A single mother decides to go back to college to become a scientist to support her family.
A high school student wants to earn college credit while she’s still in high school.
A veteran leaves the military after serving his country and wants training in a new skill.
These real stories, emotional and inspirational, happen daily at Coconino Community College, where student success is the heart and purpose of CCC’s mission. The stories are as varied as the students.
CCC has real impact on real lives daily by playing a key role in helping students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential. But community colleges in Arizona like CCC also add billions in income and offer a variety of investments to local businesses and communities in our county.
That’s the conclusion of a study released earlier this year by Economic Modeling Specialists International. EMSI, in its “Demonstrating the Value of Arizona Community Colleges,” conducted a statewide economic impact study of Arizona’s community colleges, including CCC.
According to the study, which focused on the 2013-14 fiscal year, Arizona’s community colleges put about $1.2 billion into the state’s economy through day-to-day operations. Spending by community college students put another $300 million into the state’s economy, and the impact of alumni increased earnings added another $13 billion.
The story is the same for Coconino County and CCC.
“The college serves a range of industries in Coconino County and supports local businesses,” according to the EMSI study. “And society as a whole in Arizona benefits from an expanded economy and improved quality of life. The benefits created by CCC even extend to the state and local government through increased tax revenues and public sector savings.”
CCC, its students and alumni increase spending and bolster business productivity for the region, according to the EMSI study. Coconino Community College, through day-to-day operations, pumped about $14.9 million into the local economy, and student spending put in another $11.7 million. The impact of CCC alumni generated another $38.4 million for local businesses through higher wages and increased output. All told, CCC generated about $65 million for the local economy.
According to the study, “Coconino Community College creates value in many ways. It gives students the skills they need to have a fulfilling and prosperous career. The college also supplies an environment for students to meet new people, increase their self-confidence and promote their overall health and well-being.”
Return on investment for students, taxpayers and society shows CCC as a sound investment choice, according to the EMSI study. CCC students will receive higher future wages as a result of their education. For instance, annual income for workers in Coconino County with a high school diploma at the midpoint in their career was calculated at $27,600. Workers in the county with an associate’s degree made $35,800 in annual income, an increase in earnings each year of $8,200. So, for every dollar students invest in CCC, they receive about $3.90 in higher future wages – a 15.6 percent rate of return. As for taxpayers, workers with post-secondary education earn more and contribute more in tax payments to support government services. Society in general will also save on costs to healthcare, the criminal justice system and unemployment assistance with improved lifestyles of students who receive a college education.
The EMSI study concludes that CCC “creates value from multiple perspectives,” including:
- Benefitting local businesses by increasing consumer spending in the region
- Supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers into the workforce
- Enriching the lives of students by raising lifetime incomes and helping them achieve individual potential
- Creating a more prosperous economy statewide
- Generating savings through improved lifestyles of students
- Increasing tax receipts across the state
- Reducing demand for government-supported social services
CCC provides affordable tuition and a wide variety of certificates and degrees, as well as career and technical programs, with more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in various fields including nursing, fire science, law enforcement and business.
Since 1991, CCC has served residents across 18,600 square miles of Coconino County. Today, CCC serves more than 7,500 students per year with two campuses in Flagstaff.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the county, including Williams, the Grand Canyon/Tusayan, Page/Lake Powell, Fredonia, Tuba City and other remote areas on the Navajo, Hopi and Supai Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Interactive Television classes to meet the needs of students in these rural and remote areas. Nearly 25 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners. FBN
To see the complete EMSI study, visit http://www.arizonacommunitycolleges.org/EIS/ACC_MainReport_1314_Final.pdf
Scott Talboom is the executive director of institutional advancement at Coconino Community College. He can be reached at scott.talboom@coconino.edu, or 928-226-4335.