This article reviews recent literature on student financial aid as a retention tool at community colleges. Enrollment and tuition data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and federal direct grant student aid data from the IPEDS Student Financial Aid Survey are used to analyze changes from 2000–01 to 2005–06. The new 2005 Carnegie Basic Classification of Associate's Colleges is used to reveal differences among rural, suburban, and urban community college types, and the Grapevine definition is used to reveal differences among states with local funding and those without significant local funding. A key finding is that the 40% increase in tuition and the 2.2 million new students enrolled in the past five years overwhelmed the very modest increases in federal direct grant student aid (Pell and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants) over the same period, lessening the ability of student aid to positively impact retention at America's community colleges.

This study had two major purposes. The first purpose was to compare federal, state, and institutional direct grant aid, unmet needs, and headcount in 2000-2001 and 2005-2006. The second was to assess if any changes found related to the presence or absence of two key factors identified by experts as important to understanding the community college field: (a) type of Associate's College (rural, suburban, and urban) delineated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's 2005 Basic Classification, and (b) significant local funding, using the Grapevine definition that defines 25 states as having local tax appropriations accounting for more than 10% of total funding and 25 states without. Analyzing data from the National Center for Educational Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the study found that between 2000-2001 and 2005-2006, enrollment at Associate's Colleges grew by 30%, and while all categories of direct student aid also grew, the growth was overwhelmed by tuition increases averaging 40%. Analysis of descriptive data revealed stark differences between community colleges in states with the presence of local tax support, and those without, and by type of Associate's College (rural, suburban and urban). By 2005-2006, it was more difficult for low-income students to attend college without incurring debt. The paper concludes with discussion as to the impact on open access for students attending community colleges if these trends continue.

After reviewing each of the articles included in this special issue, we have come to four conclusions. First, the reaffirmation of accreditation, along with the selection of the quality enhancement...