Mind the Gap: High Unmet Financial Need Threatens Persistence and Completion for Low-Income Community College Students

Over the last three decades, college tuition and fees have increased nearly four times faster than median income and four-and-a-half times faster than inflation. The rapid increase in college costs and flat or reduced funding in student aid has resulted in sizable unmet need and has forced students...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2013
Main Authors: Choitz, Vickie, Reimherr, Patrick
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Center for Law and Social Policy
Education
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:Over the last three decades, college tuition and fees have increased nearly four times faster than median income and four-and-a-half times faster than inflation. The rapid increase in college costs and flat or reduced funding in student aid has resulted in sizable unmet need and has forced students -- particularly low-income students -- to borrow more, work more hours, take fewer courses, or in some cases, drop out altogether. Unmet need and student loan debt for students at high-cost institutions have attracted widespread public attention. Less attention has been paid to unmet need at community colleges, where 41 percent of all undergraduates living in poverty are enrolled, according to the most recent data available (2007-2008).