A recent report provides a mixed picture of how well the Community College of Philadelphia is serving its students, including Latinos. 

The report was released by the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative, which based its findings on dozens of interviews and an extensive review of student statistical data.

The report compared Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to three peer groups of community colleges nationwide:

• Those located in large cities
• Those in large cities that also serve high numbers of low-income and black or Latino students
• Those located in metropolitan regions that have numerous competing colleges 

There were approximately 34,000 students at CCP in the 2013-14 school year. Enrollment at the college has been dropping; it was close to 40,000 just two years earlier. Latinos make up approximately 12 percent of students at CCP. This rate almost mirrors the proportion of Latinos in Philadelphia’s overall population (13 percent). 

Among the report’s findings:

• The college costs more to attend than any other community college in the Philadelphia area. It is also more expensive than community colleges in New York City or San Francisco, despite the fact that those cities have a higher cost-of-living than Philadelphia.
• More than two-thirds of incoming students at CCP each year must take remedial courses to improve their math, reading or writing skills. This percentage is similar to those at CCP’s peer colleges.
• Students at CCP – including Latinos – who have to take remedial courses are far more likely to complete those courses than students at peer colleges, but they are no more likely to graduate from college within four years. 
• Latino students at CCP are less likely to stay enrolled from one year to the next, compared to Latinos at peer colleges. This “retention rate” is calculated as the percentage of students enrolled in one fall semester who return the next fall. 
• The number of CCP students who manage to obtain an associate’s degree within six years is lower (17.5 percent) than students at peer colleges (20 percent). 

Taken together, the findings illustrate the depth and range of issues facing low-income and Latino college students in Philadelphia. The report notes that CCP is taking several steps to address these issues.  

For example, to address cost concerns, the college announced earlier this year that it would make tuition entirely free for eligible graduates of Philadelphia high schools. 

The free tuition program is open to Philadelphia residents who graduate from a city high school and enroll as full-time students at CCP the following fall. Students must meet academic entrance requirements, low-income eligibility requirements, and maintain a 2.5 GPA once enrolled. Students must also be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The college has also reorganized to improve its ability to prepare students for employment, and is currently hiring for a new position, Vice President for Workforce and Economic Innovation.

Despite these steps, CCP still faces significant challenges. Recently, after a regular review of its accreditation status, the college was told that its reaccreditation may be in jeopardy. The warning was issued by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and was focused on CCP’s ability to document how student learning is assessed. 

It is not unheard-of for a college to receive such a warning. The MSCHE website lists more than dozen colleges that have received warnings or otherwise had their accreditation jeopardized. However, it is very rare for a college to lose its accreditation entirely. Such an action would mean that students would no longer be eligible for federal financial aid to attend that institution. 

Ultimately, the college’s ability to attract and retain Latino students is likely to depend on its ability to achieve the ambitious goals outlined by new CCP President Dr. Donald Guy Generals.  At the May ceremony installing Dr. Generals in his position, he described his vision: “I am asking you to embrace the possibility that what we do is a matter of social justice. I am asking you to join me in making Community College of Philadelphia the number one community college in America.”

Amanda Bergson-Shilcock is a writer and editor who has spent more than a decade working in the immigration field.