An increasing number of community college students are losing out on available resources that counterparts elsewhere in the country have access to.

A record 900,000 students have been blocked from applying for a federal student loan, according to the Institute for College Access & Success.

Community colleges have the choice to opt in or out of the federal student loan program. Although tuition at two-year colleges is fairly low, it is still out of reach for some without the help of some form of financial support.

A student who needs financial assistance, if denied the opportunity to apply for a federal loan, will turn elsewhere to get funding. Students options range from taking out private loans with higher interest rates to taking the minimum number of classes that they can cover without the help of financial support.

This creates obstacles that some may not overcome while working toward certificates or degrees.

“It’s important that community colleges provide access to federal loans for students … I would urge community college leaders and administrators to read this carefully and consider their institution’s stance on this issue,” said Martha Kanter, U.S. Under Secretary of Education, and former chancellor of the De Anza-Foothill Community College District.

De Anza College does participate in the Federal Loan program, offering different kinds of loans to students, including the Federal Stafford Loan.

A record number of community college students, 362,000, took out private student loans in 2007-2008. They will have more debt when they are done with their education than those who were able to apply for federal loans.