![]() ![]() Researchers estimate that, from July 2020 to June 2021, some 321,000 community college students accrued a collective $107 million in debt to their campuses.Ĭhancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley acknowledged the problem. It also doesn’t regulate how colleges handle unpaid fees. Nor does it keep tabs on what happens to a student in debt. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office does not track this information. ![]() It’s not known how many students wanted to re-enroll but were prevented from doing so because of their debt. The number of students in this situation likely grew during the pandemic, Eaton said, although it’s difficult to know by how much. Sometimes students owe a fine after failing to return a computer or calculator on time. Other times, they’ve paid tuition in full, but owe money for overdue parking, library or housing fees. Sometimes, they enter into a payment plan for tuition and can’t keep up. Students accrue the debt for a number of reasons, according to experts and college officials. Colleges often don’t recoup much money and former students can have their credit destroyed. Schools can refer students to state tax collectors to have their tax refund garnished or send them to debt collection companies, which often charge high fees. When students owe money to their colleges - even small amounts - they can be barred from re-enrolling. Related: Public colleges shock students by sending them to costly debt collection agencies “These debts are widening inequalities in who gets a degree and it inflicts financial turmoil.” “They impact low-income students at a much higher rate,” said Charlie Eaton, assistant professor of sociology at the University of California-Merced and co-author of the report. Millions of students have racked up billions of dollars in debt owed directly to their own colleges and universities. In fact, most people don’t even realize it exists. There’s a whole world of student debt that no one is talking about. Using data from three California Community College districts and student demographic information, researchers estimate that, from July 2020 to June 2021, some 321,000 community college students accrued a collective $107 million in debt to their campuses. Pandemic-related hardships have propelled many students to choose jobs over education and online classes have been barriers for low-income students without digital resources.īut new research suggests colleges’ own policies around unpaid balances may also be contributing to the decline while creating lasting financial harm for the institutions and students.Ī report published Thursday by the Student Borrower Protection Center, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on student debt, attempts to quantify the scope of this problem. ![]() “Too many students are struggling with hardships that make even modest debts a barrier to enrollment in community colleges.” Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor, California Community CollegesĮnrollment at California Community Colleges has plummeted nearly 20% during the pandemic to about 1.3 million students from fall 2019 to fall of 2021, according to state data, leaving campuses worried about their future and potential students with fewer of the opportunities offered by higher education. “Even working two jobs, I don’t make enough money to do anything but survive.” ![]() “I didn’t know what to do,” Wilson recalled. The college would, effectively, force him to drop out. ![]()
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