The new law allows each state to customize its welfare program to best meet the needs of its recipient population and its state welfare to work objectives. The Center for Law and Social Policy recently reviewed state welfare laws and determined that 24 of the approved state plans provide at least some welfare recipients with relief from work requirements if they attend college. "Nearly all of the states limit recipients to two years of a postsecondary education or less-in programs clearly linked to jobs--or simply give those who were in college when the state law was passed a chance to finish their degrees."2 While some states do allow or encourage participation in job training and education programs to meet work requirements, others are less favorable toward current and potential college students. With either approach, the higher education community faces several challenges in accommodating the reform.

Two-Year Institutions. Community colleges are often viewed as the primary providers for the education and training allowed by the new law. However, this "opportunity" brings with it the challenge to manage enrollments-for both current students wanting to end a dependence on welfare and for the less-prepared students requiring a basic education curriculum. Current evidence suggests that community colleges are challenged to:

  Accommodate enrollment declines among low-income students on the associate degree track

  Accommodate enrollment increases among under-prepared students-those requiring adult basic education courses

  Create a "fast track" of short, vocational training programs for welfare recipients who will lose benefits to meet current timeline requirements

  Become more accountable and institute new outcome-focused information and manage-ment systems to track welfare recipient students. Only one-third of community colleges can identify students on welfare3

Four-Year Institutions. Because of specific work requirements and limited education options provided to welfare recipients, the message being communicated to welfare recipients is to get a job, not a liberal arts degree.4 The law discourages welfare recipients from pursuing a four-year degree since recipients currently working towards a college degree are not likely to be allowed to use the classes to satisfy their work or vocational training requirement. Some assert that this is causing welfare recipients to drop out of college just short of a degree. Others maintain that, over the long term, the message will ensure enrollment declines in the four-year sector.

2 Schmidt, Peter. "States Discourage Welfare Recipients From Pursuing a Higher Education," The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 23, 1998.

3 Krasnow, Bruce. "Learning the Culture of Work: Colleges Search for Effective Ways to Help Welfare Recipients." Community College Review. October 6, 1997, p. 10.

4 Martin, Jonathan. "Welfare Overhaul Takes the Liberal Out of Education." The Spokesman Review, June 24, 1997.