Trait and Behavioral Differences among Community College Students Based on Gender: Results of a National Study

Objective: This study examined the statistical association between net tuition and changes in degree aspirations among community college students. In addition, the study explored the moderating influence of unmet financial need. Method: Analyses relied on data from the most recent iteration of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. Estimates were derived from a series of robust multinomial models controlling for student, institutional, and state-level covariates. Results: Net tuition was consistently associated with decreased risks of experiencing a “cool out,” regardless of model specification. Yet, this main effect of net tuition was moderated by unmet need, such that net tuition increased cool out risks among students with greater unmet need. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that net reductions in tuition alone may not fully reduce or eliminate barriers to college access and student success. Future financial aid policies should focus on the full cost of college attendance.

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A National Study of Differences between Distance and Non-distance Community College Students in Time to First Associate Degree Attainment, Transfer, and Dropout

Online Learning ◽

10.24059/olj.v20i3.984 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Peter Shea ◽

Temi Bidjerano

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Community College ◽

Online Education ◽

Community College Students ◽

Associate Degree ◽

Degree Attainment ◽

National Study ◽

College Level ◽

Student Survey ◽

Policy And Practice

Abstract Previous research indicates that online learning at the community college level results in higher rates of withdrawal, failure, and dropout compared to classroom-based education (Xu & Smith Jaggars, 2011; Smith-Jaggars & Xu, 2010). The primary goal of the current study was to examine national data (US Dept. of Ed. Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey, 2004-09) on three outcomes for community college students with and without online education experiences. The outcomes were attainment of first associate degree, transfer, and dropout. In contrast to previous research, compared to exclusively classroom-based students, results suggest significantly more students who had engaged in online education had attained an associate degree at the end of the observation period. There were no significant differences in transfer or dropout. These results are interpreted with regard to their implications for policy and practice.

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Community College Career and Technical Education and Labor Market Projections: A National Study of Alignment

Community College Review ◽

10.1177/0091552120982008 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 009155212098200

Author(s):

Cameron Sublett ◽

Janae Tovar

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Community College ◽

Community Colleges ◽

Labor Market ◽

Community College Students ◽

Career And Technical Education ◽

Technical Education ◽

National Study ◽

Data Set ◽

Career And Technical

Objective: This study sought to determine how aligned community college students’ declared majors were with long-term occupational projections. In addition, the study explored whether this link was sensitive to entry-level education. Method: The current study merged two disparate sources of national education and economic data to form a novel analytic file. The sample of students who attended public, 2-year community colleges were obtained from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/14), which tracked a cohort of students from 2011–2012 through 2013–2014. The second data set featured current and projected jobs numbers organized by the U.S. Department of Labor for the years 2016 and 2026. A series of logistic regression models controlling for both observed and unobserved state-level factors were employed to determine alignment. Results: There did not seem to be a clear correlation between community college students’ choice of career and technical education (CTE) major and labor market projections. Preferred model specifications indicated the decisions to major in the two most remunerative CTE cluster areas (information technology [IT] and Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math [STEM]) were negatively associated with projected market growth in a student’s home state. Contributions: Community colleges are particularly suited to provide the CTE coursework needed to respond to local labor shortages, yet it is not clear from existing research to what degree community college students choose major areas of study in CTE fields based on labor market projections in those fields. These results are of interest to researchers in light of federal policy requiring CTE programs match the current and future needs of local economies.

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