Title: Behind the Enrollment Numbers: How COVID-19 Has Changed Students’ Plans for Community College
Author: Clive Belfield and Thomas Brock
Source: Community College Research Center
A recent essay from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) notes that the pandemic tremendously impacted enrollment at community colleges. The authors analyzed results out of a random selection of 100,000 individuals who completed the U.S. Census Bureau’s surveys related to COVID-19. Participants reported on “plans for community college” for at least one member of their household from August to mid-October 2020. Major findings from the analysis include:
- Community colleges tend to represent more minority students and marginalized groups who face disproportionate impact across U.S. education, healthcare, and legal systems.
- More than 40 percent of households who responded shared that a prospective student is cancelling their plan to enroll in a community college.
- Fifteen percent noted a change in course taking, with some taking lighter course loads or switching programs.
- Almost 40 percent of current community college students reported that losing their job negatively impacted their educational plans.
- Households with students at community colleges were nearly twice as likely as households with students of four-year colleges to report that COVID-19 had changed their educational plans.
More in-depth information can be found in the U.S. Census Bureau survey and the CCRC essay.
—Ángel Gonzalez
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