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For many community college students, college is a dream—a dream of a better life for them and for their families. Too often, however, that dream is cut short. Roughly 40 percent of community college students do not persist from their first fall enrollment to the following fall.
A new report from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement examines some of the obstacles that prevent community college students from staying on a path to degree completion. Among the barriers the report found:
- A lack of information about navigating the college process, including information on registration, orientation, and how to make payments.
- Students reported very different experiences with academic planning and guidance. Some described having an academic plan in place and knowing what to take the next term and some had no idea.
- Insufficient engagement with instructors and fellow classmates.
- A lack of success courses, study groups, and tutoring assistance. Some students reported not being aware of these services.