For nearly 100 years, community colleges have been centers of educational opportunity. Often referred to as "Democracy's colleges", they are inclusive institutions that provide the most accessible and affordable path to post-secondary education and workforce training for all who desire to learn, regardless of wealth, heritage, or previous academic experience.  Today, among those students who depend on community colleges as entry points to higher education are immigrants and their children.

Established in 2008, the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education is a national network of over 30 community colleges and other leading professional organizations committed to strengthening and expanding programs and services for immigrant students and leveraging the role community colleges play in immigrant integration. CCCIE is guided by a Blue Ribbon Panel that includes colleges - both urban and rural-from a dozen different states, representing traditional gateway destinations as well as newer destination states.

While community colleges are well positioned to serve foreign-born students, they face numerous challenges in supporting this diverse student population, which includes:

• Over 25 million foreign-born non-citizens age 18 and over have limited English proficiency.While their educational backgrounds differ, many could be served in various ways by community colleges.
• Each year about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools, but only about 5-10 percent go on to college due to legal, financial, and other barriers.
• An estimated 1.8 million foreign-educated, skilled immigrants residing in the U.S. are unemployed or underemployed. Many are scientists, engineers, or doctors who have been unable to re-enter their careers in the U.S.  

Moreover, immigrants often lack knowledge of the US higher education system and its processes and may face financial obstacles even greater than most, due to limited access to federal and state financial aid.          

Today, 1 in 4 community college students is an immigrant or child of an immigrant. On some campuses, the percentage is much higher. The nation's 1200 community colleges play an integral role in the linguistic, civic and economic integration of our nation's newcomers.  As the US population ages and millions of baby boomers retire, immigrants and their U.S.-born children will account for all workforce growth between now and 2050. For this fast-growing segment of the population, resources and policies are needed to support economic growth, educational attainment, college completion, and career enhancement.

CCCIE has significantly enriched the field of immigrant education and training by projecting a national unified voice, providing a dynamic network for exchange of innovative models that are improving educational outcomes for immigrant students, and developing strategic, cross-sector partnerships that expand CCCIE's policy reach at the state and local levels.

CCCIE has been able to build upon its success from past years, mobilizing the resources and expertise of its Blue Ribbon Panel and leveraging its research and strategic partnerships to deliver on-the-ground technical assistance that has helped colleges increase educational and career opportunities for immigrant students. Additionally, CCCIE is generating new interest and increased national recognition of its work among key stakeholders, including government leaders, higher education associations, researchers, immigrant advocates, and student activists. With immigration reform and the nation's educational and labor force needs in the policy forefront, CCCIE is well positioned to support the community college sector in ensuring the educational and workforce success of immigrants and their families.

Teresita Wisell, CCCIE Executive Director and
Associate Dean, The Gateway Center, Westchester Community College

Tere.Wisell@sunywcc.edu; 914-606-7866