New evidence shows that programs that enable community
college students to attend full-time dramatically increases graduation
rates. As reported recently In the
Atlantic Monthly and New York Times, the Accelerated Study in Associate Program
(ASAP) at NYC community colleges has doubled or tripled rates.
The key is to keep students in college full-time. While this is the model for baccalaureate education, at community colleges, most students attend part-time and many drop out for periods of time. This delays their completion of a degree and, in many cases, results in never finishing.
Although students at community
colleges have a number of barriers, primarily financial, that prevent full-time
attendance, as the ASAP initiative shows, those impediments can be overcome. Students who sign up for the program are
given an advisor who meets with them regularly and tracks their progress. Students must attend full-time in the fall
and spring semesters. Cost of full-time
college is not a barrier: If the student cannot afford the full-time tuition,
the college waives the deficit. Moreover, students are encouraged to take
classes in the summer, increasing their academic progress. According to Donna Linderman, University Associate Dean for Student Success Initiatives, City University of New York, 79% of ASP students are enrolled in the
summer with costs paid by the college.
How is this different from how
community college students are now treated?
At present, federal financial aid covers the fall and spring semesters. The archetype for baccalaureate education is
designed to serve the children of well-off families: go to school for 9 months,
take the summer off to travel, or work possibly in the family business or in a
job obtained through family or college contacts.
But the lives of the great majority of community college
students who come from low social-economic status families are markedly
different. These students work yearlong
either part or full-time because their parent or parents cannot afford to
support them. Going to college year round
is more consistent with their circumstances and allows them to complete more
credits in a shorter period of time.
This extra time is especially important because most community college
students have to take additional academic work, remedial or so-called
developmental courses – to make up for academic deficiencies. ASAP solves that problem by funding summer
attendance even if governmental financial aid is not available.
Not unexpectedly, ASAP comes with a cost, $3900 per student
per year according to both the Atlantic and New York Times articles. In the
community college world this is a big number considering this is on top of the
$9800 cost of attending a community college in New York City, half coming from
student tuition and half from state and city support.
However, that investment pays huge dividends in the ability of
students to complete their degrees.
