Rising costs and the issue of affordability have pushed many Americans out of higher education. As higher education continues to experience enrollment declines, gaps in enrollment between Black students and their white peers are increasing. To address these issues, higher education leaders and policymakers should look to community colleges as they have proven to be consistent powerhouses in educating and providing greater access to Black learners.
Free community college continues to be widely discussed in the higher education landscape. However, as we watch the significant decline in enrollment among our Black students, the push for it needs to become stronger. A Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies report describes this decline as steady over the past decade but magnified since the COVID-19 pandemic, with enrollment falling 18% for Black students (and nearly 24% for Black men) between Fall 2019 and Fall 2021. To encourage Black learners’ enrollment, affordability must be at the forefront of higher education leaders’ priorities. In a study on 2-year public institutions with free college programs, researchers found a 47% and 49% increase in the enrollment of Black males and females, respectively.
Community colleges are critical in improving access to higher education for students of color. Not only does free community college remove barriers to access, but it also increases the likelihood of persistence and completion as the financial burden is eliminated. To combat the enrollment declines and widening gaps for Black students, greater affordability is just the beginning. I recommend colleges explore options as it relates to free college. To push further, I recommend that free community college programs review their criteria for participation and the unit requirements to remain in a free community college program. For example, for fall 2023, Compton College has expanded our free college program to include all eligible first-time college students regardless of if they live in the Compton College service area, and students have to maintain enrollment in 6 units per semester, not 12 as previously required.
Compton College’s Oliver W. Conner College Promise Program has expanded eligibility for its free college program to include part-time students and individuals with no previous college experience, regardless of age or residence. Free college programs waive enrollment fees, but how do we address the total cost of a college education?
Link to Relevant Publications: https://www.community4blacklearnerexcellence.com/publications