Clearing the path to a brighter future, Addressing Barriers to Community College Access and Success

Abstract

Over the past 100 years, community colleges have evolved to become the largest sector of higher education, representing over 8 million credit students nationwide. These public institutions are pillars of the communities, providing education and workforce training that fuel local economies. While community colleges have historically focused on providing access to higher education for students, the need to increase degree attainment has emerged as an equally important aspect of institutional achievement. As the Association of Community Colleges Trustees work towards the goal of increasing not only higher education access but success for the nation’s low-income and underserved populations, there remains an overarching concern regarding the ability of our institutions to provide students with the assistance and support needed to persist and complete their degrees.