Is there any real difference in a Community College education and a four-year University education? Yes, there is. In fact, there are three (3) major differences that stand out most. The age ranges of the students, the income level, the ethnic make-up, and the risk factors, all in which we will examine in-depth.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 1999-2000 undergraduates were examined with respect to seven risk factors previously found to be negatively associated with persistence and degree attainment (Horn and Premo 1995). The risk factors include delaying enrollment by a year or more, attending part time, being financially independent (for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid), having children, being a single parent, working full time while enrolled, and being a high school dropout or a GED recipient. These risk factors involve enrollment patterns, family and financial status, and high school graduation status.

Contrary to popular belief, that anyone can accomplish anything in America, the above factors alone contest this myth. People are born into different situations thus their lives are basically preordained from the start. Everyone should have realistic goals in mind when they are old enough to reason about life's offers. Discerning through the most popular myths of American ideology, one has to understand that to any words of wisdom or advice based of famous quotes, there is one contrary to it that is also just as wise.

For instance, one old America saying goes, "you can be whatever you want to be in America, because the opportunities are there." However, there is also a saying that goes, "Play with the hand life deals you." There is a continuing cycle of wisdom that we live by and in the mist of every day, the question is, what words do we heed? The answer is, the words of reality, not fantasy.

Ethnicity

If you are Black in America, you should think realistically because your chances are much slimmer for success than if you were white, but that does not stop no one Black person from becoming whatever he or she wants to be. Reality (and history) says, however, that a white person has a better chance at success than the Black person. Any Black person can follow after the words of encouragement to push for all that he or she can be and that if they try hard enough and work hard enough, they can have whatever it is they want. But if that person is only playing with the hand that life dealt them, they are up against the force of fleshly hindrance called prejudice.

Many Blacks' hopes have been dashed following after the great wisdom of American ideology. In fact, American philosophy was written by whites and with whites in mind, not Blacks, and it was written for the white mind and by the white mind.

Blacks have learned to adopt these ideas yet cannot seem to accomplish exactly what the words say they can. It is irony at its American best, or should we say American hypocrisy. How can someone encourage another and then turn around and hinder that person from accomplishing the goal? Well, when it comes to education, there are opportunities, however, there are good opportunities and there are "some" opportunities. We get some opportunities while they get the good opportunities understand? Yes, there is opportunity in America for anyone to accomplish anything, but there are better opportunities for those to whom they were prepared. That's reality.

Community college is an opportunity but not a good opportunity like the hereditary entitlement or economic head start to attend an Ivy League school or a four-year University. When it comes to Blacks and community colleges, one study says, "some differences in patterns of enrollment at different types of institutions were found relative to racial/ethnic groups. For example, Black and Hispanic undergraduates were more likely than White undergraduates to attend community colleges, though the proportions were relatively small (8 percent of Black and 9 percent of Hispanic students, compared with 4 percent of White students)."

This does not necessarily mean what it intends on portraying. More Blacks and Hispanics attend community colleges than whites. And even though the proportion is smaller, consider the population demographics; there are three (3) times as many whites than there are Blacks or Hispanics. Thirty-nine (39) percent of Black undergraduates attended 4-year institutions, compared with 48 percent of White students, which says that out of all the Black college students (in both community college and universities) the majority of them are in a community college compared to all the white students where almost half of them attend Universities while the other half attend community colleges.

Now if Blacks make up 12% of the American population, and 3% of them have college educations and out of that 3 % only a quarter of them attend universities, then that means that while whites make up 70% of the U.S. and half of them have college educations, and of that half another 48% attend universities, the difference is more extreme than what the above stats would have one to believe. This is a risk factor that was not taken into consideration when the data was collected about college graduates based on race. In other words, Blacks face more factors to accomplishing the "American Dream" than what society lead one to believe and wise words account for.

Age

In 1999-2000, where undergraduates were enrolled and how much time they spent in the classroom was related to their age and life circumstances. Older undergraduates, who are more likely to have family and work responsibilities, were concentrated in public 2-year community colleges and they were very likely to attend on a part-time basis.

Younger undergraduates were more likely to be enrolled in 4-year institutions and to attend full time. For example, 56 percent of undergraduates in their thirties and 63 percent of those 40 or older attended community colleges, while 55 percent of those ages 19 to 23 were enrolled in 4-year institutions. Moreover, 57 percent of undergraduates in their thirties and 70 percent of those 40 or older attended exclusively part time, while 63 percent of those ages 19 to 23 attended exclusively full time.

This means that it's never too late to go to school and that community college is the best bet for students over thirty and who work full-time.

Income

Where undergraduates enrolled differed by income level. Among dependent undergraduates, for example, the rate of attending 4-year institutions rose with each successive level of family income. The opposite pattern occurred for public 2-year institutions: as family income levels rose, the rate of dependent undergraduates who attended public 2-year institutions declined.

In other words, the more money a family has, the better the school, most likely a four-year college, and the less money a family has, the more attended community colleges. All this is understood by basic common sense.

Majors

Among undergraduates with a declared major (90 percent had declared a major), the largest proportions majored either in business-related fields (19 percent) or arts and humanities (18 percent). Eight to 10 percent majored in each of the following: social and behavioral sciences, computer science, education, health, and other technical or professional fields. No more than 6 percent majored in any other field.

Age was also related to field of study. Undergraduates who were 30 or older were more likely than those 23 or younger to major in computer science fields and less likely to major in social and behavioral sciences.

The above data would suggest that the business field and the technology field are the most popular fields to study, thus the future is headed in that direction.

Gender

Historically, women have outnumbered men in education and health, while men have outnumbered women in computer science and engineering. The same patterns were found among 1999-2000 undergraduates: 2 percent of women versus 11 percent of men majored in engineering, and 6 percent of women versus 13 percent of men majored in computer and information sciences.

In contrast, 11 percent of women versus 4 percent of men majored in education, and 15 percent of women versus 4 percent of men majored in health. In the likelihood of majoring in business, however, no differences were detected between men and women or among racial/ethnic groups.

This says that the natural gender roles have not changed despite feminist movements. Women are cut out for certain things and men are cut out for certain things. The difference is in female population in the workforce but the roles (in terms of interest and skill level) pretty much remain the same.

Risk Factors

The 1999-2000 undergraduates were examined with respect to seven risk factors previously found to be negatively associated with persistence and degree attainment (Horn and Premo 1995). The risk factors include delaying enrollment by a year or more, attending part time, being financially independent (for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid), having children, being a single parent, working full time while enrolled, and being a high school dropout or a GED recipient.

These risk factors involve enrollment patterns, family and financial status, and high school graduation status. From this perspective, the risk factors are highly related to characteristics of a diverse undergraduate population as described in this study, and some (such as parenthood) are one and the same.

In 1999-2000, three-quarters of all undergraduates reported at least one risk factor. Overall, the average number of risk factors reported by all undergraduates was 2.2. More risk factors were reported by Black students (2.7), American Indian/Alaska Native students (2.8), and Hispanic students (2.4).

The same was found for students with disabilities, who averaged 2.6 risk factors. Based on their risk profile, parents are at greater risk than other undergraduates (i.e., they are financially independent, have children, and may be single parents). Undergraduates with children or other dependents averaged 4.3 risk factors, and single parents averaged 4.7 risk factors.

Because female undergraduates were more likely than male undergraduates to be parents, they averaged more risk factors (2.3 vs. 2.1). However, because men were more likely to work full time, no differences were detected between men and women in their overall likelihood of having at least one risk factor (75 percent).

According to a study of persistence in postsecondary education (Berkner, Cuccaro-Alamin, and McCormick 1996), 64 percent of beginning students with one risk factor persisted in their postsecondary program or completed a degree or vocational certificate within 5 years, compared with 43 percent of those with three or more risk factors.

Thus, among 1999-2000 undergraduate students with three or more risk factors, at least half might be expected to leave postsecondary education without completing a degree or certificate.

© 2003 by Cartel Q

Sources from: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/quarterly/fall/