Community colleges are overseen at the state or local level. Each college has an elected or state-appointed board of trustees that installs a chancellor or president to run the day-to-day operations of the college. The board of trustees in states where community colleges are overseen at the state level may come under the protection of a state agency; others are independent. Most community colleges are at least partly funded by property tax revenue from the local area.
Most community colleges offer two-year associate degrees, which carry more value in the job marketplace than a high school diploma, but less than a bachelor's degree. In addition, community colleges may offer certificates or diplomas for job-specific training, as well as teaching individual training courses for area employers and wide-ranging adult education courses. Some community colleges have, in recent years, introduced a limited number of full bachelor's degrees to their programs, eliminating the need for transfer to a four-year institution.
Community colleges commonly collaborate with larger, four-year universities in the state or region to guarantee the smooth transfer of students from two- to four-year programs in a process called articulation. Universities with an articulation agreement are required to accept college credit transfers from the community college, which tailors its program to fulfill the university's course requirements for the freshman and sophomore year. Community college students can transfer to the university as juniors and complete a bachelor's degree two years later.
Student support is a vital component of the community college experience. Because of their open admissions policy, community colleges attract many students requiring remedial academic work and additional scholastic support before they can complete college-level work. Most community colleges offer tutoring programs, study groups and individual support. On the flip side, some programs also offer the flexibility for academically advanced students to engage in individualized research and study programs that maximize their learning potential.