Democrats and Republicans finally agree on one vital matter, and they did so with little wrangling or heated debate. With undisputed clarity, they have endorsed the critical need for appreciably more future funding of community colleges in today’s battle for economic recovery.

Further, they see graduates from the two-year institutions as being immediately employable in high demand areas and essential to the future plans of business and industry in the international thrust for economic standing and superiority. The graduates are seen as beneficial taxpayers, too.

What community college students offer are added brains in high demand areas, areas that demand analytical skills, the ability to identify and solve problems, to write well and to work in teams. Furthermore, they are men and women who like to work and in challenging fields.

Both China and India have noticed, with envy, the advancement of community colleges in America, and they are responding with modified, two-year replicas. They know what their economic engines will require, and two-year institutes and colleges are part of the mix.

China and India see a three-nation race for the future between each other and the United States, and community colleges provide a clear competitive edge in the race to identify and develop needed skills.

Furthermore, existing workers will need to be retrained and provided with new skills and aptitudes. In addition, minorities, in growing numbers, are turning to two-year schools for education and training in order to be a viable part of the work force of the future. President Obama has said that community colleges hold the key to economic prosperity in the United States, and a better life for countless people. The president recommended a major package of assistance, with reasonable accountability constraints.

Stunningly, the College Board learned that millions of dollars are not being used by needy and qualified community college students, some of whom have dropped out because of economic restraints.

A recent study reveals that in the 2007-08 academic year, only 58 percent of Pell Grant-eligible students who attended community colleges either full or part-time applied for federal financial aid, compared with 77 percent of eligible students at four-year public institutions.

This is, without question, a tragedy of epic proportions, one that has penalized America in its growth and development efforts. It must be remedied with all due speed.

“Community colleges are a critical part of our educational system,” College Board President Gaston Caperton said. “They serve about half of all undergraduate students in the United States.” He called upon the education community to provide the counseling necessary to increase the number of deserving students who receive need-based financial aid so that they can become a part of the educated and skilled workforce needed by America to compete and win globally.

Simply stated, community colleges serve the most economically challenged students, and yet, many of those students are not receiving the financial help they require because of a lack of information.

This dilemma cannot be overlooked or allowed to continue. It is in the national interest to act with dispatch in opening more doors to deserving community college youngsters, and to many who are not so young.

— Gene Budig has headed three major state universities and was president of Major League Baseball’s American League. He now serves as the distinguished professor at the College Board in New York.