Since its modern incarnation, one of the primary benefits of an open enrollment college is to provide equal educational opportunities to students from different walks of life. Beginning with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, a disparity was seen in higher educational opportunities between individuals of different races and between people of disparate economic backgrounds. By making the sole requirements for admission to certain colleges and universities residency and a high school diploma or GED, more equalized higher education opportunities were realized.
Another benefit associated with an open enrollment college is found in the steamlining of the admissions process. The more requirements that a college or university utilize for admission, the more cumbersome the overall process becomes. Not only is an extensive admissions process time consuming (and not always that effective at screening prospective students), it also is expensive. With colleges and universities mindful of their bottom lines, utilizing an open enrollment process has proved effective at reducing at least some administrative costs.
The open enrollment college is attractive to nontraditional students. A good percentage of older students who have been out of the educational system for years tend to lack all of the materials, documents and other items necessary for admission into a "closed enrollment" school. With the advent of open enrollment options, these individuals have a far better opportunity of continuing their education or obtaining a degree at a "nontraditional" juncture in their lifetimes.
On the elementary and secondary school level there can be significant differences in the instructional, extracurricular and other offerings that are available from one location to the next. Not all students have the same access to learning opportunities. Consequently, there is a segment of the student population that is unable to reach their potential during their basic educational experience. Open enrollment colleges benefit these young people by providing them access to a better staffed, supplied and developed educational option in an institution of higher learning. These young people have the potential to excel in a college or university even though their early educational experiences may not have provided them the chance to demonstrate their full talent and ability.
An open enrollment college brings with it the benefit of a more diverse student population. While the foundation of any college education is what occurs in the classroom, the social exposure that accompanies the overall college experience cannot be minimized. That socialization and cultural exchange is greatly enhanced in an environment that is ethnically, economically and otherwise diverse.