Thursday, August 15, 2019
Four Year Colleges vs. Community Colleges Essay
Why does Breakthrough emphasize four year colleges and universities? Should Breakthrough programs steer students to use community colleges as ââ¬Å"stepping stonesâ⬠toward bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees? Would community colleges be cheaper for students? Does it matter where students start their postâ⬠secondary educations, as long as they end up with bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees? It is true that once students have their bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees, it makes little difference, in terms of earnings potential and job prospects, what path they took to get there. However, the likelihood of earning a bachelorââ¬â¢s degree is significantly reduced if a student starts her postâ⬠secondary education at a community college, and the amount of time it takes to complete a bachelorââ¬â¢s degree (and potentially, the amount of loans a student accrues) is greatly increased. Additionally, research shows that the kinds of students Breakthrough servesââ¬âlowâ⬠income, minority, first generationââ¬âare less likely to transfer from community colleges to fourâ⬠year colleges and earn bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees. Therefore, the research supports the fact that students are more likely to complete bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees if they start their postâ⬠secondary educations at fourâ⬠year colleges or universities. Is community college more cost-effective? Without factoring in financial aid, the average tuition and fees at community college is less than half of the average tuition and fees at a public fourâ⬠year institution and 1/10th of the tuition and fees at a private four year institution. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average annual tuition and fees in 2006â⬠07 was: â⬠¢ $2,017 â⬠inâ⬠state student attending a community college â⬠¢ $5,685 â⬠fullâ⬠time, inâ⬠state student at a public four year college or university â⬠¢ $20,492 â⬠full time student at a private four year college and university However, while the tuition and fees at community colleges are significantly less, without knowing a studentââ¬â¢s financial aid package at a four year institution, it is difficult to determine the relative costâ⬠effectiveness. Additionally, considering the amount of time it takes students who begin in community college to complete their bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees, it is unclear how much cost savings there is in the end. Does it take longer for students to complete bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees if they start at community colleges? On average, it takes students 1à ½Ã¢â¬ 2 years longer to complete bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees if they begin at community colleges than if they begin at fourâ⬠year colleges. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average time it takes to complete a bachelorââ¬â¢s degree is: â⬠¢ 71 months for students who begin at 2â⬠year colleges â⬠¢ 55 months for students who begin at four year public colleges â⬠¢ 50 months for students who begin at four year private colleges Is there a difference in the earnings of community college graduates and graduates of fourâ⬠year institutions? If community college students do manage to transfer quickly and graduate from fourâ⬠year colleges, there is little evidence to show that there are significant earning differentials between students who start at community colleges and students who start at fourâ⬠year colleges (Kane and Rouse, 1995; Hilmer, 2000). The problem is that many community college students do not quickly transfer into fourâ⬠year colleges nor do they ultimately complete their bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees. For those individuals who start at community colleges and donââ¬â¢t transfer to fourâ⬠year institutions, there are repercussions in terms of their earnings potential. The average annual median income for adults who have associateââ¬â¢s degrees is approximately $13,000 less per year than adults who have bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees ($32,900 vs. $45,700), or $500,000 less in estimated lifetime earnings (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002). If the intention is to change the economic trajectory of Breakthrough students (i.e., end the cycle of poverty), then having Breakthrough students begin their postâ⬠secondary educations at fourâ⬠year colleges is the best way to ensure they complete their bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees. Is there a difference in the attrition rates of students at community colleges vs. students at fourâ⬠year colleges? The attrition rate for students at community colleges, even those students who have an explicit intent to pursue bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees, is far greater than the attrition rate of students at four year colleges. In 2006: â⬠¢ 39% of students at community colleges who intended to pursue bachelorââ¬â¢s degrees left school without completing a degree or certificate program â⬠¢ 17% of students at four year public colleges left school without completing a degree â⬠¢ 16% of students at four year private colleges left school without completing a degree (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008 Special Analysis of Community College data)
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