Community colleges nationwide are facing financial hardships based on enrollment declines. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center says enrollment in two-year institutions last year was down 1.7% overall, though that was a smaller decline than the 2.6% drop from 2015 to 2016. Enrollment peaked in 2010.
Tidewater Community College in Virginia recently announced more layoffs after five years when its enrollment dropped from 48,000 to 34,000, and Pima Community College in Arizona in April said it will make staff reductions of 6%. Last December, St. Louis Community College laid off nearly 100 faculty members and staff.
