In December 2023, TICAS published new research on the College Affordability Gap--the gap between students' total cost of attendance and non-loan aid available to them--in California, Michigan, and New York, with a focus on students eligible for Pell Grants. Our new report builds on this research with data from nine additional states (Colorado,…

Now more than ever, philanthropy seeks to use its grant making and voice to build and support equity for historically marginalized communities. Toward that end, postsecondary education is an important area of investment because it is a critical pathway to economic mobility and stability. At the same time, colleges are serving a growing number of…

This study's purpose is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students who were studying at U.S. community colleges at the onset of this public health crisis. While previous work has explored the impact of the pandemic on international students generally, we argue that community college international students deserve…

This practical guide includes strategies that work to support students with intellectual disability (ID) who are looking for employment opportunities. The strategies shared in this How to Think College publication were shared with the authors by staff and faculty at six different postsecondary programs for students with ID, and align with the…

High-structure course designs have reduced achievement gaps for low-income and underrepresented minority students at research universities. But do community college students have time to do the preclass preparation required for intensive active learning, given their work and family commitments? We asked introductory majors biology students at two…

Community colleges are mission-driven institutions committed to access and community needs. They serve a diverse population: The majority of students are employed, so they have to balance work with school; about one-third are first-generation, so they are navigating an unfamiliar system for the first time in their families; and 15% are single…

College is one of the most reliable routes to economic security for parents and their children. College credentials are linked to increased earnings, higher rates of employment, lower poverty rates, and improved economic and educational outcomes among the children of college graduates. Student parents and their families stand to gain…

A growing number of community and technical colleges have made significant commitments to designing and sustaining supportive learning environments that help all students, including student mothers, realize their potential while also integrating the necessary academic, career, and personal supports that make it possible for an increasingly…

Public perceptions of college students and their needs have not evolved. Likewise, embedded in the minds of policymakers is a traditional picture of higher education's mission as largely focused on teaching and learning. To some extent, this is true for college staff, as well. As a result, shifting the paradigms around social, economic, and…

The Annual 2013-14 Enrollment Report provides a snapshot of enrollment statistics in Washington's community and technical colleges during the 2013-2014 academic year. Highlighted trends include: (1) In 2013-14, the legislative target (includes university centers, private career schools and community-based organizations) for the system was 139,237…

College students are increasingly combining studying with paid employment, and community college students tend to work even longer hours compared with students at four-year colleges. Yet, there is little evidence on the academic consequences of community college students' term-time employment. Using a rare administrative dataset from Washington…

A majority of all high school students engage in the labor force by the time they complete their senior year. Few studies have investigated the long-term educational trajectories of student workers after high school graduation. Even fewer research studies have concerned themselves with ascriptive stratification patterns of the teenage labor…

This report explores the demographics of community college students and how they compare to those in other sectors of higher education. Next, it reviews the common reasons undergraduate students stop their studies or drop out. The report then examines technology-enhanced education in community colleges and presents several case studies showing how…

The new faces on the help desk are younger, work for cheap, and may be the tech savviest in the building. This article describes how two IT training programs are teaching students valuable technology skills while providing schools with a much-needed lift to their troubleshooting teams. The programs--Generation YES and Mouse Squad--put students at…

As more college students are relying on part- or full-time work to help pay for their education, federally financed work-study jobs are becoming harder to find. The percentage of freshmen who planned to hold full-time jobs while in college jumped to 4.7 percent this year, from 2.7 percent in 2000. But as more students are seeking jobs, federal…