Putting the “Community” into Community College When It's Needed Most

Two years ago, the hustle culture of life was constantly present. Then the pandemic stepped in and flipped everything upside down. Homes became offices, classrooms, gyms, bakeries, etc. as countries confided to home.

Combining work with education is even tougher these days. If your job is helping community college students, you may have noticed their list of hardships has only increased in recent years. 

A March 2021 report from the Center for Community College Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin revealed growing challenges for post-traditional students.

43% of female students with children are now worse off than they were before the fall of 2020. At least a third of students in racial and ethnic groups are having trouble paying tuition. Vital internet access is a problem for 1-in-4 students-- and these are only a few of the worries.

If your community college has tuition assistance programs or resources available, make sure you’re letting students know.

And, more importantly, guide them through the process of applying.

Sending text messages with financial aid information and offering to answer questions can go a long way for community college students who are struggling monetarily. 

Obviously, your institution can’t put the world back on its axis, but you can make students aware of the resources available.

According to the report, 57% of Community College students had no idea if their school offered mental health services or other assistance. 

Trying to predict what the landscape will be like in six months is futile, and there are sure to be temporary daycare closures, grade school scheduling pitfalls, and a myriad of other obstacles thrown in your students’ paths. The post-pandemic future is long off, but sending  helpful texts at important touch points can help ease the pressure cooker for students and keep then engaged and enrolled at your institution. 

Learn more about reaching the diverse population of students at a community college during enrollment fallouts.