The "State" of Texas Higher Education, Part II

Transition from High School to College

We must recognize that there is a need for students to be adequately prepared for college so that when they arrive they are ready to take on the challenges they face.

The Department of Education estimates that approximately one million high school students drop out annually; fifty percent of Hispanic and African-American students do not graduate on time; and less than half of students who graduate are unprepared for college science and math. Thus, it is no surprise that we spend annually about one billion dollars on remedial education.

About one in four of us over 25 years old have a Bachelor’s degree in Texas, and there is a substantial economic disparity that results if you end your education after high school. That has an impact on our ability to compete in the national and global markets. As we head toward a situation where we have approximately 78 million baby boomers who will be seeking retirement in the United States. With a good chunk of those coming from Texas’ share of the population, we have no choice but to focus on developing our educational capital so that we will have the most highly qualified workforce available. Part of this means recognizing that an affordable higher education must be a priority.

Texas has established a grant program for needy students to enroll in college preparatory classes while in high school. Unfortunately, insufficient funds have been given to the program, and private donations have been used to provide additional support—even that will not provide for all of the students who are qualified. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in response to findings that our state falls seriously behind the country, put forward the “Closing the Gaps” initiative in 2000 with an end accomplishment date of 2015. The ambitious plan sets out goals and an annual performance assessments to close the gaps between the haves and have-nots in Texas higher education. What remains to be seen, however, is whether there will be sufficient funding to colleges and universities to accomplish these initiatives. This is especially important when you consider that the completion rates for college students is directly related to making a successful transition from high school.

Increases in Nationally Ranked Institutions and Higher Completion Rates at Earlier Ages for College Students

We must shoot for higher benchmarks of excellence for all our students. Given our size, we should have more schools that rank among the top tiers of higher education institutions in the in the country. We have 145 public and private universities in Texas, yet only one private (Rice University-Houston) is ranked among the top 50 schools nationwide. While we are second in terms of size for state systems, we are fourth in terms of nationally recognized research institutions, and moreover, the performance by our public institutions as a whole remains extremely poor. Only six of our institutions made the “Top 100 Best Schools” for U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 rankings: Rice (17); University of Texas at Austin (52); Texas A&M University–College Station (60); Southern Methodist University (71); Baylor University (78); and Texas Christian University (97).

The U.S. leads the world in percentages of people aged 35-64 with college degrees; however, we are seventh in the world for people aged 25-34 with college diplomas. Part of the reason why students have to delay their education is due, in part, to the escalating costs of higher education. Estimates show that about 400,000 students do not attend college because they cannot afford it. Increasingly, students have turned to student loans to afford a college degree. A 2006 study from the Project on Student Debt reported that the average college debt has grown by 58 percent since 1993 and is approximately $19,200 (2004 dollars) for the average college graduate. Over 80,000 college graduates have accumulated student-loan debts in excess of $40,000, up ten times what it was in 1993.

Given the cost of private schools, “Closing the Gaps” will require that we focus on our public institutions because of affordability for low-income and first generation students. It is in this area where Texas performs the worst. When it comes to Texas and affordability, the “Measuring Up” report gave Texas an “F” in 2006.

The situation in Texas means that helping students finance their education has an even greater imperative because of our national rankings. With an average income for the poorest 20% of our population being approximately $11,303, affording education for this population is critical given that the number one factor which breaks the cycle of poverty is education. And the number one factor for being able to afford an education is having access to quality public colleges and universities.

Undoubtedly, the tuition situation is difficult for Texas students. In the last four years (2002-2006), tuition and fees at the public universities increased by 61.4%, and community colleges endured roughly the same increases (around 51.3%). Yet the budget for higher education in the last five years (2002-2007) cut funding for universities by 19.9% and for community colleges by 35.3%. You hear all the time that the absolute funding levels have increased, but that is absolutely inaccurate. Yes, funding has increased, but when you adjust figures to real dollars and per student funding calculations, the net effect is that during the time when our population has been growing the fastest and seeking higher education in record levels (approximately 23.6% increases in enrollments), the resources have been slashed.

Part of keeping higher education strong and the pipeline open must address the root problems of giving students every advantage at the earliest ages possible. At least 27 other states have started to recognize the priority that education must have if states are to remain economic leaders at both the national and global levels. We need to systematically address high school dropout rates along with retention rates once students enter the college classroom. Even that alone is insufficient for insuring that students reach their goals of both affording college and being able to complete college. Texas is poised to be a leader, but without the vision and leadership to develop our education capital, we will continue to receive failing grades.

(Part 1 may be found here.)