Abstract

This qualitative research study conducted individual interviews with students to contextualize the results of contemporary literature relating to the experience of community college students. The results from an open-ended questionnaire survey accomplished at one community college are compared with the literature. The project’s main purpose is to provide the student’s voice in the matter of challenges they encounter at the community college. The study focuses on four major areas of the student experience as found relevant by literature review on this topic. These are: one, why students choose to attend a two-year community college rather than a four-year college; two, the experience of attending community college; three, to explore the possible relationship between the stigma of community colleges and socio-economic status; and four, the role that community colleges serve as a stepping-stone for students to reach their ultimate educational goal. The author hypotheses that the individual narratives of community college students are important in order to offset generalizing and minimizing the student experience to numbers and labels, and to amplify these topics found in current literature.

Introduction

Assumptions of what college students want, feel, and think about their schools are continuously formed by institutions, but their voices and stories are often overlooked. Four-year university students carrying the spotlight gain support, while the needs of two-year community college students are often absent and lacking, with their experiences reduced to numbers and statistics. These students may be confined to categories and labels. There is also a significant gap between what the institution thinks community college students need, and what community college students actually need. While juggling home and life challenges, students also face a negative stigma surrounding their choice of attending a two-year community college. The purpose of this research study is to open the door on how community college students view their experience at community college, and to determine if gaps exist between the individuals’ responses to their needs and the college’s capacity to meet those needs. The results provide community college students a voice and contextualize their experiences.

The goal of my research was to gain depth of the community college experience from individuals who are currently enrolled. Capturing a range of different voices of community college students may amplify the importance of findings rather than achieve generalizability and ultimate truth from the students’ perspective. Another goal of this study was to emphasize the variety of needs and aspirations of community college students.

Background

In his article, “Enhancing Community College Operations to Promote Student Success,” K. McGhee notes that community colleges play a crucial role in providing students with a low-cost, post-secondary education [1]. McGhee concludes that the type of students that benefit the most from attending community colleges are students with disabilities, students who want to complete a degree, students with a specialized major, and lastly, students who are balancing work and school. In addition, this article discusses common barriers that community college students face, as well as the ways community colleges can relieve or eliminate these barriers for their students. For example, community colleges can enhance the support of academic advising to increase student retention and graduation rates.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is explored in response to M. P. Bowden and J. Doughney’s research [2]. Also using a survey format, they found two important trends. First, is the positive correlation between student socio-economic status and the level of their aspirations. A large proportion of students with higher SES aspire to attend four-year institutions, while students from a low SES background aim to work or attend a vocational training institution. Second, the authors found cultural and linguistic diversity amongst university students.

L. A. Palinkas and colleagues’ work on sampling, data collection, and analysis are used for reference [3]. They believe that mixed method designs are preferable in implementation research because they provide a better understanding of research issues than either quantitative or qualitative approaches alone do. Quantitative methods are intended to achieve breadth of understanding and place primary emphasis on generalizability, ensuring the knowledge gained represents the whole population. While qualitative methods are intended to achieve a depth of understanding and places primary emphasis on saturation, gaining a comprehensive understanding. Each methodology has different expectations and standards for determining the size of the sample group required to achieve its purpose.

Random sampling is used to ensure generalizability of findings by minimizing the potential for bias, whereas the framework of non-purposeful sampling involves identifying and selecting individuals that are knowledgeable about the research of interest. Purposeful sampling takes into consideration the subjects’ availability and willingness to participate (without incentives), and their ability to communicate experiences and opinions in an articulate, expressive, and reflective manner.

Leaning on the work of the literature reviews mentioned throughout this paper, my research intends to include additional insight from the students’ perspective and voice their stories that are often overlooked.

Methodology

The population is among students attending a single community college located in a suburban county in Maryland, USA. As of the fiscal year 2022, the community college included 13,000 credit students and 10,000 noncredit continuing education students [4]. The average student body of the community college is 24 years old and with backgrounds from 95 different countries.

After reviewing the literature, an interview questionnaire was devised to explore the topics of focus. The general college population were invited to participate in this interview study in-person or via email. To be included, subjects were required to be over the age of 18 years old, be involved in credit courses working towards a degree or certificate and sign informed consent. Subjects received the informed consent form in-person as a hard copy, and were invited to ask any questions about the conduct of the study.

Data was collected from the structured interviews using the questionnaire. The same person administered the interviews. Questionnaire data was gathered through formal and informal interviews with approximately 20 individuals. Aside from questions regarding demographic information, such as race, ethnicity, gender, and age, most consisted of open-ended questions regarding the student’s experience. Open-ended questions included asking individuals why they decided to attend this specific community college, their first impressions of the community college, how they viewed their experience so far, their interactions with students and faculty, and what they think could be improved. This format allowed students to lead the discussion, which was conducive for identifying trends regarding the students’ experience at community college.

The results were analyzed by categorizing into one of the four categories investigated by the questionnaire, and then these were compared to previous literature on each category. Categories were: one, why students choose to attend a two-year community college rather than a four-year college; two, the experience of attending community college; three, to explore the possible relationship between the stigma of community colleges and socio-economic status; and four, the role that community colleges serve as a stepping-stone for students to reach their ultimate educational goal.

Results and the Literature

Students selected for this study ranged from 18 to 34 years old. The racial and ethnic demographics of students included Black Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, White, and Multiracial students. Two-thirds of the students interviewed identified as females, while one third identified as males. All participants commuted to the college; one had children; and two were enrolled in degree programs at a 4-year university but needed courses supplied at the community college not available otherwise.

Who Are These Community College Students?

The qualitative survey methodology allows for distinguishing the collective student body at community colleges from the experiences and stories of individual students. For example, I interviewed a student, in his second semester at the community college, who was the first member of his family to attend college. He qualified for the Maryland Dream Act, which allows Maryland high school graduates who are undocumented immigrants exempt from paying the out-of-state tuition rate at a public institution of higher education in the States [5]. This student shared his story, saying, “My parents told me college is a privilege. Neither of them had the opportunity to attend one. In high school, I didn’t even consider going to college. It just wasn’t an option.” Fortunately for this student, at the last minute he was encouraged by his high school art teacher to apply to this community college.

Other students I interviewed were going back to school after coming back from the work field. For example, after serving six years in the military, one student explained to me the financial benefits of going back to school. Another student, after being a first-line healthcare worker during COVID-19, decided she wanted to pursue a new career. One single mother student, who dropped out of college six years ago due to pregnancy, decided to give college another shot. Juggling a sassy toddler and three courses at the college, she explained to me why she wanted to come back, saying, “My main goal is to put my child in a good private school, so he can get a good education. Getting a degree would help me be able to afford that for him.” Her current goal is to earn an associate degree. However, this is not her final stop. Afterwards, she aims to go to a four-year university in another state or in the United Kingdom to finish her bachelor’s degree. The most apparent trend I have seen from the people I have interviewed is that community college students are diverse and come from a variety of different backgrounds. There is a vast range of goals and visions they have for themselves.

Why Do Students Choose to Attend Community College?

Factors impacting participants’ attendance at the community college were cost, close proximity, the school’s program, available scholarship possibilities, the need to supplement courses at other colleges, and provide a period to consider final goals.

College attributes and affordability were primary reasons why students decided to attend the community college I researched. When I asked one student why he chose to attend a community college over a four-year university, he responded, “I equate going to university like buying Nike shoes, we look at the brand but not the actual statistics.” This was not the only student that I interviewed who chose to go to community college for its attributes rather than be swayed by branding. Other interviewees agreed with this analogy. From a glance, four-year colleges look like the optimal choice because of the perceived prestigious status that comes along with it. However, as this student pointed out, many do not look further than merely the name brand.

Several students also use community college as a steppingstone for their future career goals. Others enjoyed not having to fully commit to a four-year college and, instead, use community college as an opportunity to find what truly resonates with them, rather than, as another student phrased, “throwing away $40,000 a semester only to find out I don’t want to be a doctor after all.”

The Community Behind Community College (Experience)

The particular community college is a commuter school and the student’s longest commute time was twenty minutes. The majority of students drove to the main campus, while one student rode her bike and another walked to school. The presence of residential students allows for more bonding time among them, thus providing more of a sense of community milieu. The Vice President of the Student Government Association (SGA) responded to this problem among commuter colleges saying, “It’s an oxymoron, we’re called a community college, but yet, we lack that sense of community.” One respondent observed, “I didn’t even know we had an SGA here.”

Furthering an interview with the SGA President, I asked her, “What’s one problem community colleges face with their students?” She responded, “Besides common stress, is boredom. Students at community college are bored; they go to their class, work, and then home. There’s no experience, no fun, and no engagement with each other.” She then explains that one of her goals as SGA President is to tackle this problem by having SGA gain more of a presence on campus through various events like Homecoming. She also states, “Personally, for me, I love to have these events and people on campus. With parties, eating, music, and just connecting with each other for a change. And I think it’s important to not exclude anyone, especially minority students, faculty, and staff.”

While the SGA President values a community on campus, some respondents cited a lack of time or that these events are not inclusive to those in night class and working students. More than half of those interviewed had a full-time job while juggling their full-time courseload and home-life responsibilities. Several students said they would love to be more involved in student life, but that it is just not feasible within their busy schedules. The single mother who I interviewed said, “I feel like, based on all the emails I get, the school literally has something going on every day that tries to involve everyone. But when am I ever going to be able to? I would love to participate more in school activities, like clubs and programs, but I’d need to find a babysitter to watch my son.” She suggested that having an on-campus affordable daycare center would help with this and benefit not only faculty and staff but the students who have children as well.

Although for some students, the community college lacks a sense of community, acknowledgements of this by the SGA president and her ideas to improve this was a positive.

What Do Community Colleges Offer Their Students?

Students were pleasantly surprised when they did discover that this particular community college offered an array of support systems, both academic and social,  that were free for them to utilize. Many students mentioned not only does the college offer academic support such as tutoring, but also social support such as student lead discussion groups and career and personal counseling. One student I interviewed states how the community college supported her college journey:

“The faculty and staff, from admissions to the financial office are kind, emphasizing, and understanding. They work with you and talk with you, and not at you, which is super important. They always try to give their students opportunities like internships; especially the faculty, who understand the issues and problems we face. Many of us have a stressful life outside school and they understand that. I’m able to just pop by in a professor’s office and talk to them about general life events, and they listen and see us. Which is something really special about this community college.”

A study conducted by K. M. Kilbride and colleagues looked at the needs of immigrant students at a community college in Toronto, Canada [6]. They researched the perceived needs of these students, whether they sought help for their needs, and how the college supported their needs. The researchers found that language assistance was a crucial need for immigrant students. Although language assistance was identified to be the biggest need for immigrant students, the college assisted with less than half (42.1%), of those 68 students who stated they needed language assistance. Yet, when the college did provide this service, these students succeeded in their college education experience.

The community college that was studied has recognized this need and addresses it in their program named Ambiciones. The program is designed to pair first-generation Hispanic/Latino students with Spanish speaking faculty mentors. One student explained to me how Ambiciones was a huge support system for him. He was able to talk to someone who spoke his language and could understand what he was going through. The mentor he was assigned to also assisted him in filling out necessary documents for academic and personal life. The student also utilized the community college’s free personal counseling services after realizing he needed to seek more emotional support.

Respondents also suggested other areas which might improve their college experience. One student said, “I think the college has a good infrastructure, but making it more robust and better quality is where the issue lies. Also, the curriculum can sometimes show a sense of bias and needs to work on being more inclusive, showing all sides of history, not just the victors.”

Another student suggested improvements to address the issues about inclusivity:

“We might not be as inclusive as everyone thinks we are. Everything here is so surface level. When the school is having a discussion group about a certain issue or topic, it isn’t specific enough. It seems like no one truly wants to be direct or specific about the issues community college students face. Let’s really talk about depression, anxiety, sexual assault, and racial discrimination. The reality is that these issues are uncomfortable, but we can’t half-ass these things. Which I think the school sometimes, although unintentionally, does.”

Stigma Culture Around Community College

When referring to buying Nike shoes mentioned earlier, community colleges are perceived as the off-brand sneakers. It is the more affordable option, but the durability and quality of the sneaker is questionable. There is a negative stigma around students who attend community college. Some students spoke on the topic and agreed that the stigma of the quality of community colleges, and the students who attend them should be torn down. They shared their experiences of shame from attending community college or knowing of others who have faced it from their friends and family.

Previous research has shed light on the stigma around community college and how these stigmas impact community college students. Research conducted by M. K. Meisel and colleagues found that experiences of education-related stigma and discrimination that students who have not attended a four-year program face, are associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety symptom severities [7]. S. T. Shaw and colleagues focused their research specifically on the experience that students face for attending community colleges and how they might overcome these feelings [8]. Research conducted on those attending Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs found that the stigma for these students is the perception that these programs are meant for the less abled and that the programs themselves contribute to the demoralization of higher education [9]. The study also found that community colleges may implicitly contribute to the stigmatization of CTE.

R. L. Brower and colleagues’ study sheds light on intersectional stigmas [10]. Traveling to twenty-one state community colleges in Florida and conducting focus groups, they found that not only do many students face stigma from attending their form of college, but also from other identities of their life. Other factors of intersectional stigmas that community college students experience include homelessness, addiction, and a history of incarceration. The researchers also examined how colleges can help these students change their self-perceptions to combat these stigmas and successfully complete their degrees.

One student voiced her own perspective on this issue. She discussed with me the negative stigma community college students can face and how it personally affected her. This student entered community college with a negative mindset, jokingly stating she was one of “them,” who disregarded the notion of a good community college. This student was deferred for a semester at another nearby four-year college. Her purpose for attending this community college was not for affordability or uncertain  future career path, therefore, she felt like she did not fit into the ‘typical’ mold of a community college student. Being an outlier had great effects on her mental health and overall experience at the community college. She elaborates:

“One thing with this whole stigma thing is that I wish more people were not so negative about community colleges. If I came in with an open mind, I could have been more involved rather than being sad and lonely. We need to break down the stereotypes of who a community college student is. I didn’t fit into the normal categories for attending, and I felt like I couldn’t connect to those students because of their circumstances. They come for affordability or maybe they needed more support, but I just came because I got deferred for the spring semester of the university I wanted to go to. This was just a holding place for me until the spring, so I could at least get a couple of credits in.

You can’t group everyone from the community college for just two reasons why they attend. It just disconnects everyone who isn’t in that group. I felt disconnected and excluded, which is why I started looking at everyone with the same lens that stigmatizes community college students. That’s where the disconnection happens, because society places that stigma and negativity on community college students, so I started disconnecting myself here as well.”

Current literature on the negative stigma around community colleges does not carry the complexity of the students themselves. The majority of students hold multiple identities and may have other intersectional stigmas. Tackling and dismantling this negative aura is crucial, particularly as the United States attempts to change its economy toward training more individuals to staff jobs not requiring a 4-year university degree. There must be an emphasis on the importance of voicing these students’ experiences and developing discussion groups to understand the factors that perpetuate them.

Socio-Economic Status & Stigma

Students who attend community college are often seen as coming from low-income households, leading to stereotypes imposed on the students, such as being unintelligent or lazy. This ties into and feeds the negative stigma that these students often experience.

Although the SES of these community college students is not explicitly said, many respondents used the open-ended questions to discuss the financial burdens they faced. They believed that attending a low-cost college will help to achieve their ultimate goals, such as obtaining a master’s or doctorate’s degree, in a more affordable manner.

Further research examines how the achievement gap and cultural capital tie into SES backgrounds. In their research A. Smeding and colleagues use the framework that universities serve a dual function: educational, to improve students’ skill and knowledge, but also as a selection function, to compare people and guide them in different ranks in society [11]. Current assessment practices focus on selection more than the educational function of universities, which are characteristics that align more with the norms and values of the dominant high-status cultural groups. This will favor high socio-economic status students over low-SES students in terms of their performances. The researchers hypothesized that when assessment of students is perceived as mastery-oriented, promoting student learning over selecting students, that the achievement gap between the high and low-SES students at universities can be reduced. Using the educational function as the key assessment rather than the selection function of schools, their empirical data supported the hypothesis.

One purpose of a community college is to close this achievement gap. They are able to offer students a more affordable option to achieve their ultimate academic goals. While also providing quality and additional support as well. This notion was highlighted throughout the interviews with students.

In her article, “Bridging Socio-Cultural Incongruity: Conceptualizing the Success of Students from Low Socio-Economic Status Backgrounds in Australian Higher Education,” M. Devlin mentions the importance of cultural capital as well [12]. Stating that university students from a higher SES and more conventional backgrounds build a solid understanding of the assumptions, values, and expectations of the university over their lifetime. They found that first-year students from low-SES backgrounds were more likely to say they had difficulty following course material and adjusting to their professor’s teaching styles in the university environment over higher-SES students. In addition, there is a culture of academia that is dominant and not in favor of students of low SES. Learning through trial-and-error, which many low-SES students face, is not an ideal method of learning.

Cultural capital is still an important aspect to look further into. Having more cultural capital can help students later in life, which is another purpose community colleges serve. The community college I researched offered career counseling, giving students an additional boost when it came to their resumes or preparing for interviews. This is an example of how the college tries to help its student’s’ overcome obstacles that would put them at a disadvantage. In this study, both financially insecure and secure students took advantage of the additional resources that the community college offered, suggesting that SES is not the only metric that drives student success.

This research found that students experienced varying degrees of impact among the relationships of SES, cultural capital, and stigma. Some students I interviewed faced no financial insecurities yet experienced the negative stigma of community college students, such as the stereotype of being unintelligent or lazy. While others with financial insecurities, also faced the negative stigmas of community colleges. The study suggests that, despite SES and cultural capital, all students faced the negative stigma of attending a community college.

Discussion 

This research relies on a qualitative questionnaire format to give voice to community college students. Interview questions were chosen to allow respondents to expand on important areas identified by the literature affecting the student’s academic life and future goal attainment. In many examples, the interviewees resonated with the questions and provided their insights into the community college experience.

The most important finding was that each student wore a different lens when entering through the doors of the community college. Some wanted the experience to be solely focused on their academics and were just passing by. Others were looking for the full student life experience comparable to what a four-year university offers.

Another important finding was that each student entered community college with a unique and often complex background. This may vary from those who have the cultural capital to have gone from high school to a four-year university in a smooth path. Yet, the life experience of those interviewed provides “real experience” and should be viewed as a positive counteractant to the negative stigma of community college students.

While the majority of findings aligned with the literature reviews, this study in particular, emphasizes the benefits of lifting profiling, boundaries, and labels of community college students. The findings highlight the usefulness of collecting and analyzing individual student responses. This approach identifies areas that can be addressed by the college to enrich the experience for their students by customizing support structures [13]. This tailored identification of needs may benefit the college by eliminating unnecessary programs identified from generalized findings of categorically derived studies.

My findings have shown the benefits of looking through the lens of community college students and stepping into their shoes. Placing specific labels on students and confining them to boxes can negatively impact not only the researcher’s findings, but also the students at hand.

Limitations of this Study

Limitations of this study include the nonprobability sample selection method of participants and the limited number of participants.

Areas of Further Research

Expanding this study using a randomized design and a substantially larger portion of the student body would strengthen the impact of student voices to improve their community college experience.

The US economy is expanding careers to include more individuals requiring degrees and study paths sought by community college students. This makes identifying and solving the elements that lead to a negative stigma an important area of further research. Sampling these results over time would provide feedback for diversity and academic and financial success by these students.

Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that as our culture fluctuates, evolves, and changes, so do the voices of community college students.

Acknowledgements 

I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Alejandro Muzzio for providing his guidance and support for this research. Also, to Dr. Marian LaMonte as my editorial assistant.

Contact: omlamonte32@gmail.com, olamont1@umbc.edu

[1]  K. McGhee, “Enhancing community college operations to promote student success,” College and University, vol. 93, no. 3, pp. 27-30, 2020, https://libproxy.howardcc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/enhancing-community-college-operations-promote/docview/2443442880/se-2?accountid=35779.

[2]   M. P. Bowden and J. Doughney, “Socio-Economic status, cultural diversity and the aspirations of secondary students in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia,” Higher Education, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 115-129, 2010, doi: 10.1007/s10734-009-9238-5.

[3]   L. A. Palinkas, S. M. Horwitz, C. A. Green, J. P. Wisdom, N. Duan, and K. Hoagwood, “Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research,” Administration and Policy in Mental Health, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 533-544, 2015, doi: 10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y.

[4]   “HCC at a Glance,” Howard Community College, https://www.howardcc.edu/about-us/hcc-at-a-glance/. 

[5]     “Statue §15-106.8,” Maryland General Assembly, https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=ged&section=15-106.8&enactments=false.

[6]     K. M. Kilbride and L. Arcangelo, “Meeting immigrant community college students’ needs on one Greater Toronto Area college campus,” The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, vol. 32, no. 2, 2002, https://libproxy.howardcc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/meeting-immigrant-community-college-students/docview/221230046/se-2.

[7]     M. K. Meisel, M. Haikalis, S. M. Colby, and N. P. Barnett, “Education-based stigma and discrimination among young adults not in 4-year college,” BMC Psychology, vol. 10, no. 26, 2022, doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-00737-4.

[8]      S. T. Shaw, K. Spink, and C. Chin-Newman, ‘“Do I really belong here?’: The stigma of being a community college transfer student at a four-year university,” Community College Journal of Research and Practice, vol. 43, no. 9, pp. 657-660, 2019,  doi: 10.1080/10668926.2018.1528907.

[9]     T. Gauthier, “Exploring the efficacy of post-secondary career and technical education industry advisory partnerships,” Journal of Vocational Education & Training, pp-1-21, Jun, 2021, doi: 10.1080/13636820.2021.1931944.

[10]    R. L. Brower, T. B. Jones, and S. Hu, “Overcoming the ‘Trash talk in your head’: Extending an ethic of care to students experiencing intersectional stigma in community college,” AERA Open, vol. 7, March, 2021, doi:10.1177/23328584211006381.

[11] A. Smeding, C. Darnon, C. Souchal, M. Toczek-Capelle, and F. Butera, “Reducing the socio-economic status achievement gap at university by promoting mastery-oriented assessment,” PloS One, vol. 8, no. 8, August, 2013, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071678.

[12]   M. Devlin, “Bridging socio-cultural incongruity: conceptualizing the success of students from low socio-economic status backgrounds in Australian higher education,” Studies in Higher Education, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 939-949, 2011, doi: 10.1080/03075079.2011.613991.

[13]     E. Nelson, Elizabeth, “Information literacy needs of community college students in transition: a literature review,” Reference Services Review, vol. 45, no. 2, pp.278-285, 2017, doi: 10.1108/RSR-11-2016-0078.