Last week, we released results from the 2025 Survey of Community College Outcomes. This post explores the characteristics of Fifth District community college students and the community college pathways that are often overlooked by traditional graduation rate metrics.

Congress' passage of H.R.1 (OBBA) has brought new changes to higher education funding, including the establishment of a Workforce Pell Grant program. What does this mean, and how might agencies, institutions, and students respond?

New data on credentials earned by undergraduate students show that postsecondary attainment is not a one-size-fits all endeavor.

By examining where federal spending occurs in Fifth District states, we can assess which areas could be more impacted by spending cuts.

A reduction of the federal workforce will affect D.C., Maryland, and Virginia more extensively than the rest of the country, but much depends on how and where the cuts occur.

Performance-based funding policies are designed to incentivize institutions to meet a set of performance metrics, and in return, receive additional revenue. However, designing and implementing these models is complex.

A sneak peek at results provides some insights on what makes a community college successful, often influenced by the types of students they serve and their local workforce development needs.

Recently released evidence from the NCES indicates the prevalence of personal and educational disruptions on community college students, but more detailed data would be needed to see the entire picture.

Initial IPEDS estimates show community colleges serve almost 75 percent of dually enrolled students nationwide, and there is significant variation across states, institution types, and student demographics.

With an anticipated decline in the college-age population, high costs of four-year degrees, and changing demands among employers, parents, and students, higher education seems to be at a crossroads.

College degree attainment is associated with higher labor force participation, and although better data is needed to understand fully, this seems to also be true for those who have some college but no degree.

Community colleges serve students in many ways depending on their educational goals, so much of the value these institutions provide for their communities is overlooked when measuring success.

Historically, most higher education state and local spending has gone to four-year institutions. As community colleges play an increasing role in training workers for high-demand jobs, have funding patterns kept up?

Issues surrounding the new FAFSA form have led to a sharp decline in form completions for the coming academic year. This could result in overall enrollment declines across higher education, but it is likely to hit some groups of students and institutions harder than others.

The motivations behind the new gainful employment policy are noble, but community colleges, especially in rural areas, could be disproportionately harmed by the earnings premium test.

Uptake in SNAP, which supports low-income households enduring persistent poverty and fights food insecurity, varies over time and geography depending on the U.S. business cycle as well as state-specific factors.

In this article, we discuss the history and motivation of federal gainful employment legislation and what the new rules entail.

Proposal submissions are now open for the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference poster session! Learn about the ways rural communities are addressing economic challenges in this virtual tour of posters from our 2023 conference.

Understanding and appropriately measuring the role that community colleges play in rural areas is important to how we evaluate policies and funding for workforce and community development throughout the rural Fifth District.

After almost three years, pandemic-era SNAP enhancements ended this spring. Another support — the pause on federal student loan payments — is ending this fall. Are households ready?

Changes to the urban area criteria used for the 2020 census data have resulted in shifts in the rural-urban population distribution in parts of the Fifth District.

Social capital — the strength of social networks within communities — can be important to economic mobility. We look at how this measure varies for communities across our district.

With assistance programs winding down, evictions are on the rise but have not surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Numerous factors — including population growth, education, housing, transportation, child care, health, and broadband availability — are shaping the differences in employment outcomes between rural and urban communities.

Rural America Week brings together community leaders, policymakers, and representatives from financial institutions and foundations.

Many states have enacted legislation in the last year to increase the minimum wage, and those increases will have both direct and indirect effects on workers, households, and businesses in the District.

In our new Rural Spotlight series, we explore solutions to the economic challenges faced by rural communities in the Fifth District.

Recent legislation has increased emergency rental assistance for renters struggling due to the pandemic, but efficient disbursement has been a challenge in many states.

The COVID-19 pandemic has depressed housing security and increased eviction risk for renters in the Fifth District. Although helpful for tenants, some federal pandemic-response provisions are ending in December.

How did rural and urban counties compare on measures of health outcomes and drivers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic?

The Federal Reserve developed and fielded a survey of community-based organizations to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on their operations and the communities they serve. Fifth District respondents in April and June expressed that while organizations and communities are experiencing significant disruptions, effects are expected to be longer-lasting for the latter.