid offered for college students; with this decrease in aid, community college students are worried about their uncertain academic futures.

This video from 2021 looks at potential budget cuts at California community colleges.

California and the Importance of the Cal Grant Support

Created in 2000, the Cal

Accessing Free Healthcare: How Community Colleges Are Bridging the Medical Gap

Did you know that your local community college medical clinic may be an excellent source of free health care? USA Today reports that community area clinics helped nearly seven million uninsured patients in 2008! Considering that almost 21 percent of the nation’s citizens are currently struggling to pay medical and prescription drug bills, community college clinics are playing a large role in helping to fill the financial void.

How Can Community Colleges Provide Free Services?

Free healthcare services at your local community college may seem too good. After all, how can community colleges afford to provide free medical treatment? The answer lies in innovation. Through creative programs, community colleges leverage student support to create opportunities for free healthcare.

For example, students enrolled in dental programs, healthcare classes, and other medical fields are often required to participate in hands-on field practice. Community college clinics provide students in the medical field with realistic training experiences, which translate into mutually beneficial situations for both the students and the community.

In these clinics, students often hold the responsibility of providing examination and health services to any incoming patients. These students, of course, are highly qualified in their area of study, and they are also required to be supervised by a certified and licensed professional. This translates into solid medical care for the community.

This video offers an overview of Norco Community College's health services.

If you love working with creatures furry, scaly, and sometimes prickly, then community college can be an excellent starting point for your animal service career. In fact, according to College Grad, students interested in animal service have a wide variety of career options, including animal training, veterinary assistance, zoological services, kennel attending, breeding assistance, grooming services, and much more.

If animals are in your professional future, learn more about unique community college classes that can help prepare you for your career in animal services!

Animal Care Career Pathways

Animal Care and Management Technology

For students interested in learning the necessary skills and experiences to work in the animal care industry, Durham Technical Community College (DTCC), located in Durham, North Carolina, provides diverse courses and opportunities for hands-on practice.

As DTCC explains, courses in the Animal Care and Management Technology program teach students about the basic sciences of animal work, while instructors also educate students on the legal and management skills that are essential for both animal and human interactions. Adding to this, “This course of study offers the student a wide variety of employment options. Opportunities exist with humane organizations, kennels, city and county animal control agencies, animal shelters, zoos, residency facilities, and veterinarians.”

In addition, to help students who are juggling challenging schedules, DTCC also offers cooperating courses at the nearby Alamance Community College Campus. With this option, students can enroll in select weekend courses at Alamance while also continuing