Why Community College

Community colleges have come a long way since their inception. Instead of falling into the ranks of the “fallback” plan, many of these schools have now become the first choice for students looking to change career direction or explore higher education for the first time. With a focus on the community college system in recent years, the changes on these campuses have been even more pronounced, with a wider variety of degree programs, services, and even on-campus housing. Check out these five ways community colleges have evolved to become full-service institutions of higher education.

Greater Diversity in Degree Programs

Community colleges were typically known for their relatively generic liberal arts degree programs, but not any longer. Today’s students can choose from a wide range of two-year degrees, ranging from fine arts to engineering. Many of the degree programs at community colleges today are industry-centric, meaning they focus on training individuals for jobs in the local market. Schools even partner with employers in the community to ensure the training students receive at the community college can take them right into the workforce.

Some of the unique and interesting programs you might find at your local community college today include:

• Solar Energy Technology
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Performing Arts and Music
• Computer Engineering
• Exercise Science
• Nursing and Healthcare
• Manufacturing Engineering

Even fields like culinary arts, funeral home management, and criminal justice can be studied at some community colleges. No matter what you are interested in studying,

After several years of exponential growth seen at community colleges nationwide, that trend finally appears to wane. Some attribute enrollment declines to an improving economy, while others cite changes in federal legislation as potential reasons. No matter the underlying cause of the shrinking numbers, one thing is certain: the community college flurry that occurred during the recent economic slowdown appears to be stabilizing.

Fewer Community College Students in Oklahoma this Year

Oklahoma is just one of many states seeing fewer community college students head to class this fall. According to a report at News OK, most of the community colleges throughout Oklahoma report enrollment drops as the academic year gets underway. During the past decade, enrollment in the state’s colleges increased from around 88,000 students in 2000 to more than 117,000 by 2010. Much of that growth – around 16,000 students – occurred during 2009 and 2010, the years of economic recession across the country.

College officials suspect the enrollment drop could be attributed to a number of factors, including an improved economy and changes to federal financial aid programs. When the economy slowed, and unemployment increased, many displaced workers returned to school to retrain for new industries that were still hiring workers. As unemployment gradually stabilizes, many are now back to work and no longer in need of additional training at this time.

This video from ABC News reports on the declining enrollments in the nation's community colleges.

Placement tests have traditionally been used by community colleges nationwide to determine whether recent high school graduates are prepared for the rigors of college coursework. The results of these examinations have landed many incoming college freshmen into remedial or “developmental” classes designed to bring their academic skills up to par before embarking on more challenging college-level classes. However, recent evidence suggests that those remedial classes may have a much larger – and negative – influence on college completion rates overall. Additional research has shown that these placement examinations may not even be the most accurate assessment of college readiness for the majority of students today.

College Placement Exams Study: Other Measurements More Accurate?

A new study from Achieving the Dream, a non-profit organization, was created to improve community college outcomes for low-income students. The study, titled “Where to Begin? The Evolving Role of Placement Exams for Students Starting College,” found that tests commonly used by colleges to determine incoming student placement may be inaccurate and create hurdles to student success in college. The study found that other factors, including high school grades, may be better measures of success.

The study looked at students from the Long Beach Unified School District who attended Long Beach City College after high school. The study found that ninety percent of the students had to take five semesters or more of remedial classes before starting their college coursework. The study also found that if the

Students attend community college for a variety of reasons – to raise their GPAs, save money or explore a variety of liberal arts courses in preparation for choosing a major. Those who have been in the workforce for some time may head back to a community college for additional training or re-training in a different career. No matter your reasons for attending community college, these ten tips will help you make the most of that experience, both during your time at community college and in the goals you might hope to achieve afterward.

Choose Your Classes Wisely

Doing well in community college classes is important, but doing well in the right classes is critical for students looking to transfer to a four-year institution in two years. While advisors can help students make good class choices, there are also some general rules of thumb to follow when creating your community college course list.

“Students should think about what sort of classes they’re taking,” Kate Lazzo, assistant director of admission at Stanford University, told USA Today. “They should focus in on the area they intend to major in, but shouldn’t do so at the expense of a broad liberal arts education.”

This video offers an overview of Alabama community colleges.

Make the Grades

Grade point averages are important for community college students to focus on, whether they are heading to another institution after completing

Veterans struggling to find full-time employment now have another service at their disposal. The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) is a part of the 2011 VOW to Hire Heroes Act, and it offers vets the necessary training in a myriad of high-demand industries through local trade schools and community colleges. The veterans funding program will fill in gaps left by other services geared to veterans, ensuring every person who serves the country in the armed forces will have the opportunity to get training and gainful employment after their years of service.

What is VOW and VRAP?

According to the website for the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 was designed to offer a seamless transition to veterans exiting their service and preparing to work in the private sector. The program was signed into law by President Obama and is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program is a part of VOW and was created through a joint effort between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor.

The Community College Times reports that VRAP will eventually train more than 99,000 veterans for high-demand jobs over the next few years, through programs at technical schools and community colleges. The program will initially target 45,000 vets between July 1 and September 30, 2012. Another 54,000 vets are scheduled to receive the benefits of VRAP between October 1,