As tuition at traditional, four-year universities soar, community colleges have grown as an effective and affordable option for American students. As a result, more attention is being paid to community colleges and to finding ways to enable those institutions to best meet the needs of multitudes of students with varied backgrounds, situations, and aspirations.

However, community colleges are often viewed differently because they are not considered ‘elite’ or ‘competitive’ when compared to top-tier or four-year universities. 

Even though universities are making efforts to make their services available to a broader group of people through more opportunity for financial aid and merit-based scholarships, this is insufficient when addressing the needs of increasing numbers of students entering an evolving workforce.

In Arkansas, the Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), which started in 2005, serves to enhance the community college experience. It connects education with training programs and support services that help nontraditional students strive for higher levels of education, enabling them to be more competitive members of the labor force. The community college curriculum does more than teach a variety of disciplines; it develops student workers through unique studies and through acknowledgement of employer interests. CPI participants are further supported through employment placement assistance, coursework coaching, and family support services.

About seventy percent of undergraduate students in postsecondary institutions in the United States are nontraditional, and over forty percent of all undergraduate students are from community colleges. Community college has become one of America’s largest and most important anti-poverty programs. The federal Pell Grant for low-income students maxes out at about $5,900 a year, which is usually more than enough to cover community college tuition, but too little to live on. In July, Congress increased the maximum to $6,095 in July, yet the gap between a Pell Grant’s value and the cost of living continues to increase.

Many low-income students are struggling to make ends meet. They are in a sensitive position, for while they attend school and commit to an education, they sacrifice wages that could be earned during that same time.

The purpose of attending community college is to receive an affordable, quality education that prepares students for a changing employment landscape and that helps them find a fulfilling role in it. Although the institutions do not directly resolve hunger, homelessness, or lack of health care, community colleges help students construct a positive mindset that encourages them to continue taking chances and working to improve their personal circumstances as effectively and efficiently as possible.

The hard work by a majority of CPI participants has resulted in increased wages and tax revenues in addition to a reduction in public assistance benefits. Arkansans who graduate from community colleges are becoming more independent and prepared for our changing world.

The benefits of attending community colleges continue to grow as more students enroll in their programs. Community colleges have become a major asset to our American society and economy as they work to fill the expansive labor gap found in rising generations. CPI has made major contributions to the people and students of Arkansas and will continue to do so as the demand for an evolving workforce is needed.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill