Dive Brief:

• While President Obama’s free community college proposal focuses on enrolling more students, the real focus should be on increasing graduation rates, writes a New York Times columnist.
• Community colleges enroll 45% of the undergraduate students in the U.S., but their six-year graduation rate is 35%, compared to 57% for public four-year schools.
• Community college graduation rates have been declining for a decade.

Dive Insight:

Eduardo Porter reports that one solution to the community college problem could be a program like the City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs. The program costs 30% to 35% more per student, paying for tuition not already covered by financial aid, textbooks, and subway fare, plus tutoring. But because it doubled the graduation rate for students who need remedial classes, the program’s cost per graduate was actually lower. Students in the program are required to make a full-time commitment and take any needed remedial courses, and the program pushes for associate degree graduation within three years. Another funding focus should be on high school and even preschool, to better prepare future college students, according to Porter.