Before the pandemic, Faith Muse was a student at the Community College of Allegheny County. They had fallen in love with special effects work and hoped their studies would lead to a career in the film industry. They made friends, led a club — something they never imagined doing in high school — and broke out of their shell. “The culture really helped me,” Muse said. 

Pencils Down
How plummeting enrollment and low success rates at the Community College of Allegheny County harm students and the Pittsburgh region

Then, the pandemic struck. After struggling with online learning, the 23-year-old halted their studies in fall 2020 and entered the workforce, sidelining their college plans to become more financially independent. They worked several jobs, including one handling packages at Amazon, before finding employment in film and media.

“I decided: I’m going to go to work, and if it’s in the cards, I will go back to school,” Muse said. “I would love to go back. But because, like I said, I do rent, I have my own place, it’s kind of like, ‘When would that be?’”

Muse is one of more than 5,500 people who have left the Community College of Allegheny County [CCAC] during the pandemic. But CCAC’s enrollment struggles stretch back further — in fall 2022, its student body was half the size it was in fall 2010. 

Early last year, CCAC President Quintin Bullock attributed the pandemic declines to the financial struggles, health concerns and continued personal challenges — from food insecurity to childcare responsibilities — that many students have wrestled with. Yet, as community colleges overall show early signs of recovery, the drops at CCAC have persisted. 

As fewer students show up each fall, the consequences for the college, the region and its residents grow. The college brings in less tuition, a primary source of revenue. Residents risk losing out on significant increases in lifetime earnings if they forego a degree. The region could have fewer candidates to fill crucial jobs, including in health care, potentially exacerbating labor shortages.

Read entire article here