By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service
Right now, 56% of Californians ages 25 to 64 have earned a college degree, credential or certificate, but that’s well short of the goal set by Gov. Gavin Newsom: 70% college attainment by 2030.
A new report from Campaign for College Opportunity lays out a plan to support more students as they pursue their dreams. Jessie Ryan, president of the campaign, said California needs well-educated workers to sustain the economy, which is now the fourth largest in the world.
“And we also will not meet that 70% attainment goal if we don’t do a better job on delivering better results for our Latinx students, our Black students, our low-income students, and our first-generation students,” Ryan said.
The state created the California Education Interagency Council to make sure that leaders from the public school system, community colleges and four-year colleges create seamless pathways to degrees and certificates that match workforce needs. The Cal State schools are now proactively offering admission to students who qualify, without them having to apply. Programs called “associate degree for transfer” have funneled 630,000 students into four-year institutions.
Around 6.4 million Californians currently have some college credits but no degree.
Ryan said the state will need 1.3 million additional educated adults to meet its goal.
“It’s not just about ensuring that tuition is affordable,” Ryan said. “it’s about making sure that we are removing the barriers of the total cost of attendance.”
The report also praises dual enrollment programs that allow students in ninth through 12th grade to get college credit while still in high school.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.