The Prices Paid for Insufficient Aid: Student Employment, Debt, and Enrollment Implications at the California Community Colleges

A collaboration between The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), this policy brief examines the costs of attending California Community Colleges (CCCs) for low-income students and the roles that financial aid resources, work hours, and student loan borrowing currently play in meeting those costs.  

The report sheds light on the college affordability challenges that CCC students face and the need for state and CCC leaders to consider strategies that support CCC students’ ability to afford and complete their education. Key recommendations from the brief include, among others, supporting equitable financial aid reform and encouraging more students to apply for financial aid.