Students from affluent families flocking to community colleges
Community colleges are playing an increasingly important and visible role in the nation’s education plan — so much so that they are garnering the attention of students from America’s more affluent families, according to a new report by Sallie Mae. According to the education financial services company’s report, How America Pays For College (PDF), 22 percent of last year’s college students aged 18 to 22 came from families with an income of $100,000 or more. This is up from 16 percent four years ago.
Education experts say there are several factors for the increased matriculation of students from families in higher income brackets to community colleges. Director of the University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center, Stephen G. Katsinas, says the major cost difference between four-year and community college tuition and the savings that come from living at home is making the switch to a less traditional post-high school setting more appealing to higher income families.
“Community college gradually is gaining wider acceptance as the default option out of high school,” he told Insider HigherEd.
Students from more affluent families typically attend school full time, are in need of less remediation than their peers, and “can be cheaper for community colleges to educate,” according to Inside HigherEd. But the students are also arguably more costly as they desire the amenities of a four-year college, like workout facilities, the most up-to-date equipment, and a lively campus community via extracurricular activities. Students from more affluent families also tend to use school resources like counseling at a greater volume than their cohorts.
President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget proposal calls for an $8 billion investment in community colleges, with hopes of turning them into “community career centers” that help train students for positions that are in demand by local employers.
