Context:

Muscatine Community College students, like Elexiana Oliva, face challenges in pursuing bachelor's degrees due to the lack of nearby four-year universities, a problem exacerbated by the closure and merging of rural campuses. Iowa and several other states are considering allowing community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees to address 'higher education deserts' and workforce shortages in rural areas. This initiative is met with both support and opposition, as four-year institutions fear losing students amid declining enrollments and demographic changes. Community colleges offering bachelor's degrees can increase enrollment and provide local students with affordable education options, particularly in high-demand fields such as teaching and nursing. The push aims to tap into the potential of rural students, helping them advance in their careers without needing to relocate, thus serving workforce needs and enhancing community development.

Dive Deeper:

• Elexiana Oliva, an aspiring police detective, and other students at Muscatine Community College are part of a larger group of 13 million adults living far from four-year universities, which limits their ability to pursue higher education degrees.

• Many states, including Iowa, are exploring the option of allowing community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees to address educational gaps in rural areas, where university closures and program cuts have increased the scarcity of higher education opportunities.

• Half of the states already permit community colleges to confer bachelor's degrees, often in high-demand sectors like nursing and teaching, and Iowa is conducting a study to evaluate the feasibility of implementing this at its 15 community colleges.

• Four-year institutions often resist these changes due to fears of losing potential students, compounded by declining youth populations and the 'demographic cliff,' yet community colleges argue they meet specific local workforce needs unmet by traditional universities.

• Community colleges that provide bachelor's degrees have seen an increase in full-time enrollment, suggesting a significant demand for accessible higher education options within local communities, which could also benefit local employers facing labor shortages.

• Students like Jake Siefers and Shiloh Morter express a desire to stay in their hometowns for education due to personal and financial reasons, emphasizing the need for more local degree options to harness untapped human potential in rural areas.

• Community college leaders, such as Naomi DeWinter of Muscatine Community College, highlight the potential for these institutions to help working adults advance in their careers while addressing significant local job vacancies, particularly in education.