“Transportation barriers hurt Wisconsin community college students. One group is mapping out the problem mile by mile.”

There are about 20 steps between the bus stop and the doors to Milwaukee Area Technical College's main campus.

The trek is far greater at most other technical college campuses across the state. Sixty-one percent of campuses are not within walking distance of a public transit stop, which poses problems for students without a car or with car problems, according to new research by an education foundation.

“Our students are one flat tire away from dropping out of school,” said Abigail Seldin, CEO of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation.

The organization is producing state-by-state maps calculating how close public transit stops are to community and technical colleges. It exclusively shared the Wisconsin map with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

Schools devote significant resources to getting and keeping students on track to earn a degree. But for some community college students, nearly all of whom are commuters, the biggest barrier is simply getting to class. 

Research shows low-income students and students of color are disproportionately affected by transportation burdens. Latino students, for example, are more likely to rely on public transit and less likely to own a car, a burden that contributes to a lower college completion rate for this group.

Community college students spent an average of $1,840 on transportation last school year, accounting for nearly 20% of their cost of attendance. That's more than what students at public and private four-year colleges spent, according to the College Board.

Technical colleges have long understood that access to reliable transportation can be the linchpin to a degree — and a better life — for students. Even before the pandemic, many offered emergency grants to go toward gas or a car repair. 

But some schools say they're starting to focus on the issue even more.

Gateway Technical College, for example, is trying something new this year by partnering with the city of Racine to offer up to 300 students an annual bus pass. 

The initial results have been "outstanding," Gateway spokesperson Lee Colony said.

The Wisconsin map by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation shows that 39% of the state's 92 technical college campuses are situated close to public transit stops, which is defined as within a half mile. Not surprisingly, these are concentrated primarily in Wisconsin's largest metro areas of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse and Kenosha.

If anything, the map understates the ease of students' commutes to campuses with close public transit options. Not taken into account are the frequency and reliability of routes, the cost and the availability of stops in students' neighborhoods. 

MATC student Jonah Libernacki said his daily commute from the city's south side includes a 10-minute drive to a park-and-ride lot, a 40-minute wait for the bus and a 10-minute bus ride to the downtown campus. On the way back, it's about a 30-minute wait, 10-minute bus ride and another 10-minute drive.

 "It's about as simple as I can make it," he said.   

Libernacki, who is studying to be a surgical technician, said he's considered driving to classes, but safety and cost are why he opts for the bus instead. 

MATC pays $1.1 million to provides all students enrolled in six or more credits of class with a bus pass. Spokesperson Darryll Fortune said the routes serving all campuses, with the exception of Mequon, are easily accessible and high frequency.

Milwaukee County Transit System eliminated a route in 2020 that connected the downtown campus to the Mequon campus due to budget cuts. 

Fortune said students can use an Ozaukee County-run shared taxi service, which takes them to one of three bus stops in Milwaukee County. There's also a new scholarship program this year that covers mileage for Mequon campus students.

Technical college students may face choice of groceries or gas

The map identifies 16% of Wisconsin technical college campuses that are less than 5 miles from an existing transit line but not yet connected, offering an opportunity for technical colleges and municipalities to work together on extending routes. 

At Chippewa Valley Technical College, officials are trying to make a case to the city to extend a bus line to one of the school's campuses just outside of downtown Eau Claire.

The college will soon be sending out a survey to the 40% of students who take classes at the west campus, said Shelly Olson, interim vice president of student services. She's seen students walk the mile from where the last bus stop ends to the campus in the snow and cold. 

"To ask a city to extend a transit line, that’s a lot of money," Olson said. "We want to make sure we have data showing how many students would use it."

Chippewa Valley Technical College also has a student emergency fund for those finding themselves in a pinch. More often than not, Olson said, the requests coming in relate to transportation.

"They had a choice this week to buy groceries for their family or buy gas to put in their car to come to class," Olson said of the requests she receives. "Those are the types of stories that we hear from our students."

Students in rural Wisconsin need cars

Students in rural areas face different transportation barriers. Public transit is either non-existent or so time consuming that it doesn't work for students, who are often juggling jobs and families on top of their classes.

The map, produced by Seldin and co-authors Matthew Crespi and Ellie Bruecker, show nearly half of Wisconsin's technical campuses are more than 5 miles from public transit.

The reality for these students is that they need a car. 

At Fox Valley Technical College, in Appleton, where the majority of students rely on a car to get to class, student finance manager Kelly Kohl helps connect students to nonprofits that offer 0% interest car loans. She also administers emergency grants.

Kohl has seen firsthand how the lack of a reliable car can derail a degree — or even discourage students from enrolling altogether. 

"Generally, it's a mix between I need a gas card, I need my vehicle repaired or I need a vehicle," Kohl said of the emergency funding requests. "All of which are kind of a pivotal turning point as to whether or not a student continues in their education."

Read the full article at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.