2015-2020

Guided Pathways: What They Mean for Your Child’s Education

Choosing the right educational path for your child has never been more complex—or more important. As parents and educators evaluate how best to prepare students for college, careers, and life beyond the classroom, a model known as Guided Pathways is reshaping the conversation.

Originally developed for community colleges, Guided Pathways have expanded into K–12 schools and even some private institutions. In 2025, this approach is increasingly seen as a roadmap to help students connect their learning to clear outcomes, such as higher education success, workforce readiness, or vocational training.

This article explains what Guided Pathways are, why they matter, and how they may affect your child’s education.

What Are Guided Pathways?

At its core, Guided Pathways is an educational model designed to give students a structured, transparent route through their academic journey. Instead of navigating a maze of disconnected classes, students follow clearly defined programs that align with career or transfer goals.

The model emphasizes four pillars, as outlined by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC):

1. Clarify the Path – Schools define clear program maps with sequenced courses.

2. Help Students Choose and Enter a Path – Early career and academic advising guide students to make informed decisions.

3. Keep Students on the Path – Ongoing monitoring and support ensure progress.

In certain circles, community colleges are looked down upon. Some believe a community college degree is less valuable than one earned at a traditional four-year college or university. Many believe, however, that community colleges are the “cornerstone of American higher education.” As the country works to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, they may be more important now than ever.

Community colleges enroll nearly half of all college students and provide educational opportunities some students would otherwise not be able to access. They play a role in workforce development, local economic development, and vocational training.

The coronavirus pandemic that has stretcherding to a 2015 study cod into the summer of 2020 has changed the face of the American education system at all levels. As we look ahead to the 2020-21 school year, thousands of students find themselves wondering what their postsecondary education is going to look like. In these times of change, community colleges are becoming more critical than ever before.

The Role of Community Colleges

The significance of community college is right there in the name – community. Steven Mintz of Inside Higher Ed suggests, “community colleges have a critical role to play in addressing the country’s greatest challenges: stagnant family incomes, disparities in income and wealth, and political polarization.” These institutions play a significant role in their communities and in the more outstanding educational system.

These are some of the most critical roles community colleges play:

• Workforce development
• Local and regional economic development
• Technical and vocational

COVID-19 has financially impacted colleges and universities across the nation in numerous ways. From forced housing refunds to declining enrollment and loss of revenue, many community colleges wonder what the 2020/21 semester will look like – if they have one.

In this article, we’ll explore the financial impact of COVID-19 on community colleges and what they are doing to make up for lost funds. We’ll also touch on predictions for enrollment in the 2020/21 school year and examine the data we’ve already collected regarding the impact of the pandemic on community colleges as well as their faculty and students.

How Have Budget Cuts Affected Community Colleges?

Though the novel coronavirus had already taken hold in numerous countries by then, the World Health Organization (WHO) didn’t announce COVID-19 as a global health crisis until March 11, 2020. Within weeks, thousands of businesses closed their doors, and millions of college students were sent home.

Schools nationwide scrambling to take their programs online were met with the additional challenge of unequal access to resources among their students. For thousands of students, the college experience was significantly altered, and not everyone took it in stride. Students sued several colleges for tuition refunds, and many colleges were forced to provide housing refunds, often over $1,500 per student.

Now that most colleges and universities have officially completed their 2019/20 school year, colleges are left wondering what the next will bring. Many schools find themselves facing budget shortfalls that will undoubtedly impact

After twelve or more years of traditional education, high school seniors look forward to enjoying the “college experience.” Living on campus, freedom to choose classes, and taking advantage of a wide range of extracurricular activities is what makes college such an exciting time in life. Many students choose their school as much for the program as for the on-campus experience.

Since March 7^th when The University of Washington became the first large U.S. university to close due to coronavirus, many others have followed suit. According to CNBC, over 1,100 colleges and universities in the United States have closed their campuses, impacting an estimated 14 million students.

In this time of uncertainty, current college students are forced to wonder how these changes will impact the remainder of their college career and, for many, their graduation and entry into the workforce. For prospective students and parents, it raises questions about what a college education will look like in the fall of 2020 and how much it will cost.

In this article, we’ll explore the ways the coronavirus pandemic has affected United States higher education and how students, parents, and the schools themselves are reacting.

How COVID-19 Has Changed the College Experience

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, public schools in most states have been closed for weeks already and many have decided not to reopen this school year. College students were asked not to return from spring break or sent home if they were still on

Community college is the only option for many students who either can’t afford a traditional four-year university or who need a more flexible school environment. Just because community college is different, however, doesn’t mean that its students matter any less. The Aspen Prize exists to encourage community colleges to do more for their students and to continually strive for improvement.

For many years, community colleges had a reputation for being a lesser version of traditional 4-year colleges and universities. It was common for community colleges to offer a smattering of courses at affordable tuition rates, but many were found lacking when it came to helping students complete a degree or transfer to an accredited university.

The Aspen Prize was developed to reward community colleges that go the extra mile toward help their students complete degrees and experience success after graduation. The organization that awards the prize assesses how well institutes perform in four different areas. The award is given every two years and the recipients should be viewed as examples for other community colleges to follow if they hope to do what is best for their students.

In this article, we’ll explore the history of the Aspen Prize and how it was developed. We’ll also take a closer look at this year’s recipients to determine what other community colleges can do to follow their example of commitment to student success, both in college and after graduating.

What is the Aspen Prize?

The Aspen Prize for