NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- New federal data shows adult learners, students of color and veterans still are far less likely to complete a college degrees than other groups, and state education officials say they're now using a data-driven approach to come up with targeted programs aimed at preventing at-risk students from dropping out.

In two new studies that tracked students between 2011 and 2017, researchers found only about a quarter of Black and Hispanic students had earned a bachelor's degree by 2017, compared with more than 50% of Asian students and 43% of white students.

Emily House, deputy executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, said Tennessee is working to collect information on which students need help, the reasons they struggle, and better ways to support them.

"Really helping the institutions to use their data," House said. "To focus on their data, to see where these gaps in attainment, gaps in completion exist and then what is the most appropriate intervention for the students on that campus. And it can range from a summer bridge program to a mentorship program to a technology lending library."

She said two years ago Tennessee implemented Reconnect, a program for adults going back to school.

Students are paired up with a community member known as a navigator, to help address challenges from enrollment through degree completion.

House added adult students who work with a Reconnect navigator are more likely to persist from semester to semester than an adult learner who doesn't.

Many of the resources adult learners rely on also have benefited the state's veteran students. House said the commission has a process for determining which institutions are good fits for veterans.

"Courses that are offered, credits given for prior learning, credits given for service, and T-HEC (Tennessee Higher Education Commission) gives them like a stamp of approval saying you are a vet-friendly campus."

The U.S. Department of Education study found veterans were half as likely to have earned a bachelor's degree as non-veterans within a six-year period.

House said administrators will likely have to expand resources for students who need it the most during the pandemic. She added Tennessee's colleges already are seeing changes in enrollment.

"Some institutions are saying that a lot of people have chosen not to enroll, and their enrollment is down," House said. "This is interesting because of the economic downturn. Typically, when you see an economic downturn, enrollment in higher education explodes. At least anecdotally thus far, that is not what we're hearing."

The longitudinal study also found students who started college more than a year after they graduated from high school were about one-fourth as likely to earn a bachelor's degree within six years.

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Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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New Mexico is taking a deep dive into its funding of public colleges and universities to determine if inequities need to be addressed. The Higher Education Sustainability Study will review and recommend changes to the formula used to fund higher ed.

Gerald Hoehne, director, Capital Outlay Division with the New Mexico Higher Education Department, said it will look at possible inequities among the full range of sectors - from colleges and universities to research institutions, independent community colleges and branch campuses.

"The differences between community colleges and research institutions - those differences have come into how they're funded. So, this study gives us an opportunity to look at that in more detail," he said.

Community colleges disproportionately serve low-income students and students of color, but New Mexico is among the majority of states where two-year institutions receive thousands of dollars less in education revenue per student enrolled than four-year institutions, according to a 2020 study by the Center for American Progress.

Hoehne expected study results to be available by mid-October ahead of the 2025 legislative session, so lawmakers have insight and can make changes they feel are needed. The Legislature earmarked $187 million for higher education in 2024 - more than double last year's investment and one of the largest investments in higher education in state history. Hoene said an initiative within the study will look at how New Mexico's funding compares to other states.

"To understand if there is different ways in which other states are addressing the different types of institutions and how we potentially may be able to incorporate any changes to our process to address those differences," he continued.

The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems is conducting the equity study on behalf of the state.

New York's 2025 budget creates universal access to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program.

School districts statewide will have the resources to help high schoolers complete the application. Those who do not fill it out must sign a waiver stating they know of the available aid but are not pursuing it.

Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Sunset Park, the bill's sponsor, said FAFSA's required information can be daunting.

"Some students or some families are well-prepared and well-equipped to review that document and provide that information; some students might not be," Gounardes acknowledged. "Some students might not even know where to turn to get that information, especially if they're the first in their family to pursue college if they're the first generation here."

Some schools have moved closer to charging $100,000 a year for tuition, which Gounardes said can deter students from considering college. But through the FAFSA process, scholarships and grants can provide enough to shave the number down to a more reasonable figure. A Sallie Mae report showed college spending is up as families spend close to $28,000 each year on college.

Feedback for the proposal was positive, considering most high school seniors who complete the FAFSA are likely to go to college after graduation. Gounardes argued the state can build on the progress by reviewing admissions practices to ensure they are fair and do not exclude students from certain backgrounds.

"In particular, I think it's high time we end legacy admissions," Gounardes emphasized. "There's no reason why we should have affirmative action for privileged kids in New York state, especially from institutions that receive significant public dollars either for grants or construction or awards or this or that or whatever."

He introduced a bill ending legacy admissions, which is still in committee. Among public and private colleges in New York, 42% still consider legacy applicants for admissions.

More than 70% of adults with student loans report having delayed at least one significant life event because of their debt situation, yet a new Lumina Foundation-Gallup poll shows few Americans seem to understand the cost of obtaining a bachelor's degree.

During the 2021-22 academic year, the average cost of attendance ranged from $10,000 per year at public two-year institutions to more than $56,000 per year at private four-year nonprofit colleges.

Michele Scott Taylor, Ph.D - is president of College Now Greater Cleveland, a nonprofit that works to increase higher education accessibility.

She said for students who are potentially first-generation college goers or from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the conversations around college affordability can be overwhelming.

"The issue for that subset of the population is really around helping them understand what college costs, but then more importantly, how do I afford it?" said Taylor. "What are the ways in which that I could afford whatever that cost might be? "

The poll found that more than half of never-enrolled and previously enrolled adults say cost is a "very important" reason why they have not enrolled or re-enrolled in college.

Unenrolled adults across race, age and first-generation potential students consistently rate tuition cost as the most important factor in their decision to not pursue a college degree.

Taylor said more efforts should also go toward helping students persist and complete their degree, once they've signed up for those loans.

She said higher-education institutions could work better with college access organizations to communicate their programs and offerings in ways that are enticing to get students to want to enroll.

"We want them to show better their return on investment," said Taylor. "We want them to be a little bit more transparent about the cost and what the costs entail."

Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that in the 2022-2023 academic year, the number of undergraduate degree earners nationwide fell for the second year in a row.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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