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District Student Accounts Manager
Pasco-Hernando Community College
May 2005
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Tell us a little about Pasco-Hernando Community College.
We span two counties a half hour north of Tampa and Clearwater, where population growth is reflected in our enrollment growth. We serve 22,000 students (headcount). Of them, 15,000 are seeking degrees, and that segment of our enrollment is increasing at a 12 percent annual rate. The median age among our students is 26. Our degree-seeking students are split about evenly between young people and adults. |
Compare and contrast young people and adult college students.
Adults will try to get the most benefit from each class. They ask more questions. They want maximum value. Young people often take what they like from a class and move on to something else. Young people drop/add and change their majors more frequently than adults. Our adult students consume more need-based grant aid. Younger people receive more scholarships, which often are related to high school performance. Adults borrow more money and do so more readily, and they will use the loans for living expenses, including car expenses that are necessary for their attendance at college. |
You took exception to our observation in the March Gazette that “community college students are not necessarily poor.” Why?
I think Northern Virginia Community College operates within a different demographic than we do. Household income is significantly lower here. We enroll many people who are working part-time or full-time in minimum wage jobs. With annual incomes in the vicinity of $18,000, they are at best “working poor,” but poor nonetheless. They need financial aid for any college education. |
What financial aid can a “working poor” student expect?
If a student has lived at a separate address from parents for 12 months or more and has not been declared as a dependent on a parent’s 1040 for one year or more, that student may be considered “independent” for financial aid purposes. He or she will likely qualify for a Pell Grant up to a maximum of $4,050 per year. He or she may qualify for a Florida Student Assistance Grant, which is need-based and can provide as much as $1,500 per year. We also have Federal SEOG and foundation scholarships. Perhaps 70 percent of our degree-seeking enrollment receives aid from one or more of those sources. Some 15 percent of our students receive Bright Futures scholarships, Florida’s merit-based aid, which pays 75% - 100% of tuition. |
What other financial concerns may he or she have?
Their car, their living expenses, and insurance are all necessities for school – and for life. Stafford loans are particularly well-suited for these folks, because credit-worthiness is not required. Health insurance is a big concern, among our adult students and young people. It’s a need as basic as food and electricity. Some unknown percentage of our 20 - 25 year-olds might be enrolled to remain eligible for coverage on a parent's health insurance policy. |
TOPICS: Enrollment Management, Student Services
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