The Bachelor's degree programs at community colleges can help individuals pursue higher education without getting into extreme debt. Many state universities in America are becoming very expensive. Community colleges are legitimate because they are "regionally accredited." #highereducation #college

1. The Florida Government Should
Help Promote the Community
College Bachelor’s Degree
Programs
By: Deepak (Danny) Singh
Excelsior College
MPA 698 Capstone in Public
Administration

2. Table of Contents
What are Community Colleges?
Slide 4
A Bachelor’s Degree Leads to Better Employment Opportunities
Slide 5
Affordable Community College Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Slides 6 - 7
Bachelor’s Degree Benefits Minorities and Immigrants
Slides 8 - 9

3. Table of Contents (Continued)
Government Raising Awareness of Community College Bachelor’s Degrees
Slide 10
Communication between Community Colleges and the FL Department of
Education Slide 11
Monitor Community College Graduation Rates Slide 12
Create Motivating Environment for Students Slide 13
References Slides 14 - 15

4. Issue
According to the United States Census Bureau data from the years 2014 to 2018,
88% of individuals 25 years or older in Florida only have a high school diploma.
College tuition is increasing faster than inflation. The cost to attend a university
increased about 8 times faster than wages did (Rubin, 2020).
There is a need for affordable higher education institutions.
Solution: The Bachelor’s degree programs offered at community colleges.

5. What are Community Colleges?
They are non-profit and have a mission to help society by educating individuals in
society (Mertler, 2019).
Do not have strict admission standards similar to public colleges and
universities (Mertler, 2019).
Offer diplomas, certificates, and Associate degrees (2-year degrees).
Community colleges did not offer Bachelor’s degree programs in the past but
now they do (Mertler, 2019).

6. Florida College System
Operated by the Florida Department of Education.
The Florida government operates the FL Department of Education.
The Florida College System involves 28 community colleges in Florida.
All community colleges offer some Bachelor’s degree programs.
The FL College System is focused on educating the workforce in Florida.

7. A Bachelor’s Degree Leads to Better
Employment Opportunities
13.6% of the Florida population lives in poverty. A large number of these
individuals is immigrants (Guy & Ely, 2018).
About 88% of the Florida population only has a high school diploma (Guy & Ely,
2018).
Between the years 2012 and 2014, full-time college enrollment declined in
Florida from about 641,000 students to about 608,000 students (Guy & Ely,
2018).
Average tuition at the public universities in Florida increased about 62% between
the years 2005 to 2006 and 2015 to 2016 (Guy & Ely, 2018).

8. Affordable Community College Bachelor’s
Degree Programs
The average annual cost to attend a 4-year university is $18,391. In contrast, the
annual cost to attend a community college is $10,730 (Wycoff, 2017).
A student who pursues a Bachelor’s degree at a community college can save
about $8,000 each year. The student could save about $30,000 over the 4 years
(Wycoff, 2017).
After completing a Bachelor’s degree at a community college, a student can
transfer into almost any higher education institution to pursue a graduate degree
(Mertler, 2019).

9. Affordable Community College Bachelor’s
Degree Programs
Seminole State
College of Florida
University of
Florida
Florida State
University
University of
Central Florida
Tuition and Fees $3,131 $6,380 $6,538 $6,379
Room and Board $0 $10,590 $11,088 $10,300
Books and
Supplies
$1,000 $890 $1,000 $1,200
Total $4,131 $17,860 $18,626 $17,879

11. Affordable Community College Bachelor’s
Degree Programs

13. Affordable Community College Bachelor’s
Degree Programs
Students get into little or no student loan debt compared to the debt they would
get into at the public and private 4-year institutions (Mertler, 2019).
Convenience: Students can complete the degree fully online while working,
taking care of family, and handling other responsibilities.
Many community colleges offer scholarships and grants (Mertler, 2019).

14. Bachelor’s Degree Benefits Minorities and
Immigrants
In 2010, Florida had an estimated 675,000 illegal immigrants. There were about
60,750 foreign-born children of these immigrants (Rubin, 2020).
As of 2018, black adults face a 7% unemployment rate. The unemployment rate
for white adults is 3.4% (Rubin, 2020).
About 36% of non-Hispanic white adults have a Bachelor’s degree. In contrast,
about 23% of black adults and 16% of Hispanic adults have a Bachelor's degree
(Rubin, 2020).

15. Bachelor’s Degree Benefits Minorities and
Immigrants (Continued)
The construction, manufacturing, and natural resources industries did not require
for individuals to have a higher education degree in the past. Jobs not requiring a
degree have decreased (Wycoff, 2017).
A Bachelor’s degree can raise the chances of minorities and immigrants in
getting well paying jobs.
Growing number of individuals getting a Bachelor’s degree could cause Florida
economy to have a spur.

16. Government Raising Awareness of
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees
Some individuals do not know of community colleges offering Bachelor’s degrees.
Social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, FlickR, Facebook, and Youtube could be used
to promote the Bachelor’s degree programs.
Completing a community college Bachelor’s degree can allow for a student to pursue a
graduate degree in the future.

17. Communication between Community
Colleges and the FL Department of Education
FL Department of Education should keep track of:
-Number of students who enroll into a community college Bachelor’s degree.
-Number of students who finish.
-Number of students who do not finish.
-Average loan amounts accepted by students.
Community college counselors should communicate with students who do not
finish and record the reasons behind why.
The FL Department of Education should intervene at community colleges whose
graduation rates start dropping.

18. Monitor Community College Graduation Rates
The average graduation rate of each community college should be made available
to the public every year.
A growing number of students are dropping out from college with debt. Students
who do not finish are more likely to default on their student loans (Mertler, 2019).
Many students accepting loans and not finishing college could hurt the economy
(Rubin, 2020).

19. Create Motivating Environment for Students
FL Department of Education and community colleges should develop relationships
with employers.
Community colleges should develop articulation agreements with state colleges and
universities allowing for students to enter their graduate programs.
FL Department of Education and college administrators could work together to
develop incentives for students who are showing satisfactory progress.
Make sure cost does not become very expensive.

21. References
Guy, M. E., & Ely, T. (2018). Essentials of Public Service: An Introduction to
Contemporary Public Administration. Irvine, CA: Melvin and Leigh.
Holzer, M., & Schwester, R. W. (2016). Public Administration: An Introduction (2nd
ed.). New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Mertler, C. A. (2019). Introduction to Educational Research (2nd ed.). Los
Angeles: SAGE Publications.
Rubin, I. (2020). The Politics of Public Budgeting: Getting and Spending,
Borrowing and Balancing (9th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

22. References (Continued)
Wycoff, J. H. (2017). Outsourcing Student Success: The History of Institutional
Research and the Future of Higher Education (1st ed.). Chicago, IL: Historia
Research Press.