Advocate Online

They're Talking On Campus.

. . .About a study by the National Center for Education Statistics that finds 90 percent of students who begin their education at a two-year institution earn a degree, certificate, or transfer to a four-year college.

On average, it takes those who start out at a community college 3.5 years to complete an associate’s degree and 6 years for a bachelor’s.

The study, Community College Students: Goals, Academic Preparation, and Outcomes, also reveals that students who are 24 or older are more likely to obtain a certificate, whereas younger students are more likely to pursue an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year institution.

. . .About the steepest tuition hikes in a decade, according to a survey by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. More than 25 state colleges or university systems increased their tuition by amounts between 10 and 20 percent, the association finds. In addition, five raised tuition by 20 percent or more, four by 25 percent or more, and another four by 30 percent or more.

. . .About a dramatic increase in college enrollment, to a historic 15.6 million students in the fall of 2002. The increase was fueled by a 15 percent increase in full-time students and a 5 percent increase in part-timers, according to the Digest of Education Statistics 2002.