THE REALITY OF PERCEPTIONS: THE FUTURE EARNING POWER OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Is a person's earning power positively affected by completion of a course of study at a community college? The answer to this question may be a significant consideration for state legislators examining the role of community colleges. This article reports on a three-phase study that examined the relationship between earning power and the successful completion of a program of study at a community college. In the first phase, the researchers interviewed the state legislators from the community college's home county and asked them their beliefs on the relationship between earning power and completion of a community college program of study. Then, the researchers examined student transcripts and state income records to determine if there was a relationship between education and earning power. In the third and final phase, the state legislators' perceptions were compared to the results of the wage record and program completion data analysis to determine the accuracy of the legislators' perceptions.