Students these days are increasingly doubting the value of a college degree, choosing not to further pursue education after high school. College enrollments have been falling since 2010, dipping at a steeper rate during the pandemic, and continuing their decline this spring. Community colleges have been among the hardest hit.
The cost of higher education is an obvious element impacting this decline, but in some areas of the country, many prospective students have other practical concerns, such as the need for childcare or food assistance. Students who are the first in their families to attend college also may need help navigating academic life. And across the board, more students are uncertain about whether a college education will pay off in the working world.
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