Education

Community colleges boost out-of-state enrollments, revenue

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By SILU GUO
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges in Michigan are enrolling more out-of-state students and international students, a trend that may add dollars to their budgets. Among 28 community colleges, 21 have an out-of-state and international tuition rate twice as high as in-district tuition, according to the Michigan Community College Association. For example, tuition at Lansing Community College this fall is $81 per credit hour for in-district students, $162 for out-of-district students and $243 for out-of-state and international students. Tuition at Northwestern Michigan Community College is similar: $84.60 per credit hour for in-district students, $165.90 for out-of-district students and $212.45 for out-of-state and international students. Mike Hansen, president of the association, said many colleges are targeting students who pay higher tuition rates, at least in part to solve their serious budget problems.
He said it’s hard to keep up with rising costs.

Education

Community colleges pushing for student success

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By CELESTE BOTT
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges across the state are taking steps to increase involvement in each individual student’s education, including Macomb, Jackson, Lake Michigan, North Central and Grand Rapids community colleges. They’re developing new education and career planning programs as well as offering a wider range of advising, tutoring and financial support services. According to Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, those steps are being taken to change the reputation of community colleges from a last resort to a viable alternative to more expensive and less personal four-year universities. “What we’ve really seen recently is a greater focus on student success,” Hansen said. “It can be hard to get a sense of a student’s identity in a community college setting because there are so many people coming in and often leaving very soon for four-year universities.

Education

Community college network to promote affordability

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By LAUREN GENTILE
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges may find themselves becoming a branded network within the next year to polish their image and show the public they are an affordable option for higher education. “We are working on making the 28 individualized colleges more of a state system and able to help one another promote each other,” said Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, said. Hansen said branding will be more than a logo. It will be a “new community college network.”

“As an association, we believe there is a lack of understanding by the public, that community colleges offer a high-quality education at a low-cost,” Hansen said. “Community colleges also offer programs that offer direct-market payoff, and you can graduate with a career.”
The plan will help colleges list opportunities and offerings for prospective students in one location.

Education

Partnerships help students earn two degrees

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By LAUREN GENTILE
Capital News Service
LANSING – Many students are finding a new way to get a four-year degree for a lower cost through degree completion programs at their local community colleges. “Degree completion or transfer programs are run by a community college with the help of a four-year institution,” Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, said. “Most programs are either two or three years at the community college, then one at the university.”
Campuses all over the state have partnered with colleges to make “big university dreams” come true at an affordable rate, Hansen said. “These programs allow students to pay the community college tuition rate, sometimes for up to 90 credits,” he said. For example, Macomb Community College worked with Oakland University to create the state’s first concurrent enrollment program.

Education

Community colleges innovate to stay competitive

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By JON GASKELL
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges are finding new ways to compete with for-profit colleges to enroll and retain more part-time and working students. Those efforts, including one at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, come at a time when community college enrollments are dipping while for-profit enrollments are rising. Over the past year, enrollment at community colleges dropped for the first time in several years, from a high of 260,179 in 2010 to 250,399 now, according to the Michigan Community College Association. However, enrollment in the state’s degree-granting, for-profits rose from 21,185 in 2004 to 30,193 in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Donald Heller, dean of the Michigan State University College of Education and an expert on higher education policy, said the growth of for-profits like the University of Phoenix and Everest Institute is largely due to their flexibility.

Education

International student population up at some community college

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By WEI YU
Capital News Service
LANSING – The number of international students at some community colleges – including those in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Wayne County – is increasing, according to the Michigan Community College Association. South Korea, China and India are the top places of origin for them, and business, health careers and computers are their most popular fields of study. Evan Montague, dean of student services at Lansing Community College (LCC), said the college has a strong international student population with 400 students from 56 countries out of 20,000 in total. To ease their transition to a new environment, the college holds an international orientation. LCC also has an international student services coordinator who assists students in connecting with campus academic support, as well as an international student department and an active international student club.

Education

Community colleges race to fill job skills gap

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By WEI YU
Capital News Service
LANSING – Students at Jackson Community College can now learn welding skills through two new programs.
Rebekah Woods, executive dean of instruction at the college, said the programs began because of a need in the area, but also across the country. Other community colleges around the state, including ones in Alpena, Grand Rapids and Centreville, are also initiating new programs to fill the needs of employers and students. According to the American Welding Society, the United States will experience a shortage of nearly 240,000 welders to meet industry demand by 2019. “Welders are highly specialized and have lots of career advancement opportunities,” said Woods. “Students can begin our manufacturing pathway with a foundational skill set that is designed to expose students to the process of welding.”
Woods said welding is used in a wide range of fields, such as automobile manufacturing and repair, appliances, ships and construction equipment.