Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 1

Reflective Analysis Paper

Moriah Bowen

American Community College

Seattle University
 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 2

Defining the Issue of Affordability and Access to Funding

Access to funding or the affordability of postsecondary education has been a large topic

regarding issues in diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for marginalized identities, rural communities,

and first-generation students. Community colleges are no exception to this dilemma, especially during

the historical global pandemic of COVID-19 (Yuen, 2021). According to the National College Attainment

Network (2021), the number of affordable postsecondary options is decreasing as the affordability gap

increases. As community colleges do have lower tuitions than four-year public institutions, this is not

equal to affordability for many students. The barriers students faced when accessing funding at a

community college level can be the result of revenue gaps, funding based on full-time equivalent

enrollment, or lack of grant funding available to community colleges. This issue focuses on how

community college students are negatively impacted by the lack of funding from the Federal/State

departments and grants, the increasing gap in affordability, and COVID-19.

On the other hand, it is difficult to determine why these issues are not addressed. Community

colleges have an open-enrollment nature and unique support of occupational training, basic education

and supporting transfers (Rios-Aguilar & Deil-Amen, 2019). The structure of community colleges has led

to many issues regarding the topic of funding and affordability. These institutions do not follow the

same structure as public four-year institutions and do not benefit as greatly from the structure built to

originally support postsecondary education (Yuen, 2021).

Access, Equity and Diversity Analysis

When addressing the diversity, equity, and inclusion of community colleges it is important to

remember the student population that is being served in this sector of postsecondary education. Many

community college students are over the age of 24, enrolled part-time, have other priorities such as
 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 3

families or careers, are of lower economic status, and identify as minorities (Rios-Aguilar & Deil-Amen,

2019). Community colleges also serve a different demographic/population than public four-year

institutions by supporting nontraditional types of education. This population is a combination of

nontraditional, occupational, part-time, basic education, and low-income students. These identities also

have reflections on salient identities that are marginalized voices in society. “Black and Hispanic

students are more likely to enroll at these colleges than at four-year universities” (Dowd & Taing Shieh,

2013, p 2). “Almost 40% of them earn or come from families that earn less than $20,000 a year” (Yoder,

2021). According to Community College Review (2022), the average cost of tuition for one year in

Washington’s community colleges is $4,058. This is not the total cost for a student. The lack of access to

funding and postsecondary education affordability gaps results in poor percentages of student success

(2020).

However, based on fiscal pressure there is a limitation to promoting social equity and

educational opportunities focused on marginalized identities (Dowd & Taing Shieh, 2013). The lack of

adequate funding results in the services that promote affordability to be unavailable both to students

and their communities (Dowd & Taing Shieh, 2013). Continuing to use a critical lens, the issues of limited

access to funding negatively impact students who are struggling with poverty, as they struggle to find

financial assistance to attend postsecondary education (Murakami, 2020). The lack of funding is a

decrease in resources for students (Yoder, 2021). These resources are found in campus wide textbooks,

technology equipment loans, food pantries, lack of housing assistance programs, and childcare options.

These services support students of all backgrounds and statuses to continue their postsecondary

education by providing aid to other aspects of their lives. As community colleges have a large population

of those types of students having the barriers of affordability, they are less likely graduate or reach
 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 4

personal student goals as they are already having a disposition to financial restrictions, which include

childcare and housing.

Today, there are systems in place that negatively impact student populations at a community

college level. Funding for community colleges, currently, mostly comes from State Departments and

localities. “In total, federal funds (including financial aid) amount to only 15% of community college

revenue (Goldrick-Rab, 2010, p.443) There is a disconnect between the funding provided by the State

Department and the federal funding. Many community colleges are struggling to focus on student-focus

outcomes, which is better suited for their student population, as there is a lack of necessary funds. State

Department and Federal funding often rely on systems to determine the amount of funding received by

postsecondary institutions (Yuen, 2021). Community colleges are often negatively impacted (Yuen,

2021). The two main types of funding can be based on performance funding, which is strictly calculated

on student retention and completion, or formula budgeting utilizing FTE (full-time equivalent). FTE

enrollment funding measures part-time students to equal a fraction of full-time students and allocations

of this funding are not equal per student (Yuen, 2021). A part-time student can use just as many

resources and student services as compared to a full-time student.

During COVID-19, the Biden-Harris Administration provides an additional $198 million in

American Rescue Plan, which was primarily used to fund community colleges and institutions with the

greatest student needs (2022). This plan was meant to support the communities with high impacts by

COVID-19 (2022). It also provides funding to minority-serving colleges such as tribal colleges (2022).

According to the U.S. Department of Education (2022), using the American Rescue Plan was to support

students’ basic needs and connect these postsecondary institutions with other federal resources for

basic needs. This additional $198 million was a part of $76 billion given relief to colleges and universities

(Yoder, 2021). By providing this targeted funding, communities with a lack of adequate support for basic
 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 5

needs through funding were highlighted. These were areas of minorities, first-generation, and low-

income students, which pairs with the student population of community colleges.

Promising Practices

Two practices that can provide change and support to community colleges and their students

are changing formulated funding systems to count students as equals, and changing federal grants, such

as the Pell grant, to cover basic needs. These are not the only ways to support community colleges and

their students, nor are they as simple as increasing a monetary amount. These implications will help

mend an existing system to better support postsecondary education that is created systematic barriers.

State departments currently use formulated funding systems to provide pre-determine

monetary amounts. These systems vary from state to state and can have different target points. The

most popular at FTE enrollment count or performance-based (Dowd & Taing Shieh, 2013). However,

these funding systems do not equate to community college student populations. Community colleges

receive fewer allocations of funds when using these systems compared to public four-year institutions

(Yuen, 2021). State departments reformatting this formula system can have multiple looks. Systems

could begin by providing equal monetary values per student, regardless of enrollment status (Yuen,

2021). There are also the options of allocating more funds for specific student types, such as Pell

recipients or achieved student goals (Yuen, 2021). In theory, limitations of affordability barriers to

tuition and cost. Allocating more funds to community colleges would allow more resources to create or

upheld student services for disadvantaged students.

There is also the practice of updating and reformatting federal funds given to individual students

(Hauptman, 2021). “Student financial aid is the single largest investment government in community

college. (Goldrick-Rab, 2010, p.444) This would allow education to believe in thinking about students as
 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 6

individuals at risk rather than a systemic process of achieving an education (Murakami, 2020). ACE

Several federal initiatives could have the chance to change the offer students are supported once

enrolled (Yoder, 2021). Allowing grants given to individual students to cover basic needs would also

recognize and change the trajectory of marginalized individuals in a community college setting (Urwitz,

2022). This can take the form of redesigning Pell grants to cover living costs for low-income students

(Hauptman, 2021). This is a promising practice as it begins to recognize the inequality of funding and

affordability of college. It also shows that supporting students with need-based grants has been helpful

in promoting the persistence and retention of community college students.

The overall goal of these implications is to continue to bring focus to the inequity of funds

available to community colleges and the lack of access to funds students can obtain. Community

colleges are unique and require different financial methods of support as they continue to provide

educational services to a unique student population. Addressing the issue of affordability and access to

funds is addressing topics of basic needs aid, social injustice, marginalized communities, and challenging

systemic barriers.
 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 7

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 Community College Issues: Affordability and Access to Funding 9

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