Lit Review #5

TRANSITION MATTERS

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

TO BACHELOR’S DEGREE

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. "Transition Matters." 2008. http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/acsfa/transmattfullrpt.pdf.

This report details the proceedings of the Advisory Committee’s Community College Symposium, held on December 10, 2007 in Washington DC. The symposium featured community college leaders who described efforts to overcome barriers. The information in this document is a valuable resource to community college leaders at all levels – federal, state, and institutional – who desire change and seek to implement strategies that enhance the community college pathway to a bachelor’s degree. 

Some quotes from this article include:

"Due to changing demographics, issues of college affordability, and workforce expectations, there is an increasing demand for access to community colleges. At present, there are approximately, 200 community colleges nationwide, serving over 11.5 million students – nearly half of all undergraduates."

“public schools, on average, offer one guidance counselor for every 300 students” 

“Many students do not have adequate advising to obtain information on the behaviors and steps needed to enhance persistence”  

“Tuition and fees at public flagship universities, on average, are more than 2.5 times the tuition and fees at the community colleges"

“In 2003-04 at least 250,000 potential college students did not enroll in higher education due to reduced state funding and increased tuition levels”    

“The price of textbooks at two year colleges has risen over 100 percent in the past 17 years, more rapidly than any other commodity during the same time period”