Community College

Spring is the time of year when seniors all over campuses nationwide turn their thoughts toward where they will find themselves next fall. Politicians in Washington have also been thinking about higher education in the nation and how we foot this increasingly exorbitant bill.

Addressing the nation in the 2015 State of the Union Address, President Obama said he would send Congress a “bold new plan to lower the cost of community college—to zero.” This is significant to many Americans as 40 percent of college students attend community colleges. “Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market,” the President said. “Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt.”

While I celebrate any efforts to improve the accessibility of higher education in this country, I have concerns about the way Obama’s cabinet would undertake this effort.  My worries are not about how Washington will fund the program (even assuming it passes), but rather if the approach Obama has outlined would be effective.

Despite the fact that the number of people enrolled in community college would increase with this plan, it is unlikely that—without additional reforms—the percentage of students who finish their degrees would increase. Simply reducing the cost for students on its own may not be as effective as the White House hopes, as community college is already free or relatively inexpensive with the help of Pell grants and state aid. Even with these existing programs aiding many students already, an alarmingly small fraction of community college students actually complete their education.

The U.S. Department of Education estimates that only 18 percent of students complete their two-year degree within three years, and even the schools with the best reported rates are reaching only 30 percent to 40 percent completion. These statistics expose a problem that can only be solved with work from the inside of the community college system. There are people in this country who don’t want to risk investing two years of their lives in attaining a degree if it may not improve the quality of their lives after graduation. In order to improve educational outcomes significantly, we need reforms that will support these students all the way until graduation.

One area to bolster is the guidance/career counseling systems. Without faculty looking out for struggling students, dropout rates at community colleges are only increasing. Many community colleges currently have a startling ratio of one guidance counselor to 1,500/2,000 students or more. Increasing the number of faculty to fit the needs of a large student body will be a vast and expensive task, but it will be necessary to ensure that the increased amount of students enrolling in community colleges (if the program passes) can succeed in their courses and graduate in an efficient amount of time.

Obama’s plan, America’s College Promise, does include aspects that will address the quality of education experience in community colleges. It includes requirements that colleges “adopt promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes.” This said, the President’s plan does not provide colleges with additional resources to help them in those efforts.

The lack of additional funding may be a problem, given that the White House estimates that the free tuition program would come with a $6 billion-a-year price tag. This money wouldn’t increase the revenues for the colleges; it just replaces the tuition that students were already paying. States would be required to pay for one-quarter of this tuition subsidy. Some states may simply decrease the direct subsidies they give colleges now, which currently cover approximately two-thirds of the cost of educating each student, in order to raise that money.

Therefore, it is possible that Obama’s program may actually reduce the money community colleges are able to spend on improving the outcomes of their students. Despite these drawbacks, the President’s proposal begins the important discussion about how we, as a nation, can improve the affordability and performance of our community colleges. Although the plan would simply make it easier for some citizens to pay the huge cost of higher education and would do nothing to decrease that escalating cost in general, it’s hard to oppose a mission whose aim is to improve the lives of millions of our fellow citizens. ♥ ​