I didn&#x27;t mean to imply that the students weren&#x27;t intelligent or hard working.  I was just under the impression that most 4-year institutions required students to have passed elementary algebra in either high school or the community college system.<p>It&#x27;s unfortunate that the community college system has such a stigma attached to it.  For students that have been failed by their high schools, it seems that a year in community college would be an ideal low-cost catch-up, rather than playing catch-up in a significantly more expensive 4-year institution and ending up likely to need a 5th year there.