Over 16% fewer first-year students are enrolling in postsecondary institutions compared to last year, according to new data from The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Inside Higher Ed published a helpful complimentary analysis explaining the findings. The declines are not as prevalent in public and private non-profit four-year institutions as they were in community colleges, where enrollment is down 9.4%, with an even steeper 23% enrollment drop in first-year students at community colleges. Certificate and associate degree programs across all institutions are also experiencing a decrease in enrollment.
Typically in a recession when unemployed or displaced workers are looking to reskill or upskill, community college enrollment is expected to spike. Community colleges are closer to home for displaced workers and often the most affordable postsecondary option. During this economic downturn due to COVID-19, it was predicted that the trend would follow the same pattern, but so far it has not.
Douglas Shapiro, the executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse, listed students’ lack of access to the internet in order to complete online courses and the difficulty of translating hands-on learning to a remote setting as some of the potential factors for decreased enrollment. Due to the lack of enrollment and potential budget cuts because of the economic downturn, community colleges are worried about steep cuts to their funding allocations, which could have large, lasting implications, potentially exacerbating equity and access gaps among disadvantaged students who access higher education through community colleges.
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