Enrollment at community colleges has increased for two years in a row since the pandemic. In fact, the latest fall 2023 data show that the growth in undergraduate enrollment is the highest at community colleges. The upward trend is reassuring, but the gain hasn’t yet made up for the steep declines during the pandemic: the sector still has around 650,000 students fewer than fall 2019.
Boosting broad support for college affordability and access for all in California is possible with the right messages and messengers.
As part of its work to help more low-income students and students of color attain a college degree, we have invested in new messaging research to build support for college access and affordability in California. Our goal is to help advocates develop communications that effectively win support and mobilize diverse audiences to take action.
Products of the research include a guide lifting up key messages and strategies to make a powerful case for college affordability, as well as a video catalog promoting the recommendations featuring students, parents, and a guidance counselor.
The Haas, Jr. Fund commissioned messaging experts Wonder: Strategies for Good and Goodwin-Simon Strategic Research to conduct this research based on input and guidance from a broad group of partner organizations. The findings are based on an online survey of 1,200 registered California voters, as well as a focus group of diverse Californians.
We invite our partners to use these materials to make a powerful and aligned case for action to create a debt-free pathway to and through college for more students in California and nationwide.