April 16, 2021

25% of Students Postponed College During COVID, Some Indefinitely

CCRC Director Thomas Brock discussed the alarming dip in community college enrollment, particularly among subpopulations of students including Black men, with CNBC. Because students can register for community college classes up until the semester begins, fall enrollment numbers will remain unclear for several more months.

April 15, 2021

The Student Debt Crisis Is Crushing Black Americans. Here's How Loan Forgiveness Could Help

Black Americans on average owe about 50% more in student debt after they graduate than their white peers, prompting some to calls for debt cancellation as an antiracist policy. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Judith Scott-Clayton told USA Today that the focus should be on helping students with the lowest levels of loan debt first because they often struggle the most to pay them off.

April 12, 2021

Transfer Enrollment Drops

Although the number of students transferring from two- to four-year colleges went up this spring, transfer enrollment is down overall and across community colleges in particular. CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink told Inside Higher Ed he is not surprised by the trend because bachelor's degrees are increasingly seen as offering the most secure path to a stable, resilient job.

April 06, 2021

Community College: How Education’s ‘Best-Kept Secret’ Stays Afloat

Amid pandemic-related enrollment declines, community colleges across the country have innovated to better serve and retain students. In this Christian Science Monitor story, CCRC Director Thomas Brock explains how important the sector is to students' and communities' short- and long-term economic prospects.

March 31, 2021

Biden Pitches $12B for Community College Infrastructure

President Biden's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure package includes $12 billion for states to upgrade community college facilities and technology. CCRC Director Tom Brock told Higher Ed Dive that the proposal likely meets or exceeds community college officials' expectations and emphasized that campuses need more funding for instruction and student supports.

March 24, 2021

Motlow State Adult Pathway Approach Gains National Attention

The Cannon Courier describes findings from CCRC's January 2021 report on strategies three guided pathways colleges in Tennessee use to help adult students enter programs of study, stay on path, and enhance learning.

March 18, 2021

Community Colleges Have Lost a Lot of Students During the Pandemic. Here's How One Campus Has Kept Theirs

Los Angeles Community College credits its caring, "customer service" approach to outreach for its success in keeping students enrolled during the pandemic. CCRC Director Thomas Brock told LAist that adopting outreach strategies like LACC's could help institutions retain students and bring back those who have left.

March 18, 2021

Financial Aid Applications Are Down. Does That Mean Fewer College Students?

Amid the pandemic, FAFSA applications are down 9% overall and even more among low-income students and students of color. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Elisabeth Barnett told Marketplace that pandemic-related job losses not only hurt prospective students' economic outlook but also take a mental toll that makes it harder to plan for the future and fill out a complicated form like the FAFSA.

March 14, 2021

Doubts Raised Over US States’ Plans to Merge College Systems

In the wake of enrollment declines and budget woes, some states are considering consolidating their higher education systems. But CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins told Times Higher Education that once all the costs are accounted for, mergers don't always save states much money.

March 12, 2021

Over 60,000 Students Applied to Columbia This Year. Will the 51 Percent Spike Decrease the Achievement Gap?

After implementing a one-year test-optional policy and transitioning to virtual outreach for this year's admissions cycle, Columbia University saw a significant jump in undergraduate applications. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins told The Columbia Spectator that he was concerned the diverse applicant pool would not necessarily translate to a diverse student body because of the pandemic's disproportionate effect on low-income and minoritized communities.