According to the most recent US Census data (2023), 9.4% of Washtenaw County residents whose educational attainment level is some college/associate degree live below the poverty line. That percentage translates to 4,884 people. Nearly 5,000 county residents have some college (which could be one of WCC’s certificates) or an associate degree that does not allow them to rise above the poverty line for their household.
Poverty is an area of interest to the US Census Bureau. Census data show where poverty collects in Washtenaw County, and it’s not always in the places you might think of first. For adults over the age of 25 who also have associate degrees, the poverty statistics are eye-opening.
In Dexter Township, for example 21.2% of adults over 25 who have some college or an associate degree live below the poverty line. This is the highest poverty rate among this demographic group anywhere in Washtenaw County. In the City of Ypsilanti, 20.6% of those with some college or an associate degree live in poverty. For the City of Ann Arbor, the poverty rate among this demographic is 16.5%. The City of Milan has a poverty rate among “some college/associate degree” adults of 11.9%. In Superior Township, it’s 11.5%, and in Ypsilanti Township, it’s 10.4%.
Higher education is supposed to lift a person out of poverty, but in some cases, that clearly doesn’t happen. The double-digit reality of poverty among those who have some college or an associate degree suggests that this is more systemic and less anecdotal. As a county, we cannot continue to finance WCC at an extremely high tax rate and get double-digit poverty for our troubles. I am not suggesting that voters “defund” WCC. Rather, I am suggesting that we demand better performance and a better higher education strategy for our residents.
Certificates come with a big risk
We cannot credibly push programs like Michigan Reconnect and the Michigan Community College Guarantee in this county when WCC delivers a 28% graduation rate and earnings that teeter on the threshold of poverty. Certificates and associate degrees don’t work for a significant percentage of people who live in the most populous areas.
The “some college” certificate programs may do a major disservice not only to the student, but also to the college. Under the Department of Education’s Gainful Employment rules – which are now in effect – certificate programs that don’t produce immediate results will trigger federal financial aid sanctions against the college.
Certificates can’t substitute for degree programs and shouldn’t used to game a state aid formula for community colleges that hasn’t changed since the Snyder administration. Certificates should be reserved for only those students who already have earned at least 60 credits. After all, that’s what’s in the best interest of students, and the WCC Administration is always quick to remind people that at WCC, it’s “Students First.”
Photo Credit: SustainUS, via Flickr
