Many students that graduate from high school in my area move on to attend our local community college–Lehigh Carbon Community College, or L-Tri-C for short. However, during high school, I quickly learned about the opinions that my peers held about community college and “L- Tri-C” became “L-Tri-Harder.” Due to this nickname for our local community college, I too adopted a very negative view of community college and saw it as a poor excuse for an education.
After spending thousands of dollars on general education courses from a four-year private non-profit institution, I can honestly say that community college seems like it might have been a better financial option. Not only would I have saved on tuition, but I also would have saved on housing and a meal plan. Although community college may not have the prestige of Harvard or Princeton, it definitely gets the job done while cutting costs. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding it often causes people to shut it down as a viable option.
One reason for this has to do with open admissions policies. In the world of higher education, we often equate selectivity with quality and assume that more selective schools are also better schools. Although this may be the case in some regards, it’s important to realize that it is not always the case. Many community colleges serve as feeder schools to four-year colleges and universities and these students end up doing as well as students who attend the four-year school for all four years (USA Today). The open admissions policy makes the college more accessible, but that does not mean students do not have to work hard to earn good grades.
Along with this, many people assume that community college is only for those who cannot get into other colleges. Attending community college does not indicate that a student is unable to receive admittance to a more selective four-year school. Community college is just a viable option after high school and can help students to save over $20,000 per year–the difference they would pay if they went right to a four-year private college.
Another stigma surrounding community college involves the notion that people who attend community college never end up going anywhere. To some extent, this is true: only 21% of students that started as first-year community college students in 2005 completed their associates degrees on time (College Board Trends). Research from Columbia University also indicates that students who enter community college are less likely to obtain a degree unless they come in with a plan (Jenkins & Cho). Taking a few classes just to start college without having a major or a transfer school in mind often indicates that the student will end up leaving community college without a degree or any certificates. If students do decide to pursue community college, they need to come in with a plan, or at least take steps towards making one during their first semester. Students must look at community college as a stepping stone towards something more, not a gap year.
To help break the community college stigma, we need more states to adopt programs like the state of California. State schools in California offer California community college students a Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG). These students take their first year and sophomore classes at a California community college and then transfer to a California state school of their choice for junior and senior year. This type of program encourages students to enter community college with a plan, which helps to ensure they’ll graduate with a degree. Thus, many students in California attend community college, not because they cannot get into state schools, but because they want to save as much money as they can. They take classes they know will transfer to fulfill requirements for graduation. Instead of a gap year guessing game, community college serves as a legitimate first two years of college that keeps a student on track for completing a bachelor’s degree in four years.
High schools should also recommend community college to more students than just those who might have a harder time gaining acceptance to a four-year school. Just because someone earned high SAT scores and good grades does not mean that they should take on the student loans needed to attend many four-year colleges. At my high school, the guidance counselor did not once ask me about what type of school I thought I could afford. All he wanted to do was encourage me to go to the most prestigious college I could gain acceptance to. I hope this is not everyone’s experience, but if it is and guidance counselor’s continue to work like that, the student loan problem will only get worse in coming years.
When considering community college, I also think people should spend time thinking about why they are going to college and what purpose college serves. If college is all about securing a degree and increasing post-graduate return on investment, then community college probably makes the most sense for many people. However, if college is all about the social experience–on-campus water parks, residential living, football games, and Greek life, then maybe community college doesn’t make sense.
I no longer think of “L-Tri-Harder” as an accurate portrayal of community college. I’m more optimistic about community college now than I ever was and I think more students and parents should be too. Just because a student has the ability to receive acceptance to a four-year college does not mean that that is their best move. However, if you want to ensure you’ll end up with a degree, head into community college with a 4-year plan. Don’t use community college to serve as your gap year–you’re likely to end up with some credits, but not likely to end up with a certification or degree.
Right now, 46% of all undergraduate students in the United States are in community college (American Association of Community Colleges). If Obama’s plan to make community college free works, I expect this number will only rise in the coming years. I hope the incentive of free college encourages more people to attend and FINISH school. This will only happen if more people start to see community college as a viable option and use it as a stepping stone to a future degree or career, not just a gap year.
On Higher Ed. 