The Case for Community College
The field of school counseling (formerly and more commonly known as guidance counseling) has ebbed, flowed, stalled, and grown over the years, whether that be in terms of services provided or ideologies developed about child and adolescent development. School counseling encompasses personal social/emotional counseling and referrals, academic advising, general transition and planning working with families as students prepare for that transition, and a focus on cultivating college and career awareness and skills. With those responsibilities comes a need to monitor national trends in higher education and further training, as well as earnestly adhering to a strengths based approach with each student. What should be changing on a greater scale is the perception of community colleges and the understanding of the remarkable benefits they can provide to students seeking higher education.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “Between 2000 and 2017, total undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting post-secondary institutions increased by 27 percent (from 13.2 million to 16.8 million students). By 2028, total undergraduate enrollment is projected to increase to 17.2 million students.” It has certainly been clear that college enrollment has increased throughout the past two decades (though, it should be noted that enrollment year to year is down), moving from 13.2 million students enrolled in 2000 compared to 16.8 million students in 2017. This is partially due to a belief that most individuals, especially recent high school graduates, should attend college in order to pursue their dreams or to be considered career-ready. (Statistics about college persistence/retention shed some light on the pitfalls of this sentiment; to be discussed in another post)
The reality is that everyone is entitled to a college experience, but not all careers require that type or duration of education and, according to an article from CNBC by Annie Nova in 2018, “More than 40 percent of college graduates take a job out of school that didn’t require a degree.” Moreover, statistics demonstrate the extent to which college graduates ultimately end up working jobs not related to their primary degree area, with certain studies showing that only 23% of those graduates hold careers in fields related to their college majors.
So while that doesn’t mean that everyone should stop attending college all together, it does beg the question: is our emphasis on the necessity of college, especially four year college, too generalized?
A quick perusal of any community college’s academic programs will show an array of educational and training options across numerous disciplines. Two year degrees can lead to in-demand and some often high-paying jobs, such as dental hygienist, web developer, medical assistant, radiation therapist, cardiovascular technician, funeral service worker, paralegal, home health aide, radiologic technician, and physical therapist assistant, to name a few. Many of these professions are projected by the United States Department of Labor as 2019’s fastest growing occupations and many are regarded as high-paying jobs, spanning anywhere from median incomes of roughly $45,000 to $122,000.
While trying to understand what sustainable and hopefully lucrative career options become available with an associate’s degree is a critical portion of this discussion, there’s also the initial financial piece of the higher education equation: a staggering $1.56 trillion in student loan debt affecting nearly 45 million borrowers. One.point.fifty-six.trillion.dollars. Some easy math about the difference between a four year, Bachelor’s degree granting state university and a two year, associate’s degree granting institution (with options for transfer) showcases the extent to which one’s college bill could be decreased drastically. For example, at the time of this publication, the cost of tuition and fees at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts for a full-time student (attempting 15 credits) is $7,400. To attempt the same number of credits at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, one would pay $16,072 for tuition and fees, not including the cost of living on campus, which at the minimum is $13,598.
While the difference between the two is obvious (and even more obviously disparate when one sees the cost of tuition and fees at, for example, Tufts University: $56,382, without room and board, as of 2018), parents and students alike may question the value of English Composition at Middlesex Community College versus the same course at UMass Amherst. In my experience, the courses are comparable, if not identical, and the professors and instructors are just as worthy of our scholastic respect as their four-year-college counterparts(and, likely, they’ve taught or are teaching there, too). Moreover, parents and students can often be hyper-focused on the name and perceived reputation of the school. While that’s a story for a different day (read: another blog post), they are understandable concerns that require research on the part of the family and the student. It’s easy to understand why a student would be preoccupied with their friends’ opinions of going to or starting at a community college in a world where to name of the school on someone’s sweatshirt seems to carry more clout than the character of the person wearing it. And, whether select parents/families/communities want to acknowledge their own part in this over-emphasis on brand name or not, it’s part of the battle school counselors and less selective schools face. This tends to be the case because of the arrogant narrative our society has created about community colleges simply due to their accessibility and, in turn, our failure to adequately dispel the community college myth.
If college is the right choice for a young adult, does a school need to be difficult to gain admission to in order to be “good”?
If a four year degree is the right path for a student and a requirement for a particular career AND we can move past the idea of selective admission practices equating to a better educational experience, there are viable and valuable options for students.
Take a look at Massachusetts’ Mass Transfer Program, for example. The Commonwealth offers three pathways for college success and significant savings that can still result in the four year degree from any of the state’s universities, as well as assistance with transferring to any other college, in-state, private, out of state, or otherwise. The program itself is admirable, with it’s third pathway, the Commonwealth Commitment, offering roughly 40% savings on one’s ultimate four year degree at a Massachusetts state university, but it also forces the question: why are we so comfortable paying inflated tuition for general education requirements?
When was the last time a hiring committee needed to know where you took Introduction to Psychology? Or who your professor was for Elementary Functions?
These questions are not meant to suggest that the community college path is the ideal choice for all students; however, these questions should encourage a thoughtful reflection on the intended outcome of a college education.
For many students, moving through the MassTransfer program with two years at a local community college, followed by a smooth transfer process (with many incentives and GPA-based guarantees), can still result in a four year degree from what might be the college of a particular student’s dreams or the best fit for the continuation of their education and development of their careers. Truthfully, two years at a community college can also grant adolescents the time necessary to truly reflect on what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what their career goals might be, without spending $100,000+ to think it over.
Many community colleges have begun to address the other “con” people note when considering the two year, state college option: housing. For many, part of the college experience is living on campus and being part of a community. For others, the reality is they need to live on campus or near campus, due to transportation restraints, employment responsibilities, and family obligations, among many other personal reasons. While there are many community colleges across the country who are and have been offering houses (California has many options, for example), Massachusetts is also realizing the need and working closely with four year state universities to provide options. For example, students can choose to attend Massachusetts Bay Community College and live on campus at Framingham State University. While it does increase the cost, the tuition fees are still lower and the student is able to enjoy the benefits of campus life, including the library, the dining hall, recreational facilities, health services, residential life and student activities programming, and the life lessons that come with having a roommate.
It may be impossible to fully remove the sometimes unspoken stigma attached to choosing community college over seeming prestige and often certain debt. As we’ve seen through recent national scandals with college admissions, students, parents, and society alike can become obsessed with the brand recognition of a school versus good fit, good timing, and, depending on the scenario, cost efficiency. Certainly, there will still be a struggle to explain the true viability of the community college pathway to families, especially in incredibly high-achieving school districts (whether that be to earn the associate’s degree one needs to become a registered nurse or as a means to end of obtaining a bachelor’s degree), but at a time when college enrollment and, simultaneously, college debt are at all time high (and growing), community college enrollment should not be declining.
The problem is not the community colleges and the value of the education they provide; the problem lies within a stubborn, one-size-fits-all notion about prestige and tradition.
