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The results of a recent survey from New America, a left-leaning think tank, show that nearly half of students who left community college before fall 2023 with some credit but no degree or credential cite having to work as a major reason why.
The total proportion of respondents who listed work as a reason for leaving community college (49 percent) is up seven percentage points from last year.
In addition to needing to earn an income, nearly a third of respondents who stopped out (37 percent) said they did so because they could no longer afford their programs. A slightly smaller group (27 percent) said they’d lost motivation.
The survey, conducted between November and December, reached a total of 1,242 respondents; 598 were stopouts, those who were enrolled between January 2020 and July 2023 but were no longer enrolled in fall 2023.
“Last year, we learned that while students were no longer as concerned about the pandemic, the uncertainty of the economy and the expense of their programs were still top issues for those who stopped out,” New America’s report said. “In order to regain the level of enrollment seen before the pandemic, community colleges must do more to support their students.”
