Many people make enormous sacrifices to go to community and four-year colleges, too often with blind faith that a college degree will deliver stable work, a satisfying career, and a salary that can repay college debt. Yet, some colleges still treat the degree as the end point, rather than viewing it as a credential that will land students a good first job, writes Nancy Hoffman of Jobs for the Future in this opinion piece. 

Hoffman calls for a radical reimainging of career services to prepare students, especially those attending community colleges, for life beyond graduation.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic collapse radically changed the image of college for Hannah Hyatt, 18. Instead of beginning her freshman year at Clemson University, Hyatt is 250 miles away in Charleston, South Carolina, working as a nanny after deferring her enrollment. 

She’s far from the only one. College enrollment is down across the country, sometimes at eye-popping rates. Community colleges, in particular, are experiencing the biggest drop.

Amy Coney Barrett, if confirmed to the Supreme Court, may have a sweeping impact on colleges and universities.

At a time when the nation is confronting racial inequity, Barrett’s appointment could mean a shift to a more conservative court, which might narrow or end the consideration of race in admitting particularly Black and Latinx students to college.