We all deserve a fair shot at achieving our dreams. In the past, a high school diploma and strong work ethic ensured people could join the middle class. Today, high school graduates are being left behind. The majority of good jobs created since the last recession require a bachelor’s degree.
Companies need people with knowledge and skills acquired after high school, especially firms competing in high-growth fields such as advanced manufacturing, health care, and information technology. There’s demand for people with certificates and certifications that position them later to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees.
The real price of attending college has more than doubled during the past 30 years. Students have borrowed more and more to keep up.
Today, many flexible, affordable paths allow people who skipped college after high school to get started. Whether through apprenticeships, industry training, military experience, or certificate programs, there are more routes to meaningful education and into the middle class.
Job openings for licensed practical nurses – a position which does not require a bachelor’s degree and pays a median salary of $45,000 – are projected to grow by 14 percent by 2026. LPNs can continue their education and become registered nurses.
Nearly half of all computer network support specialists do not have a bachelor’s degree, yet the field’s median salary is $52,000. Many have earned industry-recognized certificates in their field.
Since 1991, the number of jobs in the natural resources industry that pay more than $65,000 and only require an associate degree has doubled.
We must address the challenges faced by today’s students – including stretched finances, hours worked, and family obligations – to help them succeed.
Nearly three out of four bachelor’s degree holders have loan debt.
Of today’s college students, only one in six lives on campus.
More than a third of today’s college students are 25 and older.
Almost two-thirds of today’s college students work at least part time, and two in five work full time.
More than one in four of today’s college students are raising children.
Six percent of today's college students serve or have served in the military.
Nearly two in five students attending college today struggle with food or housing insecurity.
Nearly a third of today’s college students come from families at or below the federal poverty line.
Roughly one in 10 students is the first in his or her family to attend college.
Two of every five students attending college today are students of color.
The United States imprisons more than 2.3 million people, many of whom could take advantage of education and training programs. People who receive education in prison are 43 percent less likely to commit new offenses after they are released, which helps build the country’s talent pool and can allow public funds to be spent more productively.
But increasing access to higher education for incarcerated people isn’t just about lowering the rates at which they commit new crimes. It’s about preparing them for good jobs with higher wages and reducing poverty—improving economic opportunity and social mobility.
Education and training after high school can give people a fair shot at the middle class—but the United States has a long way to go, especially among Black, Hispanic, and Native American residents. Overall, less than half of American adults have a college degree or certificate.
The issue affects us all. American innovation is in our DNA, but to stay competitive in the global economy, we must meet our country’s demand for smart, skilled workers. Our challenge: ensure that 75 percent of adults have a credential of value.
