Higher education is undergoing a massive transformation due to COVID-19. Community colleges are not immune to these changes. In fact, community colleges may find themselves in the middle of a burst of enrollment much like they did during the Great Recession, when traditional-aged students sought a less expensive education close to home (or as an alternative to a lagging job market), and nontraditional students sought to learn new skills in the wake of millions of layoffs.
The potential increase in enrollment due to COVID-19 could help community colleges. Since the Great Recession ended, community colleges have experienced a steady decline in enrollment among both their part-time and full-time students — declines that were larger than those experienced at four-year colleges over the same time period, and may possibly be due to straining capacity to handle the recession’s momentary influx.1 What is unclear, though, is whether this trend will repeat in an economy shut down due to social distancing and decreased demand for products and services, leaving many of the Americans who would normally respond with increased education cash-strapped and unable to afford tuition.
If community colleges do see a spike in enrollment, it is possible that this increase in student enrollment may be temporary as students wait out socially distant education in community colleges that are less expensive and closer to home for a year before returning to public and private four-year colleges.
At the same time the enrollment of those 18 and over in community colleges has ebbed and flowed in response to the economy, there has been a separate but consistent increase in dual enrollment in the last five years. The enrollment in two-year colleges of students under 18 years old (a common proxy for dual enrollment students) increased 8.7% from spring 2019 to spring 2020 (Figure 1). In the two prior years, dual enrollment increased 2.1% ( 2017-2018) and 3.8% ( 2018 – 2019 ).5 And this is not just a recent trend: researchers at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) estimate that the number of students taking one or more dual enrollment courses increased from 1.2 million in 2002-03 to over 2 million in 2010-11, amounting to approximately 11% of the high school population.
Figure 1. Percent of Students with an Enrollment Status Change Between the Start and End of Term by Sector and Year
Dual enrollment encompasses courses that are usually taken for both high school and college credit. Students (typically juniors and seniors) may complete enough college credits to earn a two-year college degree at the same time they graduate from high school. Students who earn college credit in high school may do so through an established program through their high school or on their own through a local college if their high school does not have a formal program.
While dual enrollment courses are available at both four-year and two-year institutions, about 70% of students in dual enrollment courses take them at two-year public institutions, making these institutions the largest beneficiary of the trend in increased enrollment. While as of this writing it is unknown what the impact of COVID-19 will be on dual enrollment, it is possible their enrollment numbers may continue their steady increase or even see a big jump as students consider their future job prospects. It is unlikely that the economy will be completely back to normal when rising high school juniors and seniors graduate from high school, so students may see dual enrollment courses as additional insurance against a tough job market or four years of expensive college tuition.
While dual enrollment courses are available at both four-year and two-year institutions, about 70% of students in dual enrollment courses take them at two-year public institutions, making these institutions the largest beneficiary of the trend in increased enrollment.
Increasing dual enrollment numbers could have a positive impact on students’ educational outcomes. In addition to their ability to earn both high school and college credit for the same course, numerous studies using rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental methods have found that students who earn dual enrollment credits while in high school are more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in a two-year or four-year college, and complete a postsecondary degree (and do so faster than their peers).
This positive impact may even be stronger for low-income and first generation students who are less likely to enroll in or graduate from college. While the estimated boost to college degree completion varies based on the study and the student population (anywhere between 1.1% to 17%), nearly all studies agree there is a positive impact.
| Students enrolled in Early College programs enjoy an even larger boost to their college enrollment. Early College is a form of dual enrollment that typically starts earlier in 9th or 10th grade, giving students more time to earn a two-year degree or two years worth of college credits to transfer for a four-year degree. |  |
Early Colleges also provide more extensive support services (such as college counseling and planning) to help students, usually at little to no cost to them.19 As an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Early Colleges typically serve the students less likely to go to college, such as low-income and first-generation students (versus many dual enrollment programs that serve higher-achieving students), providing the college-level courses and support while they are still in high school.
Early College students are estimated to enjoy a 20-26% increase in their chances of obtaining a postsecondary degree, and these impacts are similar across gender, race/ethnicity, and free and reduced lunch status. In addition to these positive postsecondary impacts, in both types of dual enrollment programs, students can challenge themselves with more difficult courses than may be offered at the high school level and learn new skills for future college courses and/or future careers.
The potential increase in dual enrollment can also help support community colleges, which have seen a decrease in their traditional and older adult population enrollments since the end of the Great Recession and the rebounding economy led to more job opportunities.4 5 Walter Bumphus, President and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) noted at a conference in 2018 that of the community college population, 30% were in dual enrollment programs, sustaining colleges that were losing enrollment.23 But enrolling in college courses while in high school is not the only way community colleges benefit from dual enrollment. These programs may drive more students to enroll in these same community colleges when they graduate from high school.
Nearly half of former community college dual enrollment students first attended a community college immediately after high school, and 84 percent of those students re-enrolled at the college where they had taken dual enrollment courses.
For Early College graduates, there is some evidence that they are more likely to go to two-year colleges than non-Early College students, a difference that was not found for four-year colleges. These studies suggest dual enrollment and Early College can increase community college enrollment even after the high school program has ended. Indeed, a study of community colleges found that many use dual enrollment for recruitment and/or a part of a “strategic initiative.
“Indeed, a study of community colleges found that many use dual enrollment for recruitment and/or a part of a “strategic initiative.”
The costs for these programs may be picked up by the state government (like in North Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky), the student’s school district (in four states, such as Ohio and Florida), or private donations and funding. Thus, for students in these states, dual enrollment can increase college budgets without incurring costs for students (presuming these states continue to fund these programs). These funding programs are not universal, though. In nine states, the student pays, while over 30 states leave the decision on who pays tuition up to local decision or a combination of state, district, or student. In a survey of postsecondary institutions, upwards of 77% reported paying some or all of dual enrollment tuition, which could be a financial burden on these community colleges if dual enrollment numbers rise. Therefore, these different funding mechanisms may mean dual enrollment increases unevenly in the fall.
Whether dual enrollment continues to increase after COVID-19 or not, community colleges will need to rethink how they support these students. Supporting dual enrollment students in an effort to increase course completion and persistence is not an easy proposition. First, most students (about 80%) take dual enrollment courses at their high school with high school instructors (Figure 2). These students may never set foot on the college campus. While this arrangement can make taking these courses easier for the students, it can make it harder for colleges to keep track of their progress and intervene when support is needed. In addition, some schools are using dual enrollment and Early College to reach academically at-risk students in an effort to increase overall educational outcomes. Providing additional support for this population of dual enrollment students, as well as all high school students taking college courses, is imperative to ensure educational equity in higher education because if students do poorly in these courses, their grades will follow them on their college transcript when they enroll in postsecondary education after high school.
Dual enrollment students offer unique challenges to college success staff as far as communication and intervention. Our partner institutions are finding that Student Success & Engagement is a key tool for bridging the gap between college and high school staff and multiple locations in six key areas: general access, messaging, notes, alerts, academic planning, and reporting.
As the community college landscape continues to shift, dual enrollment students may be the consistent population community colleges need to sustain and grow. Supporting these students while they are taking dual enrollment courses may lead to increased postsecondary enrollment, essentially extending their connections to the institutions and increasing their chances of graduating with a college degree. For more research and best practices regarding dual enrollment and Early College for your institution, start with the Institute of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report on dual enrollment programs, the SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, or any of the references listed below.
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