Timeline by Elle Smith

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

torresquanva — 2025-08-27 21:45:01 UTC

"(Sec. 492) Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to states and public IHEs to develop, enhance, and implement, comprehensive articulation agreements among such IHEs in a state, and (to the extent practicable) across state lines, by 2010."

H.R.4137 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Higher Education Opportunity Act. (2008, August 14). https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-bill/4137

2001 - Bachelor's Degrees

smithle101 — 2025-08-27 21:50:09 UTC

Some states, including Florida, started allowing community colleges to confer their own bachelor's degrees. (Floyd, 2005)

H.R.4872 - Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

torresquanva — 2025-08-27 21:54:32 UTC

"(Sec. 2101) Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize and appropriate such sums as may be necessary to fully fund maximum Pell Grant amounts, beginning in FY2010. Authorizes and appropriates an additional amount for FY2011."

H.R.4872 - 111th Congress (2009-2010): Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. (2010, March 30). https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/4872

American Graduation Initiative of 2010

smithle101 — 2025-08-27 21:58:44 UTC

The Obama administration proposed to invest $12 billion over 10 years to community colleges with the goal of strengthening Pell Grants, providing new facilities, improving graduation rates, and capping debt payments to 10% of income among community college graduates. Ultimately, full funding was not approved by Congress, but the awareness from this proposal started more talks around community college support.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-signs-historic-health-care-and-education-legislation

Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act of 2014

smithle101 — 2025-08-27 22:05:07 UTC

This replaced the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. For community colleges, this encouraged partnerships between colleges and the local workforce, funded training programs depending on market needs, and supported the idea of stacking credentials within a career field.

2020 Covid Pandemic

smithle101 — 2025-08-27 22:08:10 UTC

Many potential students did not pursue higher education from 2020-2021 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The students who did pursue higher education in the community college system at this time had a harder time accessing resources due to the abrupt switch to online education across the US.

Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count 2003

torresquanva — 2025-08-27 22:09:02 UTC

"In 2003, the Lumina Foundation for Education launched a major initiative, “Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count,” to increase student success at community colleges"

Quoted from: State Policies to Achieve the Dream in Five States: An Audit of State Policies to Aid Student Access to and Success in Community Colleges in the First Five Achieving the Dream States - By Kevin Dougherty, Monica Reid Kerrigan & H. Kenny Nienhusser

State Policies to Achieve the Dream in Five States: An Audit of State Policies to Aid Student Access to and Success in Community Colleges in the First Five Achieving the Dream States - 2006

torresquanva — 2025-08-27 22:11:27 UTC

"To help guide that policy effort, the Lumina Foundation commissioned an audit of state policy affecting access to, and success in, community colleges. An in-depth analysis was to be conducted of the initial five Achieving the Dream states (New Mexico, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia), to be supplemented later by a survey of all 50 states. This report summarizes that initial in-depth analysis of the first five Achieving the Dream states."

From State Policies to Achieve the Dream in Five States: An Audit of State Policies to Aid Student Access to and Success in Community Colleges in the First Five Achieving the Dream States - By Kevin Dougherty, Monica Reid Kerrigan & H. Kenny Nienhusser

2024 Rising Enrollment

smithle101 — 2025-08-27 22:11:50 UTC

Community colleges see a rise in enrollment, outpacing 4 year institutions. (5.5% vs 7% increase)