[jseliger]

I've taught at community colleges; many of the issues mentioned in the article are long-standing. So what's driving the change now?

The simplest answer is the most likely: the strong economy, including among relatively low wage, low skill workers.

[etempleton]

This is true and not well understood by many as well. Community colleges and many graduate programs often run counter-cyclically to the economy. When unemployment is high many post pone entering the job market or go back to school to up-skill and fill an unemployment gap.

Undergraduate enrollment at a 4-year school technically runs cyclically to the economy, but in practical terms enrollment remains flat at most schools.

[asynchronous]

That is the correct answer here.

[humanrebar]

...combined with the selection bias that means community colleges disproportionately enroll "relatively low wage, low skill workers" that would most appreciate "direct, cheap, no frill, about the education only".

That is, the talking heads might not be wrong about what they think community colleges are getting right.