Testimony to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce by W. D. Law, President, Tallahassee Community College, Florida, "Why Graduation Matters - Why Some Students Don't."
Abstract: Community colleges fully appreciate the importance of getting students to graduate. Attainment of a certificate or associate degree results, on average, in significantly greater earnings compared to those who hold just a high school diploma. The differential earnings are more than $350,000 over a lifetime. Success at a community college also creates opportunities for transfer to a four-year college. Graduation also results in substantially enhanced self-esteem, as anyone who has attended a community college graduation ceremony knows viscerally.
Click here to view the complete text of the testimony. (PDF)