Most students enrolling in community college noncredit workforce programs have already attempted traditional higher education—often multiple times—before finding their way to short-term credential programs, according to a new study that sheds light on a largely hidden sector of postsecondary education.
The research released by Rutgers University's Education and Employment Research Center, includes interviews with 83 students across three community colleges to understand why they chose noncredit workforce programs and what they hoped to achieve. The findings reveal education journeys marked by interruption, financial hardship, and careful calculation about what seems feasible.
"Most of our interviewees had previously enrolled in college but experienced 'interrupted' and nonlinear higher education enrollment patterns," the researchers wrote. Seventy-one percent of participants had prior college experience, with nearly two-thirds having been enrolled in credit-bearing courses before turning to noncredit options.
The study examined students at LaGuardia Community College in New York, Mt. San Antonio College in California, and Northern Virginia Community College—institutions serving predominantly nonwhite, Hispanic, and female students between ages 25 and 49. Healthcare programs attracted 61% of participants, with others pursuing credentials in information technology, business, trades, and other fields.
Cost emerged as the dominant factor in students' decisions to enroll. The majority paid nothing for their programs, made possible by state funding mechanisms that varied dramatically across the three locations.
California provides higher funding for certain noncredit Career Development and College Preparation programs than for credit courses, making them tuition-free. Virginia's FastForward program uses a pay-for-performance model covering most costs for students pursuing credentials in high-demand fields. In contrast, New York provides no steady noncredit funding, requiring LaGuardia to rely on grants and philanthropy—leaving most students there paying full tuition.
"I'm low-income, I couldn't actually afford to go to school, but I just needed something to get out of what I was doing," explained one NOVA student enrolled in a medical assistant program, describing how the FastForward program made enrollment possible.
