Improving Graduation Rates by Revamping Community College

Community college has always been a misunderstood topic. It is clear to say few people feel encouraged to go to a community college over going to a university. One thing that is clear about community college is the lack of guidance for students that did not know the right route to take to achieve their degree. The expense for college were quite high for low income students. Students felt that the system in place for community college were failing them. Once colleges notice a drop in their graduation rates, they knew it was time for the issue to be addressed. After a few changes done, many community colleges notice a difference in their graduation rates after revamping. The answer to the question does revamping community college help improve graduation rates is Yes, I believe it does. Many colleges started to offer lower tuition cost, more personal advice from advisors, and requiring fewer classes to help progress towards a degree.

The tuition for college in general has always been a very large expense and due to financial situations more students either push it off or had to drop out. Growing up I was always told to attend a community college due to the low-cost tuition. At the time of my high school graduation due to financial it seems like the smarter way to go. Due to many programs Community college is changing its approach on how to accommodate many students from different backgrounds and financial status. There are bills such as former President Obama’s America’s College Promise proposal to make community colleges free to responsible high school graduates that will later help lower the dropout rate.

Another way community college is revamping to help graduation rates is by providing more personal advice from advisors. According to Professor Bailey, “It is a very complicated environment for students that receive less advice than at any selective college. A school like Columbia can have one adviser for one hundred students, while most community colleges, the ratio is more like one for every thousand students.” That was a big problem for students who lacked guidance when it came to choosing classes and what classes were needed towards their degree. I remember it was usually hard to reach my advisor because she had to juggle between two college campuses. Most of the time, we communicated through email, but it did not feel personal. Returning to college after all those years, I notice a difference in how our advisors interact with the students. I feel like they are truly there to help and look for your best interest. This was a big help, but it was not the only way solution. Another way this problem was addressed was with programs such as the Accelerated Study in Associated Programs, which assisted students in earning associate degrees with financial, academic, and person support such as career counseling and comprehension, the graduation rate double for schools like the University of New York city compared to colleges that were not a part of the program.

The requirement for degrees were a confusing thing to handle especially when picking out your classes. To help with not only financial situations, colleges are now requiring fewer remedial classes, which helped improve student’s basic math and English skills. Colleges are providing better guidance to help pick classes necessary for your degree. They even help find a way to pair courses with others that would provide progress towards the students’ career path. I have noticed a difference in my college by how they schedule your classes. Back in 2012, I was under the impression that I had to take all the classes to get in the RN program. Now I am back in school and there are only about 4 classes required to get in the program. So that was a bit encouraging for me to continue and pursue my degree. It made me feel like my goal is more at arm’s reach than having to go to school longer with no degree to show for it. If it made me feel this way, I can only imagine how it makes other students feel. I believe this will most definitely encourage the graduations rate to rise.

Overall, Community Colleges have made a huge difference over the years revamping their policies and how the schools go about helping students achieve a degree of their choice. I personally am excited to continue my education and have a degree to show for it. Thanks to all these changes the colleges have done, the process with be a lot easier and quicker to achieve. I do believe that revamping community college will continue to rise in graduation rates due to colleges offering lower tuition cost, more personal advice from advisors, and requiring fewer classes to help progress towards a degree.