Many politicians and their well-heeled constituents may be under the impression that a community college — as described in a promo for NBC's upcoming comedy Community — is a "loser college for remedial teens, 20-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcées and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity." But there's at least one Ivy Leaguer who is trying to help Americans get past the stereotypes and start thinking about community college not as a dumping ground but as one of the best tools the U.S. has to dig itself out of the current economic hole. His name: Barack Obama.The whole essay is here.
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Only 31% of community-college students who set out to get a degree complete it within six years, whereas 58% of students at four-year schools graduate within that time frame. Students from middle-class or wealthy families are nearly five times more likely to earn a college degree as their poorer peers are. In 2007, 66% of white Americans ages 25 to 29 had completed at least some college, compared with 50% of African Americans and 34% of Hispanics.
See my commentary, "Political Science at LBCC: Training the Next Generation of Leaders."
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Pennsylvania State University plans on raising tuition on the main campus by 4.5% ($590 a year) if the state doesn't cut the university's appropriation by 13%, or 9.8%^ ($1,280 a year) if Republicans hold the line on taxes and the appropriation is cut.
My older daughter will be returning to Penn State this fall, but the tuition doesn't worry me: the United States Army is paying for that! Not sure where our younger daughter will go to college yet, but it looks like the Army will be paying her way as well. :)
But when I look at tuition rates at the top colleges, I have to wonder how many people can afford them. Community colleges allow people to start college much more cheaply, and frequently allow students to continue to live at home, for the first two years.
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