Pell grant recipients’ low graduation rates from community colleges could lead to reform

Low graduation rates among Pell grant recipients at community colleges are leading some administrators to think the system needs to be reformed.

While the Pell grant increases accessibility of higher education to low-income students, many schools are combating retention problems and fraud.

The U.S. Department of Education provides Pell grants to college students based on their family’s income, their enrollment status and their college’s cost of attendance.

But Richard Vedder, director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, conducted personal research, which found that 40 percent of Pell grant recipients are graduating within six years. Vedder’s sample consisted of 750 U.S. schools.

“A lot of kids are getting Pell dollars and not graduating,” he said. “Does the goal of giving everyone a chance trump the goal of keeping costs down in today’s economy?”

Vedder said graduation rates are lowest in three types of schools — some private institutions, non-selective schools and community colleges.

“All three cater to low-income students whose prospects of success are low,” he said.

About 11 percent of Pell grant recipients who enrolled in the N.C. community college system in fall 2009 graduated or were still enrolled a year later, said Megen Hoenk, spokeswoman for the N.C. Community College System.

But she said community colleges cater to a different set of students than universities.

“Success could mean obtaining some sort of credential or associate’s degree, or it could mean transferring to a four-year university,” she said.

Hoenk also said the system is looking to improve its methods of tracking graduation rates.

Pitt Community College does not have any specific data about graduation rates for its Pell recipients, said Susan Nobles, vice president of institutional advancement at the college.

She said the school canceled 46 Pell awards for students who did not show up for class.

“This way, there is no chance they would inappropriately take advantage of the sums,” she said.

Nobles said she must be diligent in monitoring Pell recipients since the average Pitt student is 26 years old and often has other financial responsibilities.

“If people don’t use the funds responsibly, they jeopardize what the government is doing,” she said.

Vedder said large public schools, like UNC, have high Pell recipient graduation rates because they are traditionally more selective.

About 65 percent of Pell recipients who enrolled at UNC in 2004 graduated within four years, as opposed to about 78 percent of non-Pell recipients, according to a study by the University’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of scholarships and student aid at UNC, said she attributes this discrepancy to the background of Pell recipients.

“Pell students come from low-income families and are often first-generation college students,” she said.

Contact the State & National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.