(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa’s community college presidents suggests their institutions could address gaps in training Iowa’s workforce by offering four year degrees, but the group warns there could be hurdles to the expansion. Emily Shields, executive director of Community Colleges for Iowa, says over 200 community colleges in 24 other states offer bachelor’s degrees.  “All of the states that have done this have focused on unmet needs,” Shields says. In January, the chairman of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee asked Iowa’s community colleges to study how it could work here. The group’s initial report indicates community colleges in other states are offering some four-year degrees that aren’t widely available and charge tuition rates are more affordable. Shields says it probably won’t impact students who transfer their two-year degrees to a four-year institution where they intend to get a four-year degree.

“States like Florida and Washington that have had this for quite some time, the public universities aren’t seeing a decrease in transfer students,” Shields says. “You’re seeing new people come into the bachelor’s degree space through what’s being offered with the community colleges.” The report concludes the move would help students who live in “higher education deserts.”

“We’re talking about people who are placebound or have different financial challenges,” Shield says, “families, jobs, that kind of thing, so they aren’t moving to get a degree.” In five of the 15 community college districts in Iowa, there is no nearby four-year college or university for low-income, rural students who need to commute. “There physically is not another college or university in your area, but it can also be defined a couple of other ways,” Shields says. “One is there isn’t an affordable option in your area and the states that have done this have really focused on the community college bachelor’s degrees being more affordable than a lot of what’s available in the rest of the marketplace.”

The community college presidents say it would be a culture shift to begin offering bachelor’s degrees. And they’d have to balance that with the community colleges’ mission to give students an affordable way to gain technical skills through a certification program or two-year degree. Shields says after conversations with staff and students on Iowa’s 15 campus communities, a final report in October will answer some basic questions. “What structure would be the best fit for our state? What investment would be required to make it successful?” Shield says. “so that in our recommendations in October we’re telling the legislature what we think would be the best path forward as this gets considered.”

The initial report suggests the state would have to spend more money on lab space as well as student services required for four-year programs. It also indicates accreditation standards indicate about 63 percent of instructors at Iowa’s community colleges would be qualified to teach students seeking four-year degrees.