15 votes
I disagreeThank you Melinda Gates! The "non-traditional" students have actually been in the majority for many years. These are students who are first-generation, students who work full-time and attend part-time, students who have families, etc. We all need to recognize the importance of these students who are the "new" traditional college students and make sure that our systems serve their needs.
27 votes
I disagreeToday’s community college students are more diverse than ever and face many more challenges than traditional students in the past. To succeed, they need new and more innovative teaching and delivery strategies. Pockets of proven innovative strategies and practices exist in community colleges across the country, but few of these are ever scaled up to become the new way of doing business. One promising innovation that ...more »
Today’s community college students are more diverse than ever and face many more challenges than traditional students in the past. To succeed, they need new and more innovative teaching and delivery strategies. Pockets of proven innovative strategies and practices exist in community colleges across the country, but few of these are ever scaled up to become the new way of doing business.
One promising innovation that deserves more support is short, intensive remedial bridge programs for those at the lowest literacy levels that integrate basic academic and/or English language education with postsecondary occupational training to help students earn credentials more quickly. Bridge programs are basically dual enrollment – but for lower-skilled adults.
Other promising innovations include more flexible scheduling and delivery modes and program modularization which groups courses within a longer program into manageable ‘chunks’ for students to get through more easily. At least six states have adopted or implemented bridge initiatives: Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, and Wisconsin, and Washington. On the federal level, the new Community College and Career Training grant program can also be shaped to support bridge programming.
For more information on this idea and others, visit www.clasp.org/postsecondary.
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30 votes
I disagreeState and federal financial aid for low-income adults and disadvantaged youth is paltry compared to their need. Even with recent increases in the Pell grant, its inflation-adjusted value has eroded significantly over time and now covers only a small portion of college costs. Even with student loans, financial aid packages often leave low-income students without enough funds to pay for all the costs of college which include ...more »
State and federal financial aid for low-income adults and disadvantaged youth is paltry compared to their need. Even with recent increases in the Pell grant, its inflation-adjusted value has eroded significantly over time and now covers only a small portion of college costs. Even with student loans, financial aid packages often leave low-income students without enough funds to pay for all the costs of college which include not just tuition and fees but also housing, child care, transportation, and other living expenses. But most importantly, federal and state student aid programs are typically designed for traditional students and often provide little assistance to adult, part-time, and working students.
We need more and better student financial aid that helps low-income students, who often attend college while they are working, access education and persist long enough to attain a postsecondary credential. This includes developing new types of student financial aid in higher education and Work Study opportunities designed specifically to support low-income adults and disadvantaged youth.
Many states have designed new aid programs or adapted existing aid programs to better serve adult students, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Washington, and West Virginia. With current federal and state budget pressures, it is essential to adopt policies that encourage leveraging and coordinating student financing from many sources – such as federal and state student financial aid, the Workforce Investment Act, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and employers. Examples of states effectively doing this include, but are not limited to, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oregon.
For more information on this idea and others, visit www.clasp.org/postsecondary.
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60 votes
I disagreeIn this time when our educational pipeline is leaking students and higher education credential attainment is declining, four-year institutions must roll-up their sleeves and coordinate efforts with their community college counterparts in the name of national student success. Never before has it been as crucial for a seamless transfer process and updated transfer practices as it is now. Our country’s economic success depends ...more »
In this time when our educational pipeline is leaking students and higher education credential attainment is declining, four-year institutions must roll-up their sleeves and coordinate efforts with their community college counterparts in the name of national student success. Never before has it been as crucial for a seamless transfer process and updated transfer practices as it is now. Our country’s economic success depends on the education attainment of our students. Baccalaureate institutions should take a lesson from community colleges in how to act quickly to serve local market demands and how to remove barriers toward creating student access. Institutions like, University of Maryland University College, have proven to be leaders in 2+2 transfer partnerships across the country providing quality, affordable education for community college graduates, especially targeting non-traditional students.
At UMUC, community college students represent more than 40 percent of our student body. We know first hand that community colleges are critical partners for raising student achievement. With 2+2, UMUC accepts up to 70 credit hours giving students more options, more flexibility and more opportunities to pursue an affordable four-year degree. Among UMUC’s more than 45 alliance partners are all 16 Maryland community colleges, Northern Virginia Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges, Dallas Community College District, Houston Community College System, Lone Star College System, Honolulu Community College, Gloucester County College and Miami Dade College. This vast network supports accessibility and affordability to a college education—the primary mission of the community college movement. And the retention rate of community college students at UMUC is 87 percent, far higher than the national average.
Lisa Romano
Assistant Vice President, Community Relations
University of Maryland University College
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3 votes
I disagreeIn recent months reputable data suggests that between 42 and 85% of post-secondary students are non-traditional (defined as age 25 and beyond.) Add the reality of multiple careers in a lifetime and adult learners are quickly becoming the new norm on campus. Given endless program (and pricing) options, many from unfamiliar schools, the adult learner must take care to choose a program that delivers what is promised, ...more »
In recent months reputable data suggests that between 42 and 85% of post-secondary students are non-traditional (defined as age 25 and beyond.) Add the reality of multiple careers in a lifetime and adult learners are quickly becoming the new norm on campus.
Given endless program (and pricing) options, many from unfamiliar schools, the adult learner must take care to choose a program that delivers what is promised, is recognized by potential employers, all for a fair price. Poor choices can result in huge debts with little hope of return whereas a good choice can lead to job opportunities and prosperity. In other words, for the adult learner educational decisions are becoming an economic survival strategy.
Community colleges offer the price, quality and reputation the adult learner needs and deserves. Industries of any kind would do well to build relationships with Community Colleges. The potential benefit of effective partnerships touches the industry, the workforce, the families of students/workers and ultimately the US economy. What is missing to expand current partnerships and initiate new relationships between industry and community colleges that are directed at adult learners who seek to retrain for their next career? How can we help?
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