College Promise Campaign: Affordable Pathways to Our Nation s Future The Free College Movement

Transcription

1 College Promise Campaign: Affordable Pathways to Our Nation s Future The Free College Movement Dr. Martha J. Kanter Executive Director, College Promise Campaign Advancing the Public Higher Education Agenda in a New Era Marriott Marquis & Marina December 8, 2017

2 Background 2

3 Past Versus Future 3

4 A Brief History of the Free College Movement The Servicemen s Readjustment Act of 1944 known as the G.I. Bill provides tuition and living expenses for veterans. By 1956 more than 2 million veterans had attended a college or university and nearly 6 million had attended some form of training program. 4

5 A Brief History of the Free College Movement Dec. 27, 1982 System was allowed to grow too large in the 1960s Difficulty adapting to the falling birthrate State fiscal crisis Changing demands from students. 5

6 Historical Context 1980s Present Burgeoning post-vietnam War immigrant communities Growth of state and federal oversight Fluctuating local, state & federal financial systems Dramatic expansion of underserved populations, immigrants & firstgeneration students Questioning of the public purpose, investment in & funding of American education Imperative to strengthen the wavering national commitment to Growing Opportunity for All 6

7 Higher Education Today 7.0 Million Attend a Community College 13.4 Million Attend a 4-Year College or University Years: 12.0 M 58% White 25+Years: 8.2 M 40% 58.0% Black Female 11.7 M 57% 14.5% Male 8.8M 43% Hispanic 16.5% Asian 6.6% Source: 7

8 State Funding Declined 8

9 Tuition at Public Institutions Increases Average tuition at a public 4-year college has increased by more than 250% in the last three decades. 9

10 Every State Shares this Workforce Challenge 10

11 Every State Shares this Student Preparedness Challenge 93 million adult Americans have little or no college educations (> 45%) 75 million of these adults are functioning at basic or below basic literacy levels Students from low-income families by age 24 earn bachelor s degrees at one-eighth the rate of their more advantaged counterparts 9% compared with 75% 11

12 Every State Shares this Equity & Achievement Gap Challenge 80% of high-income students enroll in college 29% of low-income students enroll in college <1 in 10 low-income students graduate 50% of high-income students graduate Students from low-income families earn bachelors degrees at one-eighth the rate of their more advantaged counterparts 9% compared with 75% by age 24! 12

13 College Degree and/or Certificate Completion is Essential for Our Nation s Future Too many students aren t finishing their degrees or transferring from community colleges to a 4-year college or university. When they do, most earn their bachelor s degrees. About half of undergraduates attend a community college. Increasing academic preparation is key to degree completion. 13

14 Preparation is Key to Earning a College Degree and/or Certificate More than half of entering freshmen need remediation for college success. More high school students are completing college prep requirements and graduating, but the achievement gap persists. Accelerated remediation and redesigned assessment and placement efforts are on the rise. Bottom Line A college degree is a worthwhile investment that yields significant returns over one s lifetime economic, social & civic! 14

15 Higher Education s Value Proposition 15

16 Higher Education s Value Proposition The probability of being employed is 24% higher. The likelihood of being out of the labor force (neither employed nor unemployed) is 74% less. College graduates contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars more over a lifetime in local, state and federal taxes. College graduates utilize about 39% fewer government resources (e.g., emergency assistance and jails) College graduates report having good or very good health 44% more than high school graduates College graduates are nearly 5 times less likely to be jailed or imprisoned than those who have no college experience. 16

17 Lessons from the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Lessons from the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Characteristics of Great Community Colleges, 4-Year Colleges & Universities Strong Leadership and Culture Guided Pathways to Continuing Education and Well-Paying Jobs Intentional Focus on Improving Teaching and Learning Strategic Data Use to Improve Practice and Close Equity Gaps Partnerships and Structures Aligned to Defined Student Outcomes

18 Our Nation s Colleges and Universities are Increasing Student 1. Equity & Success First Year Experience 2. Learning Communities 3. Developmental Education/Remediation Redesign 4. English as a Second Language Preparation Redesign 5. Bridge Programs 6. Accelerated Delivery/Use of Technologies/Distance Learning 7. Transfer/Articulation 8. Promise Scholarships/Aid Like a Paycheck/Financial Literacy 9. First Generation/Underrepresented/Low SES Support Programs 10. Student Engagement/High Impact Experiences/Civic Learning 11. Dual Enrollment 12. Mentoring/Advising 13. Encouraging Completion Leadership 18

19 The College Promise Movement 19

20 Looking Back 20

21 What is a College Promise? A 21 st Century promise to fund 1-4 years of college, making higher education as universal, free, and accessible as public high school. A promise to prepare students for the 21st Century workforce and the pursuit of the American Dream without the burden of exorbitant college debt. A commitment to fund a college education for every eligible hardworking student advancing on the path to earn a college degree or certificate. A commitment to redesign scholarships that incorporate evidencebased educational interventions and incentives with sustainable financing mechanisms for the 21 st Century 21

22 Key Features of the College Promise Place-based - College, City, Region, State Guarantee Financial Support Performance-Based Financially Sustainable Cross-sector Leadership Robust Infrastructure Evidence-based 22

23 College Promise Movement Why is this resonating with more than 200 cities and towns and 16 entire states, with more than 30 states preparing College Promise legislation? To increase college access, student learning and college completion: Increase students aspirations. Leverage evidence and performance-based educational interventions and incentives Optimize local, state and federal funds. Produce more educated Americans to drive our social, economic and civic prosperity. 23

24 Tennessee Promise 24

25 Vance Granville Community College

26 Florida State College at Jacksonville Promise Serves all public high school graduates from Florida s Nassau and Duval Counties. Launched Fall 2017 Last dollar program funding tuition, fees, and books. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA while in the program.

27 What is the purpose of the College Promise Campaign? To build widespread support for free community college, the Campaign uses three strategies: - Communications and Advocacy - Cross-sector Leadership Development - Research, Policy and Practice Why? To increase college access, student learning and college completion: - Optimizes local, state and federal funds - Leverages and promotes evidence and performance-based incentives and interventions. 27

28 CollegePromise.org 28

29 200+ College Promise Programs College Promise: The Free College Movement 29

30 College Promise Programs 30

31 California Legislative Actions California Promise Grants for Community Colleges $1.5 M awarded: $750,00 awarded: Grossmont-Cuyamaca CCD Barstow CCD Kern CCD Butte-Glenn CCD Los Angeles CCD Contra Costa CCD San Jose-Evergreen CCD Long Beach CCD San Mateo CCD Santa Clarita CCD State Center CCD Shasta Tehama-Trinity CCD Sierra Joint CCD West Valley-Mission CCD

32 2017 State Legislation Source: 32

33 Criticisms to Address College is not for everyone Low community college graduation rates Further racial, ethnic, & income stratification Limits choice for students who qualify for more selective colleges & universities Could push up the cost for the junior & senior year of college Public universities might be forced to limit access for qualified community college transfer students Fiscal cost & sustainability 33 33

34 Program Design 34

35 College Promise Goals: Design Challenges Increase graduation rate Close the achievement gap Increase college readiness for entering freshmen Leveraging cognitive science and technological tools to increase access & success Give every student 24 x 7 advising, mentoring, tutoring, and counseling Create and sustain a long-term, stable financial model 35

36 Types of Expenses Covered in College Promise 100% 80% 19 60% 40% % 0% 3 Full tuition Other fees Transportation Books Non-restricted funding 4 Courtesy of Dr. Mary Rauner, WestEd, August

37 How is the College Promise Funding Sources: College operating budgets College foundations K-12 school district budgets City operating budgets County operating budgets Individual donors Foundations (state & local) Business & industry State allocations Federal allocations Native American tribal funds funded? The majority of College Promise programs have multiple funding sources. 37

38 Early Outcomes Significant increases in enrollment of first generation, underrepresented, underserved student populations Persistence from semester to semester Increased college aspirations in youth Reduction in number and size of college loans Number of College Promise programs in 42 states more than doubled in two years 38

39 What are the Right Elements? Over the last 26months, we found that College Promise leaders are working to implement the right combination of: Cross-Sector Stakeholder Leadership Evidence-based Educational Interventions Evidence-based Behavioral Incentives Robust Infrastructure Sustainable Financial Support These elements can be leveraged to increase economic prosperity, social inclusion, and civic opportunity and stability in the lives of their residents. 39

40 Local Promise Leadership Today, local communities like Greenville, NC, Jacksonville, FL, Houston, TX, Barstow, CA, and Detroit, MI are building on what Long Beach, CA, El Dorado, AR and Kalamazoo, MI have already put in place over the past decade. The challenge is to design a reasonable, sustainable College Promise that includes the right combination of financial and behavioral incentives that can be leveraged to increase college opportunity and completion

41 Next Steps 41

42 How We Help Local Communities Connect you to the national network of College Promise leaders, experts, scholars, & practitioners. Work with you to engage education, business, government, non-profit, and student leaders to support and invest in the College Promise. Support digital and earned media coverage about the College Promise in your local community. Provide research, advice, and help to launch or expand the College Promise. 42

43 We Pay for What We Value Our challenge is to implement a reasonable, sustainable College Promise that includes the right combination of: Stakeholder Leadership Educational Interventions Behavioral Incentives Infrastructure Financial Support that can be leveraged to increase economic, social and civic opportunity in the lives of all Americans! 43

44 Thank You! Get started building a Promise program: CollegePromise.org/start Join our list: HeadsUpAmerica.us/join Donate: CollegePromise.org/donate Contact Us: Outreach: James Schuelke James@civicnation.org (530) Policy & Research: Angela Cammack Angela@civicnation.org (202)