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Many community college students come from low-income, minority households where the family is not able to assist with college costs. Students, therefore, often work to support themselves and concurrently pay for their education. Community colleges can accommodate students whose work schedules or lack of support services, such as transportation and childcare, prevent them from accessing support resources during standard business hours and where language barriers can exacerbate the already confusing process. The college funding process is complicated in general, and students without a personal support network need more direct interaction—in person or online—with college counselors to understand their options and make informed financing choices.

Creating personalized plans for students that step them through the college funding process from initial interest to successful completion is essential to increasing graduation and transfer rates. Using data to track what strategies work for what types of students can help institutions more quickly identify at-risk students, provide timely support, and optimize positive outcomes.

Data related to American community college populations are presented below as a supplement to the cover story in this issue of Innovatus, Shifting the Focus From Student Financial Aid to Student Financial Success.

References

1. www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2020/02/03/student-loan-debt-statistics/#4bd85d4a281f
2. ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Community-College-FAQs.html
3. tytonpartners.com/library/finding-fit-evolution-student-centered-financial-aid
4. www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/10/31/new-data-36-million-americans-who-left-college-without-credential
5. hechingerreport.org/new-book-addresses-low-community-college-graduation-rates
6. www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-postsecondary/news/2019/10/10/475629/graduation-rates-missed-community-college-students

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