State getting return on community college investment

Tanesha Wilkinson believes Tunxis Community College not only helped her — it changed her life.

At the Tunxis Foundation Dinner last week, she told a rapt audience higher education was the key to her success; after months of fruitless job searching, college became her route to survival.

Wilkinson substantiated a recent report on the positive impact community colleges are having around the state, speaking before Tunxis faculty and friends at the Farmington Club.

The state’s economy is significantly strengthened through investment in the Connecticut Community Colleges, reports Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. in its 2008 economic impact study.

“Connecticut’s Community Colleges add more money to the state treasury than they take out,” the study reports. “The Connecticut economy receives roughly $5 billion in income each year due to the colleges and their students. This figure amounts to roughly 2.3 percent of the state’s total annual income.”

State government receives returns from its community college support “in the form of increased tax revenue and savings associated with avoided social costs.” Every $1 in taxes invested today in the Connecticut Community Colleges returns a cumulative $16.40 over the course of the students’ working careers. Social benefits that result from support of the community colleges include reductions in unemployment, welfare costs, health care costs, incarceration rates, and criminal justice costs, according to the report.

The economic downturn has meant that more students are looking for affordable ways to gain a competitive edge in today’s economy.

Like Wilkinson.

“As if it wasn’t scary enough returning to the classroom after eight years, I was doing so with a 7-month-old and a 6-year-old at home, and the responsibility of maintaining that home as a single parent,” she said.

Her goal at the time was to become a teacher: have a stable career with a livable income, benefits, and a schedule that would minimize child-care issues. Then in her first semester, she was fortunate to meet five people who helped her realize her potential, and inspired her to aspire to greater things. Four were her instructors, the fifth a fellow student.

“I became involved with the student government, the student newspaper, the multicultural club, and the student member of the Tunxis Foundation board,” she said. “In getting involved, and over the two-plus years I’ve been at Tunxis, I’ve been fortunate to have found an extended family in Tunxis.”

There were times last year when Wilkinson wondered if she would be able to return to Tunxis; she says she didn’t know how if her family was going to get through the winter. But they did. The Tunxis Foundation has an emergency fund, which allowed her to put her youngest daughter in day care so she could return to Tunxis. At awards night last spring she received the Anthony Leger Memorial Scholarship. Wilkinson calls it “another lifesaver. I was able to fix my car, without which we couldn’t survive.”

That same awards night she was given a leadership award for keeping the newspaper together. She was also recognized for her participation in the acquisition of the school’s new student lounge.

“In my time here, I’ve been a vocal member of the Student Government Administration, and have participated in committees and events as a representative of the school that has been so good to me,” said Wilkinson.

“Investing in community colleges is investing in improved skills, career opportunities, and a strong work force for Connecticut,” says Mary Anne Cox, assistant chancellor, Connecticut Community Colleges. “It’s a way to increase earnings potential, help students create a better life for themselves and their families, attract new businesses and new jobs to our state, and expand our tax base.”

Enrollments are at an all-time high at the 12 Connecticut Community Colleges, in fall 2008 surpassing 50,000 students for the first time and making this the sixth year of record-breaking community-college enrollments. The CCCs have 51,105 students enrolled in credit programs at the 12 colleges, a 5.5 percent increase in head count since last year. Increases were seen in both full-time and part-time enrollments, with full-time head count increasing 8.3 percent over the prior year. Full-time enrollments have increased 90 percent since 2000, reflecting the increase in younger, full-time students attending community college to gain marketable skills and the educational credentials to qualify for job opportunities.

More than 4,000 students graduate each year from the CCCs, many moving into jobs in high-demand fields throughout the state. Approximately 94 percent of students who attend the CCCs remain in the state and contribute to economic growth.

Associate degree graduates see their annual income increase on average by $231 annually for every credit completed at Connecticut’s Community Colleges. Their annual salary is approximately 39 percent more than someone with no more than a high school diploma, reports EMSI. Average lifetime earnings of the CCC graduate will increase by $8.10 for every dollar they invest in their college education. Over a lifetime, CCC graduates can earn approximately $600,000 or more in additional income as compared to high school graduates.

The 12 Connecticut Community Colleges offer a wide array of programs that help students succeed in the knowledge economy, from specialized programs such as nursing, allied health and manufacturing technology, in which students develop highly marketable skills, to general studies and liberal arts and sciences, which foster critical thinking skills sought by today’s employers.

Many older students enroll in CCCs to retool for career changes or advancements. Approximately 50,000 additional students of all ages are enrolled in noncredit and work-force development courses at the colleges.

“Many factors play a role in enrollment increases, but clearly Connecticut’s students are seeing the value of a community college education,” says Cox. “Students have the advantage of getting a high-quality education affordably, then moving to higher levels of education or improving the skills they need to move ahead in the workplace.”

This spring, Wilkinson will transfer to Trinity College where she will work toward a bachelor’s degree in public policy and law.

“I’m not here to brag about myself,” she said at the dinner. “I know quite a few other struggling students like me who will make a difference in the world in some way or another. But, without your help, I wouldn’t be where I am.”

Scott Whipple can be reached at swhipple@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext.319.