Attending college without working is a luxury most California community college students do not have. In fact, nationally, 80 percent of today's community college students work while going to class (39 percent of them work full-time), with many balancing their role as a primary source of income for their family and caring for young children. Jobs…

A quality education is the primary instrument of social and economic mobility in the United States. As open-access institutions, community colleges are the gateway to postsecondary education for millions of Americans. Many of these students would be unable to afford college without federal resources, such as student financial aid and tax credits.…

This annual newsletter contains updates on the latest Community College Research Center (CCRC) research, new publications and details of upcoming presentations at major conferences. The feature article in this issue, "Strategies for Increasing Student Success," by Thomas Bailey, summarizes the discussion found in the CCRC Assessment of Evidence…

A staff report on the availability of financial aid funds to students in California was presented to the Board of Governors of California Community Colleges and includes 13 recommendations for action. The report indicates a continuing increase in federal aid funds since 1955, with over $8 billion available in 1978-79. A review of federal and state…

The need for and possible effects of a state-funded work-study program for students in California colleges and universities in a comprehensive system of student financial aid were assessed. After considering current levels of funding for all financial aid programs in California, attention is focused on the specific needs that could be addressed by…

Several problems have been identified in the administration of student financial aid programs in California, including high default rates in the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Program, a significant decrease in the number of eligible students receiving financial aid, workload increases in program administration, and unmet needs for financial aid…

Analysis of data on student financial aid from a variety of sources is reported and shows that the funding levels for all financial aid programs have increased substantially in recent years. This is especially true for Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, which have become an important factor in equalizing educational opportunity. However, the…

A survey of adult students in a community college and university continuing education division and parents of local high school juniors and seniors examined public opinion and understanding of five federal and two state aid programs. It showed that public knowledge of programs was largely limited to awareness of their existence. (MSE)