Attending Community Colleges Research Articles

Closing Doors of Opportunity? Trends in Enrollment, College Costs, and Direct Grant Aid at Community Colleges in the United States, 2000–2001 to 2005–2006

This study had two major purposes. The first purpose was to compare federal, state, and institutional direct grant aid, unmet needs, and headcount in 2000–2001 and 2005–2006. The second was to assess if any changes found related to the presence or absence of two key factors identified by experts as important to understanding the community college field: (a) type of Associate's College (rural, suburban, and urban) delineated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's 2005 Basic Classification, and (b) significant local funding, using the Grapevine definition that defines 25 states as having local tax appropriations accounting for more than 10% of total funding and 25 states without. Analyzing data from the National Center for Educational Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the study found that between 2000–2001 and 2005–2006, enrollment at Associate's Colleges grew by 30%, and while all categories of direct student aid also grew, the growth was overwhelmed by tuition increases averaging 40%. Analysis of descriptive data revealed stark differences between community colleges in states with the presence of local tax support, and those without, and by type of Associate's College (rural, suburban and urban). By 2005–2006, it was more difficult for low-income students to attend college without incurring debt. The paper concludes with discussion as to the impact on open access for students attending community colleges if these trends continue.

Bachelor’s Degree Completion Across State Contexts: Does the Distribution of Enrollments Make a Difference?

Growing accountability pressures, accompanied by a lack of readily accessible measures of institutional performance, have led to an increasing focus on graduation rates. Although previous research has illuminated myriad factors influencing students’ likelihood of educational success, it has not paid adequate attention to how state contexts may shape student outcomes. I build on the small but growing body of research exploring the role of state characteristics in facilitating student success in higher education. Controlling for a range of state and individual attributes, I examine how one aspect of the state context––the distribution of enrollments in 2 vs. 4-year public institutions––is related to bachelor’s degree attainment of students attending public 4-year colleges and universities. The results suggest that the larger the proportion of students attending community colleges in a state, the higher the probability of bachelor’s degree attainment at public 4-year institutions. This appears to be a product of student sorting: the presence of community colleges facilitates sorting of students into higher education in a way that is associated with higher degree completion at public 4-year institutions. These findings have important implications for research on student outcomes and policies aimed at evaluating the performance of public 4-year institutions.

Predictors of Transfer to 4-Year, For-Profit Institutions

Logistic regression was employed to determine whether student transfer to for-profit, 4-year colleges (as opposed to other 4-year colleges) is a function of students' social background characteristics, the students' academic experiences at the community college, and the transfer context of the community college attended (i.e., the overall transfer rate of students from the community college and the distance of the community college from a public university). Study results, based on records for 613,595 California community college students who transferred to 4-year institutions between July 2000 and June 2004, indicate that the strongest predictors of transfer to for-profit institutions include part-time enrollment, age, and grade point average. However, students of color were more likely to transfer to for-profit institutions than White students, and students attending community colleges with lower overall transfer rates were also more likely to transfer to the for-profit sector. Finally, students who used the community college transfer center were less likely to transfer to 4-year, for-profit universities.

Reasons for Attending, Expected Obstacles, and Degree Aspirations of Asian Pacific American Community College Students

This study examined how the academic aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) attending community colleges are influenced by their demographic and educational background, reasons for attending, and obstacles they expect to encounter. The sample consisted of 846 APAs out of a total student sample of 5,000 in an urban community college district. The analyses compared results for ethnic groups within the APA community as well as APAs with other racial groups. The key finding—that APA community college students often consist of recent immigrants—should lead institutional researchers to collect data on their numbers, characteristics, and needs.

Smoking cross-culturally: Risk perceptions among young adults in Denmark and the United States

Research examining smokers’ understanding of their smoking risk reveals that smokers acknowledge some risk but often deny or minimize personal risk. We examined risk perceptions of lung cancer among smokers and non-smokers in a smoking-lenient (Denmark) and a smoking-prohibitive (the United States) culture. Participants were 275 Danish students attending trade schools (mean age 22.6 years) and 297 US students attending community colleges in Florida (mean age 23.6 years). Results revealed cross-cultural differences suggesting that Danish smokers showed greater risk minimization than US smokers. In addition, in both countries the risk of a typical smoker was rated as lower by smokers than non-smokers, and smokers rated their personal risk as lower than they rated the risk of the typical smoker. Cross-cultural differences in moralization of smoking might be one explanation for these findings.

Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Success in Online Learning

As students increasingly opt for online classes, it becomes more important for administrators to predict levels of potential academic success. This study examined several factors to characterize successful online college students, including emotional intelligence (EI), persistence, personality, age, gender and previous online experience among students attending community college. Factor analysis revealed two profiles labeled ‘EI’ and ‘Persuasive’. EI was positively correlated with GPA and resilience. Males had significantly higher EI than females. EI was unrelated to age, personality, number of semesters completed, program of study and previous online experience. Conclusions were that there may be a profile of the successful online student that could be used in marketing, advisement, quality assessment and retention efforts.

Underlying Consumer-Valuing Structures of Baby Boomers as Older Adults in Community Colleges: A Grounded Theory

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to present a grounded theory that fills in gaps in the higher education literature on the concept of educational consumer value and perceptions that support consumer value. Specifically, this study focuses on the learning experiences of Baby Boomers (40–60 year old adults) as older adult students attending community colleges. This study examines value as a factor in the consumer behavior of these students. An understanding of Baby Boomer consumer behavior, the processes which drive this behavior, and the aging Baby Boomers' potential as continuously returning learners, could help develop programs and marketing plans for community colleges interested in attracting and retaining the Baby Boomer market.

Methods for gauging the target populations that community colleges serve

For many community colleges, expanding enrollment demands coincide with shrinking resources, confronting policymakers with multiple competing constituencies of discouraged college-goers. At issue are whether community college enrollments are keeping pace with local growth among the subpopulations that typically attend community colleges; how enrollment levels might differ had participation rates remained unchanged; and which specific population groups, in which subareas of an overall region, are most affected by funding constraints. These issues focus attention on identifying and measuring the diverse populations such colleges serve. We present methods for tracking those populations (1) to gauge how completely (or incompletely) the local community college-going population is enrolling in various campuses, and (2) to delineate the functional service areas of individual campuses. Our methods have applicability to the needs of community college systems generally, especially where the size and geographic distribution of their populations are changing significantly through, for example, immigrant influx and regional expansion. These methods and measures add to the applied demographer’s repertoire of techniques for strengthening local decision-making.

Academic Probation as a Dangerous Opportunity: Factors Influencing Diverse College Students' Success

The number of minority, particularly Latino, students attending community colleges is on the rise in the United States. Such students frequently lack academic preparation and financial resources. These difficulties, when added to family obligations, often require that minority students attend institutions that offer the most flexible arrangements—typically, community colleges. Due to these issues, however, their successful transition to community college may be difficult. The authors found that up to 35% of first-time freshmen—with a disproportionate number of Latinos—are on probation after their first semester at a large, urban, public community college. The authors developed and instituted a probationary student re-orientation program to both assist these students and understand how their background characteristics and perceptions of the college environment impacted their academic standing. Using Schlossberg's transition theory as our theoretical framework, this study assessed how students of different ethnicities differed along reported levels of academic motivation, general coping, and receptivity to support services. Results suggest that Latinos are more likely to experience academic difficulties, are more prone to drop out, and, yet, are more willing to receive institutional assistance as compared to other students. Framing students' probationary status as a “dangerous opportunity” to instill behavioral/attitudinal changes, the authors discuss how counseling faculty and advisors may assist probationary students in achieving success.

UCLA Community College Review: Reverse Transfer and Multiple Missions of Community Colleges

A growing number of students, called reverse transfer students, attend community colleges at the same time they are enrolled at a four-year institution or after they earn a bachelor's degree. This article explains the motivations and effects of reverse transfer on both students and institutions, and it discusses the potentially positive consequences of reverse transfer in relation to community colleges' multiple missions. Future empirical analyses of the efficiency and equity effects of reverse transfer are critical for developing effective institutional interventions and helping state policymakers to design more coordinated higher education systems that enhance student and institutional performance.

Parent-Child Relationships in Early Adulthood: College Students Living at Home

ABSTRACT Tuition rates for higher education continue to rise at the same time a growing number of young adults are deciding that they need college training to attain their career goals. One common method to cope with the financial strain is for students to remain in the home of their parents while they complete college. Freshmen attending community colleges and their parents were interviewed to identify what they perceived to be the challenges and benefits of living together for a longer time than was the custom in the past. Recommendations for reciprocal learning and revising generational expectations are explored.

Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure (review)

Reviewed by: Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure MaryBeth Walpole (bio) John M. Braxton, Amy S. Hirschy, and Shedrick A. McClendon. Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, Vol. 30, No. 3. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. 128 pp. Paper: $26. ISBN: 0-7879-7282-7. Increasing student retention continues to be a pressing concern for higher education researchers, administrators, and policymakers. During the last century, nearly half of all students who enter two- and four-year colleges leave higher education without earning a degree. Moreover, students who attend community colleges or four-year commuter institutions, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and students of color are particularly vulnerable to attrition. Raising persistence levels is clearly a critical issue, and a commendable focus for the monograph Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure. Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon build on Braxton's earlier works with several colleagues examining and critiquing Vincent Tinto's (1993) foundational theory on retention. The authors argue that Tinto's model is not well supported empirically and that, to substantially reduce attrition rates, the theory should be revised. To support their argument and build the theoretical revisions, Braxton and his colleagues draw upon quantitative research literature utilizing Tinto's model. Following a brief introduction, the authors describe Tinto's model and then review the quantitative research on retention, using the model for both residential and commuter schools. In general, they find empirical support for Tinto's concept of social integration but only modest support for his academic integration concept on residential campuses and only modest support for either social or academic integration on community college or commuter campuses. They do, however, find strong but indirect effects of academic integration in commuter institutions. Braxton and his colleagues propose revisions of Tinto's theory in two chapters (one for residential and the other for commuter students), incorporating a contextual aspect into their retention [End Page 453]theories and paying particular attention to students of color at both types of institutions. For students on residential campuses, social integration is related empirically to retention; and the authors posit that the relationship is influenced by six factors. The first two are institutional commitment to student welfare and institutional integrity. Communal potential, a student's ability to identify and form social bonds with a particular group of students, is the third factor. The fourth is a student's ability to anticipate social situations. Student involvement, termed psychosocial engagement, is the fifth factor. The sixth is the financial wherewithal students possess, referred to as ability to pay. The authors believe that two factors present potential challenges for students of color on residential campuses: ability to pay and communal potential. These students may experience difficulty in affording college and may encounter more difficulty forming social bonds with students, decreasing retention. The authors then revise Tinto's theory of retention for community colleges and commuter four-year institutions, which they combine conceptually. Braxton and his colleagues utilize 16 propositions in the revised theory for commuter institutions, incorporating aspects of Tinto's original theory, the revised residential college theory, and elements derived from research literature. These propositions are categorized according to whether the effect is generated from student entry characteristics, the student's external environment, or the campus environment. Although I commend the authors for their work in untangling the multiple influences on commuter campuses because attrition rates at these institutions are so high, the findings regarding the effects of locus of control and self-efficacy need further explanation. I also question the repeated characterization of commuter campuses as "confusing" because the authors fail to support this characterization with empirical data, as they do their other assertions. The last two sections on commuter institutions are focused on the role of academics on these campuses and implications for students of color. Retention research findings support utilizing learning communities and nontraditional pedagogical approaches because they provide increased learning opportunities and may also provide vital outlets for students to form bonds with one another. Finally, Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon posit that students of color attending commuter institutions may be particularly vulnerable to attrition because of external environmental pressures, such as family or financial commitments. Following these theoretical revisions...

GED Grads in College: Building Awareness

What do GED students do after they graduate? According to the research, many of them go on to postsecondary education, a report in Change (The GED, 1989) noted that the number of GED graduates planning some kind of postsecondary education increased from 36% in 1967 to 49.7% in 1987. By the year 2000, the American Council on Education had reported an increase to 66% (Brown, 2000). Individual studies with smaller sample sizes have shown the greatest range in the numbers of GED graduates who are seeking postsecondary education. Murnane, Willett, and Boudett (1997) reported the lowest percentage. They used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth for the years 1979-1991, and found that 33% of GED graduates had completed at least one year of college. The highest percentage, 66%, was reported by Lance (1998) who surveyed 328 GED graduates. Although this article and the others in this series focus on GED graduates in a four-year college, studies show that people who pass the GED examination continue their education in a variety of ways. According to surveys sent out to people who passed the GED exam between 1975 and 1994 in Pennsylvania, 599 people or 60.56% participated in some form of further education: 225 in technical training, 149 in two-year institutions, 50 in four-year institutions, 252 in on-the-job training, and 136 in other training, such as emergency medical technician, truck driver, and other vocations (Dean, 1996). Both Cervero (1983) and Behal (1983) found that more GED graduates attend community colleges than four-year institutions. Lance (1998) had similar findings in a survey of 328 GED graduates. Of those who were working toward college degrees, 57% were interested in getting an associate degree while 9% were planning on graduating with a bachelor's or graduate degree. The respondents not working toward a college degree were involved in other types of educational activities, such as courses for college credit, vocational/technical training programs, non-credit courses, and on-the-job training. Some of these GED graduates may have been students in your classes. In 2002, the Ohio Literacy Resource Center, with federal funding, developed the GED Scholars Initiative to support GED graduates as they pursue their postsecondary education at Kent State University. The GED Scholars Initiative serves GED graduates in a variety of ways: * referrals to resources both on and off campus * peer mentoring for incoming GED graduates * shadowing program for prospective college students * stipends and partial scholarships As a way to find out more about our GED scholars, the Ohio Literary Resource Center set a research agenda to gather quantitative and qualitative data. We obtained the quantitative data during the third week of the fall 2004 semester. We selected fields from Kent State University's student information database that contained descriptive and academic information about the 1,384 GED graduates who were enrolled between fall 2002 and fall 2004. Because we were interested in looking more carefully at students who had achieved some measure of success, we eliminated 249 records (22%) from students who had not successfully completed one semester. The remaining student records (N = 1,135) were used to create an overall demographic and academic profile of the GED graduates. We conducted a series of individual and focus group interviews. We hoped that these verbal portraits would complement the statistical analyses to provide a more complete understanding of GED students' academic needs and aspirations. Researchers collaborated to develop questions for the interviews and focus group conversations, which focused on pre-college experiences, current experiences and opinions, future plans, and advice for college-level support personnel. These data were gathered from 25 participating students in 2002-2003. …

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, DIRECT FINANCIAL AID, AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

This article examines federal student financial aid, with an emphasis on direct grant aid programs to serve needy students attending community colleges. It describes the economic, historical, and political assumptions and incentives to show how public community colleges and their students have been impacted by federal and state direct student aid policies. The article then presents recent data regarding how economic incentives inherent in federal and state direct student aid policies impact public community colleges and their students when compared to other types of institutions of postsecondary education. Data presented show that lower-income students attending public community colleges were likely to receive less direct grant aid from federal and state sources than those attending for-profit proprietary two-year institutions.

The Rural Bellwether

SCHOOLS IN rural America face an array of problems every bit as daunting and intractable as those confronting schools in urban communities. In rural communities, graduating students who see no future locally leave town, and a snowball effect begins. These young people are no longer there to start families, to send their children to school, to buy toothpaste from the local druggist, or to buy houses from the local realtor. A brain drain leaves fewer high-quality workers to attract high-quality jobs. Fewer high-quality jobs mean even fewer opportunities for the next generation of students, who will find themselves forced by economic necessity to leave the community. In fact, in 22 states more than half of all rural schools lost students between the 1994-95 and 1997-98 school years, according to the newsletter Rural Policy Matters. Those states with the highest percentages of enrollment loss were Louisiana, Idaho, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. States with large rural populations have begun to face these and other problems of rural schooling directly. The State Role In Iowa, 262 of 374 school districts (70%) experienced enrollment declines between 1999 and 2000, and the percentage decline has been largest in districts enrolling fewer than 1,000 students. No wonder Iowa Gov. Thomas Vilsack says his priority is to offer Iowans new opportunities, including better schools, a preventive health-care system, a cleaner environment, a rejuvenated economy, safer communities, and a more accountable state government. Gov. Vilsack has said that, if Iowa doesn't grow during the next 10 years, businesses won't have the personnel they need to prosper. He recently unveiled details of his plan to create more high-wage jobs in Iowa, saying the state should focus its economic development programs on three areas: advanced manufacturing, information solutions, and life sciences. The governor has proposed spending $4.5 million for this effort. Last spring's H.B. 2433 stipulated that a statewide strategic plan be written at least once every five years for Iowa's community colleges. A broad-based working group, with members appointed by the governor, the legislature, and a number of other stakeholder groups, has been established. Also in Iowa, the Accelerated Career Education Grant Program, part of the Accelerated Career Education and Job Training Act, recognizes that community colleges are the postsecondary institutions most likely to be located in rural areas and to provide the technical training needed by surrounding communities. The program provides grant funds to students attending community colleges. Meanwhile, legislators in Nebraska passed the Education and Career Preparation Act, which acknowledges that technology is changing the educational and training needs of employees. These changes are directly related to Nebraska's economic competitiveness. Indeed, state leaders believe that education and career preparation have become critical for the state because students must possess the academic, communication, and technological skills they need for employment and lifelong learning. The act is designed to help students: * acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to enter a career preparation program at a postsecondary institution or to enter employment directly; * develop skills to balance the dimensions of work, family, and community; * gain exposure to a wide variety of careers; and * gain experience in career paths through supervised work-based experience. Attracting Personnel To Rural Schools Rural communities face special problems in attracting staff members for rural schools. For example, a community looking for a teacher might not have a job suitable for the teacher's spouse, and newly hired teachers accustomed to the convenience of multiple movie theaters and major malls sometimes find it hard to adjust to the extremely limited choices of a rural community. …

FILIAL/FAMILY PLAY THERAPY FOR SINGLE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN ATTENDING COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Many single parents are attending institutions of higher education such as community colleges to qualify for employment that will ensure the economic security of their families. Helping both single parents who are attending community colleges and their children adjust to changing roles and the accompanying stress presents a unique challenge. Filial/family play therapy training is a highly effective intervention for single parents attending community colleges. It has preventive, educational, and clinical implications. This article focuses on the use of filial/family play therapy with single parents attending community colleges as an effective intervention for improving the present and future welfare of these families.

Bachelor's Degree Students Attending Community Colleges: A Look at Postbaccalaureate Reverse Transfers in Missouri

AbstractThis chapter details the results of a study of postbaccalaureate reverse transfers attending community colleges in Missouri.

Sexual behavior and AIDS-related knowledge among community college students in Orange County, California.

Whereas college students are not identified as a high-risk group for acquiring the HIV infection, they exhibit high-risk behaviors consistent with their age group, including multiple sexual partners and high rates of unprotected intercourse. This study was conducted to determine levels of HIV-related sexual behavior, along with knowledge and attitudes among students attending community colleges in a relatively affluent multiethnic community. This study used a random sample survey (N = 319) of students attending selected classes at four community colleges in Orange County, California, to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and patterns of past and present sexual behavior. The level of student knowledge concerning HIV disease was found to be relatively high, and pronounced differences in knowledge and sexual permissiveness were identified as a function of ethnicity and religion, with Asians showing lower knowledge and lower concern about HIV, and religion/religiosity related to these variables and also to levels of sexual permissiveness. Respondents' comfort in asking a partner about his/her sexual history was positively associated with their level of self-esteem, and negatively related to peer pressure in this population. As in previous studies of college populations, HIV knowledge per se does not confer a protective effect against high-risk behavior. However, knowledge was found to be an enabling factor with regard to students' comfort levels in asking about their partner's sexual histories, and in requesting that partners take an AIDS test.

Does community college attendance provide a strategic path to a higher quality education?

This paper examines the effect that previous community college attendance has on the quality of university a student chooses to attend. University quality choices under both the direct attendance and community college transfer paths are estimated for students in the High School and Beyond data set. The results indicate that overall, students choose higher quality universities if they first attend community colleges, with the largest quality increases being observed for students who come from poor families, are of low ability, or perform poorly in high school.

ACT ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Factors pertaining to students’ college choices were studied. This study sought to determine those variables accounting for differences between students who intend to attend community colleges and students who seek to attend other higher education institutions. Variables were taken from the 1991 American College Test (ACT) registration booklet, which lists 177 questions in the student profile section, interest inventory factors, and demographic information. The sample population consisted of 19,022 students in Mississippi who completed the registration booklet. Analysis included a stepwise multiple regression with the choice of college type as the outcome variable and the remaining student profile, interest inventory and demographic factors as the predictor variables. Other descriptive statistics were used to describe the population of community or junior college students. The regression equation yielded 23 variables explaining 31.3% of the variance between the groups. Results were designed to be used to ...