A new report released late last week examines the critical role that community colleges play in social mobility and highlights why adequate and equitable funding are essential.
Community colleges are often the only higher education available to many individuals, most notably students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Yet, most of these institutions are woefully underfunded, which makes it almost impossible for community colleges to give students the help and support they need to reach their potential, according to the findings.
The Century Foundation (TCF), a nonpartisan think tank that seeks to reduce inequality and foster opportunity, examined community college resources and how these institutions can best be served. The report reviews some of the key issues and presents recommendations on how to effectively examine the resources that community colleges need and figure out a path to deliver those resources.
“Community colleges are the key institutions for the nation’s aspiring middle-class at a time where there is very little social mobility and high levels of inequality,” said Richard Kahlenberg, senior fellow at TCF and one of the researchers on the report. “It’s enormously important that community colleges work well, and right now they are being underfunded and delivering results that aren’t commensurate with the challenge.”
Individuals who earn an associate’s degree have higher rates of employment and significantly higher income than individuals with just a high school diploma or GED. Kahlenberg noted that many community colleges cannot keep up with student demand, which drives students to for-profit institutions, where they often don’t achieve comparable results and accrue substantial debt.
The report noted that community colleges are educating students who, on average, have greater needs, but yet two-year institutions receive less funds than four-year institutions. Empirical research is needed to make it clear to policy makers that the current level of funding is not adequate and more resources are needed.
A point of reference is that Ireland and the United Kingdom are recognizing students with greater needs deserve more resources. These nations are applying formulas that channel more resources to schools that are taking on the toughest challenges. according to Kahlenberg.
