In another sign that competition for post-secondary students is heating up, Inside Higher Ed reports that four-year schools are experimenting with dual enrollment. Dual enrollment had previously been the province of community colleges. Two-year schools increasingly rely on enrolling high school students concurrently to support their bottom lines.
Now it seems as though two-year schools may need to share that particular pot with four-year schools who are also on the hunt for more students. The trend should be concerning for community colleges, since higher education institutions are entering into a prolonged period of college-age population decline. Fewer traditional college-aged students could result in institution closures as more applicants flock to “safe” flagship schools.
Recently, universities grappling with budget shortfalls and increased expenses have resorted to significant program cuts, consolidations, and closures. A relatively small number of institutions close their doors each year, but that number is expected to rise as enrollments decline. Offering dual enrollment is one way colleges and universities hope to attract and retain students.
The data don’t support the conclusion that dual enrollment programs lead to persistent enrollment by these students following high school graduation. In fact, only a small number of high school graduates continue their studies at their dual-enrollment school.
That’s not discouraging schools from trying it on for size, though. While it may not be a steady source of new students for four-year colleges, it is likely to draw these same students away from two-year schools in the process. If enough students opt to enroll at a four-year institution, that could destabilize the finances of community colleges that depend heavily upon high school students to fluff up the budget.
Dual enrollment benefits may dry up for community colleges
I have said multiple times that community colleges don’t know how to compete, so this isn’t likely to work out well for two-year schools. Dual enrollment has already become a favorite strategy of high school students who are desperate for admission into top-tier universities. Earning transferable college credits from a community college is both preferable to and less expensive than AP classes and tests.
Universities would strongly prefer to have students enroll in their courses from Day 1. Therefore, the move to offer dual-enrollment classes is a natural way to capture students before they even go through the application process. You’re not likely to see flagship universities offering dual enrollment programs. These schools typically have tens of thousands more applicants than seats, so they don’t really need dual enrollment to attract students. Instead, this approach will likely take hold at “regional” universities, where increasing enrollment by a few hundred students per year can have a significant impact on the school’s budget.
Community colleges will either need to develop a strategy to counter this attempt at “poaching” dual enrollment students, or they will have to limit their dependence on high school students to ensure that the annual budget is solid.
Photo Credit: Germanna Scholars, via Flickr
