Increase in Students Enrolled In State and Community Colleges

Introduction

For many students who cannot afford higher education, community college serves as an access point. These community colleges are of particular importance to those who cannot afford higher education otherwise in that the admission requirements for these are less stringent, they are located in close proximities and their prices are generally lower (Fain, p. 10). They are not only an opportunity for the regular students but also for workers who are looking for growth opportunities in their work on the basis of post secondary education. These are people who are not looking for a four year degree. In addition, community colleges for the needy students are of importance because there are chances that the students may get transferred to main stream universities after spending a year at the state or community college and performing par excellence.

More recently, there has been an increase in the number of students enrolled in state and community colleges.

Discussion

The trend of increase in enrollments in the community college exists. The Iowa Department of State suggests that the number of enrollments in the Iowa state universities this year has been an all time high. The state has 15 community colleges that cater to 106,597 students (IOWA Department of Education, p. 14). The percentage increase from the preceding year is as high as 4.8 percent. This trend is also seen in other stated of United States of America. The major reason for this increase is the economic downturn that hit the country back in the year 2008, and the dent it has put on the national economy and standard of living. The tuition of education in the mainstream universities is much higher than it is for the state universities and colleges. This makes them highly affordable (Fain, p. 10). ...