Hostos Community College is a two-year college where graduating students earn an associate's degree or can segue into a four-year bachelor's program. But student retention, reported by American School Search at 59 percent, is at least 10 points below the New York average. A study published in "Community College Journal of Research and Practice" suggests that factors common to community college student populations can affect the retention rates. In the South Bronx, approximately 37 percent of adults and 49 percent of children live below the poverty line. Labeled as the poorest congressional district in the country, in the South Bronx, predominantly black and Latino, concerns over family survival frequently take precedence over college courses.
"Smart Money" reports that New York cut awards from its largest grant program by about 2 percent; for some students, financial aid monies may not come at all. Because 80 percent of Hostos students rely on financial aid through FAFSA to pay for college courses, cuts in student financial aid directly affect Hostos and its ability to attract and retain students. Though the college awards grants and aid to a small number of students through Circle 100, a membership group that supports educational goals at Hostos Community College, these grants are still insufficient to cover the gap between student need and available federal and state aid.
CUNY Hostos Community College, according to American School Search's Crime Report, is a relatively unsafe school. The report cites burglary, assault and forcible sexual offense as crimes committed on campus. To protect students, staff and faculty, the school's public safety department closes school buildings between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Sundays. Because of budgetary cuts, the school maintains only four public safety officers for the entire campus. For evening classes, a security escort to classrooms and parking lots is not always available.
Hostos Community College administers the CUNY Proficiency Exam (CPE), a test that assesses a student's writing and reading comprehension in English. Because Hostos serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking community, creating information literacy in the student population is a challenge. Information literacy requires students to be able to integrate technological information in the learning process within the classroom. Many incoming Hostos students read and write English below grade level and certainly at a level far below an entry-level college English course. While the community college requires incoming students to successfully pass remedial courses, the use of technology for testing and assimilating knowledge can be overwhelming for these students.
Graduation rates at Hostos average 6 to 8 percent. Though one could argue that the role of community colleges is to transition students to a four-year program, a low graduation rate, according to American College Search, reflects on a college's ability to attract students. For a student population that comes from a minority, low-income area, the perception that high-paying jobs don't require a college degree is pervasive. To change that perception, local high schools, educators and community leaders must convey that education is an investment and not a diversion of funds.