Changing Higher Ed The State of Higher Education Part 2
Currently enrolled students, as well as people who stopped out or never attended a higher ed institution, are sharing what will keep them enrolled, re-enroll, or enroll for the first time, in addition to what could make them leave, not come back, or never attempt to enroll at all.
In the second half of his two-part podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton continues his conversation with Dr. Courtney Brown of the Lumina Foundation about the Foundation’s State of Higher Ed 2023 study that was conducted over three years in partnership with Gallup. Dr. Brown shares her findings on the top three barriers to continuing or starting education for all three segments, how important student loan forgiveness is to them and how much of their loans would have to be forgiven for them to return to school, what students of color value, and how important access to reproductive rights and divisive topics are in higher ed.
Podcast Highlights
- Reasons for stopping out. For the third study in the Fall of 2022, the top two reasons students are considering stopping out are emotional stress at 69% and personal health reasons at 59%. The cost of the degree is third at 36%.
- About half of those who have never enrolled in higher ed say they’ve considered enrolling in the last two years, and 47% of all enrolled students say they’re considering coming back. About 60% of people who stopped out are considering coming back, versus those who have never enrolled at just under 40%.
- Cost of degrees. The number one reason why those who have never enrolled still haven’t tried is due to the cost of a degree at 55%. The second highest reason was due to inflation and work conflicts. Emotional stress came in third.
- Student loan forgiveness. Of students asked how likely they would reenroll if some of their student loans were forgiven, 80% said “very likely” or “somewhat likely.” Of bachelor’s degree students who were asked the same question, 75% said “very likely” or “somewhat likely.” Overall, the minimum percentage of their student loan that would have to be forgiven for them to re-enroll is 70%. For those specifically enrolled in certification programs, students needed about 66% forgiven. For those enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, students needed about 74% forgiven. Although high numbers, these students shouldn’t be considered low-hanging fruit. The system didn’t work for them, so a lot will have to be done to get them back.
- For students of color, the feeling of belonging is highly important. When they don’t feel like they belong, they are more likely to stop out. When there's a great deal of diversity, people feel like they belong more.
- Diversity of faculty and administration. Colleges or universities shouldn’t just try to increase the diversity of the student body but of their faculty and administration. When students of color see people who look like them and who have had the same experiences as them in leadership roles, they will feel like they belong. If the only people who look like them are working in the cafeteria, that won’t.
- Reproductive rights and health laws are important to students. Overall, 72% of currently enrolled students and 60% of people who have never enrolled said reproductive rights and health laws related to them are important. When asked if they would be more likely to enroll or stay enrolled in a college that had greater access to reproductive rights, 81% of currently enrolled students and 85% of unenrolled students said they would be. If a college was located in a state that allowed greater access to reproductive rights, 81% of all enrolled and 85% of unenrolled said they would be more likely to enroll or stay enrolled.
- Political leaning and reproductive rights. Meanwhile, 86% of currently enrolled Democrats said they'd be more likely to enroll or stay enrolled if the college gave them greater access to reproductive rights, and 65% of currently enrolled Republican students said they'd be more likely to for the same reason. Additionally, 89% of Democrats who are not enrolled said they'd be more likely to enroll if the college was located in a state that allowed greater access to reproductive rights, and 74% of Republican people who are not enrolled in college said they'd be more likely to enroll for the same reason.
- Diversity of thought. Overall, 77% of people said they'd be more likely to enroll in a college and in a state that allowed the instruction of all viewpoints on divisive topics such as race, gender, or racism. Similarly, 82% of Democrats and 66% of Republicans said they wanted those same divisive topics presented.
About Our Podcast Guest – Courtney Brown
Courtney Brown, Ph.D., is vice president of impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. As the chief data and research officer, Brown oversees the foundation’s efforts in the areas of strategic planning, learning, impact, and effectiveness. She also leads Lumina’s international engagement.
She joined the foundation in 2011 with a strong background in performance measurement, research, and evaluation. Before 2011, Brown was a senior research associate at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University. There, she led studies and evaluations focused on education and post-high school programs within the United States and across Europe.
Brown is a frequent speaker and panelist in the United States and other countries regarding postsecondary strategy, student success, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based practices. She has developed and shared manuals, working papers, articles, and books related to undergraduate research, performance measurement, randomized-control trials, and other evaluation methods, as well as conducted webinars and workshops on topics such as evaluation, performance measurement, and success in education beyond high school.
About the Host
Dr. Drumm McNaughton, the host of Changing Higher Ed®, is a consultant to higher ed institutions in governance, accreditation, strategy and change, and mergers. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/.
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