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Community College Open Access Policy Analysis

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affordable and accessible education to all students became the driving mission of the community college foundation. The open access policy at community colleges has allowed all individuals equitable access to education and workforce development.
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Students decide to attend community colleges for an array of reasons. Historically, community colleges have provided services to students who are considered underrepresented in the area of higher education. Underrepresented students consists of students who are first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color (American Association of Community Colleges, 2005; Townsend, Donaldson, and Wilson 2005). Community colleges offer students resources outside of the classroom …show more content…

The demographic make-up of the student population at community colleges consists of individuals from every aspect of society (Ma and Baum, 2016). The attraction of offering a less expensive substitute to a four-year education draws in both traditional and non-traditional students. In addition, the number of minority and immigrant students who attend community colleges has risen (Zeidenberg, 2008). Community colleges were not created just to provide services for those seeking to obtain degrees in higher education or those looking to transfer to four-year institutions; they also provide work-force certifications, remediation, and job training courses (Roman, …show more content…

Students from all backgrounds often seek community college educations due to its open door access. Research indicates that the majority of students that attend community colleges are minority, first-generation, and low-income students (Ma & Baum, 2016). The diverse population requires community colleges to ensure that they are providing services to all of their students. As factors such as workforce needs continued to rise, an influx of adult learners are deciding to attend community colleges. Smaller classroom sizes and the flexibility of class schedules both serve as benefits for adult learners. Extension centers, weekend courses, workplace cohort groups, and senior institutes have all be created by community colleges with the notion of attracting more non-traditional learners (Cohen & Brawer, 2008). Community colleges also house a large population of minority students. According to Fletcher (2013), “30 percent of African American and Hispanic student who had an A average while in high school wind up at a community college”. While these populations are seeking community colleges to obtain both educational and socioeconomic mobility, community colleges must identify resources to assist these students. Community colleges offer programs such as TRIO programs (e.g. Student Support Services) and minority mentoring programs that provide additional resources to students to minority

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Addison said that the community college experience is more critical to the nation than that of former beatnik types who, lest we forget, did not change the world. When it comes to community colleges, you can get the same work as you can get at a four-year college. A lot of people believe the transition is smoother because the college campuses are not as big as a community college. It will make people feel like they are still in high school because of how small the campus is, and it makes people feel more comfortable. Community college students are more likely to be racial and ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged, first-generation student, and immigrants compared to students at four-year

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Another benefit of the community college is the size of the class is

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Overall, Addison's persuasive essay effectively conveys the value of community college in preparing students for success at a four-year university. The author also proves her claim that community colleges still hold such value through the use of pathos. She emphasizes that she hopes for everyone to find good education and describes community college as “America’s public service gem.” Liz Addison informs her audience about her empathy for others and says that she would campaign for every campus “simply to make sure that anyone who is looking to go to college in this country knows where to find one.” She takes the time to make students heard and seen, because typically, community college is not looked upon as a high education.

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She attended two of them and has a major in biology from the Southern Maine Community College, which makes it easier for her to connect with her audience because she knows what the experience is like. She understands that some people may rule out going to college because of the price, so it’s important for her to inform them that there are cheaper alternatives with community colleges. “ ‘College is the key,’ a young African American student writes for the umpteenth torturous revision of his college essay, ‘as well as hope.’ Oh, I wanted desperately to say, please tell him about community college. Please tell him that help can begin with just one placement test,” she pleads (Addison, 213).

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In the article “Two Years are Better than Four” Addison addresses community college as “America’s hidden public service gem” (Addison). She explains how community college has been often not even thought of as an option when young adults are

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This source supports my argument because it lists the obstacles that primarily Hispanic and African American students struggle with when transitioning from high school to college. The author states that one of the most significant obstacles the students face is the inadequacy in college planning. This source supports my argument,providing information different from the other sources I’ve studied thus far. Conley, Angela. "What Kinds of Obstacles Do Minorities Face in Higher Education?

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Revamping Community Colleges There are multiple choices to be made when going to community college. Numerous people miss out on the opportunities that community college has in store for them because colleges make it tough on students. In the article “Revamping Community College to Improve Graduation Rates” we can see how improving community college systems can dramatically change the number of students who become graduates. Revamping community college helps improve graduation rates by lowering the cost of community college, hindering the requirement of remedial classes, and helping community colleges gain a more structured environment for their students. One key reason students are not attending/graduating college is because of the cost that

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California Community Colleges is an organization known for the “wide range of financial aid options to help pay for your education.” (“Financial Aid Options”). In addition, colleges also pertain to a large group of people. Joanna Nesbit’s “Guide to College Grants and Scholarships,” highlights the different types of scholarships and how they help lots of different people. Different types of scholarships are “ Academic (for GPA and/or standardized test scores), Geographic diversity, underrepresented (students of color, first, generation, LGTBQ+,

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Misjudged Community College Community college has been very misjudged throughout the years. I never knew how beneficial for a high school student to start off a community college can be. Sadly, I was raised with a different knowledge about it. “University is a better degree, you will not waste any time,” my parents said. They said that I would be misguided at a community college and that I would be wasting my time.

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However, it is still an issue for students to cough up that money. The idea of making community college free to any student in America has been a dream for low income students for a while. President Obama’s desire to make the tuition of community college to everyone in the nation would only make it difficult for students to get a free education, limit them to essential resources, and discourage students from applying to four year universities. Granting free community college tuition to incoming freshmen will draw “more students to already crowded community colleges”. Along with the overcrowded campuses, a very long waiting list will soon form making it just as competitive to get into a four year university.

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In the United States a community college is defined as a nonresidential junior college offering courses to people living in a particular area. They are post secondary schools and are also referred to as junior colleges, vocational or technical schools because generally the course of study is for two years. The student can earn an associates degree or certification and/or continue their education by transfering to a four year college to complete their educational pursuits and earn a Bachelor 's degree. Community colleges started in the late 1800’s and have grown and evolved over the years. Today many four year colleges and universities have become so expensive to attend that many prospective students are opting for the more affordable alternative of a community college for their first two years of study where they can save money by living at home and taking classes that will transfer to a four year institution, however, there are students that cannot afford the lower cost of community colleges.

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888 Words | 4 Pages

As expected, many people still hold the misconception that students who attend Community Colleges are unintelligent failures. However, that is not always the case. In truth, the popularity of Community Colleges is actually rising and many students attend Community College in order to get their general education out of the way before they attend a 4 year University. In doing so these students gain several advantages in the process. Between a 2 year plan at a Community Colleges and 4 year plan at a University, both schools are considered qualified; however, when it comes down to picking which choice is better, a 2 year plan at a Community College is more superior.

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617 Words | 3 Pages

Community colleges are important because they provide an affordable alternative to postsecondary education. They offer open admission, flexible schedules, and convenient locations. Community colleges make up a large part of the higher education system, enrolling more than six million students and growing rapidly. They help students become prepared to enter the workforce or transition into a four-year school. But even with all the steps taken to make community colleges accessible to all, there are still thousands of students who cannot afford to attend.

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419 Words | 2 Pages

There are many different people in community college including veterans, of marital and maternal status, and middle-aged men wanting to improve their employment prospects (Hanks). Hanks shows how diverse and ambitious the community college environment is. One might object that the efficiency of the student might decline because of how social the college is and how prone the students are to distractions at a community college. To some extent this is true however, President Obama’s proposal prevents this from

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Graduation and persistence rates amongst minority students who attend community colleges are low. Community colleges continually work to identify resources to restructure their programming to aid with completion and persistence rates amongst these students. Several factors attribute to the low completion rate amongst minority students, one being their inability to connect to the institution. According to Museus (2008), an explanation for low graduation rates amongst minority students’ is their inability to find membership in the cultures and subcultures of their respective campuses.

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