Around this time, there’s lots of focus on returning to school. Folks are shopping for supplies and clothes, getting haircuts, and preparing for the first day of grade, high school or college. For those of us in higher education, this is the time of year when we review achievement outcomes of our past students. A great deal of attention has been paid to college completion rates, and of course we all want our students to graduate and earn degrees. Yet we cannot overlook the importance of open access to excellent education for all and student fulfillment of their goals.
Now the release of a 15-year study reveals that any higher education better positions students to succeed. So at this “back to school” time, I encourage all out there who are considering furthering their education post high school degree to do so. As the public has turned to embracing “graduation rates” for an important success metric, I have worried about the potential negative effect on open access.
Of course, we all are committed to supporting our students to their education goal and work hard to make the finish line doable while ensuring academic rigor and curriculum excellence. However, life sometimes presents challenges and detours that are beyond our and NSCC students’ capacity to control. As a result, some students need to stop out to handle those demands.
A recent well-designed research project from The University of Texas at Austin* found those who did not complete a degree but had accomplished some college, even as little as 1-12 credits, were more likely to be employed 15 years down the road, earning higher wages than their counterparts who never attempted college. The researchers discovered that those higher wages and lower unemployment rates were especially impactful for non-completers who were lower-income students, women, and students of color. In other words, some college turned out to be better overall than no college.
At North Shore Community College, we utilize the national Voluntary Framework of Accountability, or VFA, to measure student success. The VFA metrics are more inclusive than the national IPEDS data you often hear about in the press. The VFA counts all new first time and transferred-in students, full and part-time, matriculated and non-matriculated. As a result, over a six-year time period we get to see how students progress to completion. Fortunately, VFA data trends at NSCC are very positive with increasing percentages of students achieving their educational goals. We’re delighted that student outcomes are improving because it means our students are leaving in a better position to realize their career goals.
Before the release of the above noted report, other research asserted that those with an unfinished credential were apt to be no better off than those who only completed a high school diploma. Or, that the non-completing college student winds up in a worse situation than the high school graduate who never attempted college if left with student loans to repay. Over the last decade, concerns about unfinished college degrees have moved many states to create ambitious completion goals and to set up performance funding formulas to reward colleges that can push more students to the finish line. An unintended consequence for some has been colleges becoming more selective in admissions and deny acceptance for those who look like they might turn out to be a non-completer. Access to college for many, especially those less prepared, takes a hit. At NSCC, we have not limited access; we remain committed to enroll anyone who feels they can benefit from higher education.
Of course, college stop outs do not gain the larger benefits that college graduates do. Nevertheless, for a considerable amount of those who don’t get to graduation, an unfinished degree remains a “stepping stone into a better labor market position” according to this research.
So ignore the naysayers who bash the economic impact of going to college. Even if you don’t get to the finish line, your future employability and income will most likely be enhanced by enrolling in college. When you do eventually get to your college commencement and achieve that degree, your return on investment will even be higher.
Come back to school and enroll in college! Our doors at NSCC are wide open for you.
*Matt S. Giani, Paul Attewell & David Walling (2019): The Value of an Incomplete Degree: Heterogeneity in the Labor Market Benefits of College Non-Completion, The Journal of Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/00221546.2019.1653122
Dr. Patricia A. Gentile is the President of North Shore Community College and is the current chair of the Massachusetts Association of Community College’s President’s Council.
