Community colleges are an important avenue to upward mobility no matter the students' background, income level, or high school accomplishments. This October 2009 report found that an associate degree is particularly meaningful for low-income, high-achieving high school students-over half of whom transfered to a four-year college, and, of those who transfered, three-quarters earned a bachelor's degree.  In a time of high unemployment, community colleges were a critical stepping stone for people to increase their skills and earnings potential.  The colleges also provided resources, including career counseling, to educate students about the classes and fields of study that  had the potential for higher returns, such as health care and computer science.

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