Here are three ways that this network of small, embedded community colleges is dramatically improving bachelor's completion for first-generation students.
Federal officials argue that capping graduate loans will pressure postgraduate programs to rein in tuition and shrink the nation's trillion-dollar student debt load.
Many students starting college this fall could leave with about $43,000 in debt as tuition keeps rising. New federal loan rules may make repayment tougher and push more families toward private loans.
Programs that routinely fail to provide students with a positive ROI—or return on investment—would lose access to federal student loans and, in certain cases, Pell Grants, according to the Department of Education.
More recent high school graduates are choosing community college as students look for lower-cost, career-focused alternatives to four-year degrees. New data shows younger students now make up the largest share of first-time associate degree earners.
The Trump administration is preparing to restart collections on defaulted federal student loans this summer by moving some borrowers into a Treasury-run program. The shift would be an early step in transferring the student loan portfolio out of the Education Department.
