Community colleges are in trouble. Their enrollment has fallen by 37% since 2010, and nearly half of students drop out within a year. Scant advising, labyrinthian financial aid, and unclear career pathways are among the challenges of two-year schools. Seven newsrooms joined together to explore the crisis, and ways to solve it, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network.
This series is a collaboration between AL.com, The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, The Hechinger Report, The Seattle Times, and The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network.
What’s the best way to help community college students who want a four-year degree? In California, a proposal hopes to offer transfer students access to universities that have typically been out of reach.
When an important path to higher education and job training is under strain, what happens to the students who rely on it?
Adult learners can’t always devote two or four years to a degree. Can certificate programs help bridge the gap to better employment, and help companies fill labor shortages?
Oryanan Lewis works in the computer lab at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Alabama, Feb. 23, 2023. She has an autoimmune disease and nearly had to drop out of community college due to sickness, but, through support, got back on track and is now finishing her second year of a medical assisting degree.
How is learning a trade keeping students, some of whom otherwise might not have pursued higher education, on a career path?
The college is implementing a more intrusive kind of advising in efforts to get students to the finish line.
How can community college students master basic skills and prepare for jobs at the same time? Washington state offers a model that supports success – and dignity.
How can better aligning course offerings among schools help community college transfer students complete four-year degrees?
