Arizona State University President Michael Crow and Maricopa County Community College District Chancellor Maria Harper-Marinick on Tuesday stressed the importance of a college degree in obtaining a well-paying job – the types of jobs that it takes to stimulate the economy.

But the state lags behind educational achievement.

“Arizona needs a prepared workforce,” Harper-Marinick said. “Only 42 percent of 25 to 64 year olds have college credit.”

The two leaders spoke at Gateway Community College in Phoenix as a part of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Valley Voices series. They discussed the intersection of higher education and the economy.

However, many people have sought alternatives to college degrees given how student loan debt has ballooned. In fact, only about 38 percent of graduates who received their degrees between 2006 and 2015 strongly agreed that their education was worth the cost, according to results of 30,000 alumni polled by Gallup-Purdue Index in 2015.

Crow said Arizona is underprepared when it comes to the future.

“Rigid old models and programs keep us from succeeding,” he said. “We are working vigorously at ASU to produce more learners.”

Harper-Marinick said she believes that something deeper might be at fault.

“It’s not a lack of talent or brainpower, but institutionalized racism and biases in high schools,” she said in reference to the number of Latino Americans dropping out of high school and lack of Hispanics pursuing college.

At 12 percent, the national Hispanic dropout rate remained higher than that of blacks (7 percent), whites (5 percent) and Asians (1 percent) in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center. However, the Pew report also pointed out that the dropout rate for Hispanics has dropped dramatically, and the Hispanic population also has made “big inroads” in college enrollment.

The Maricopa County Community College Chancellor said that neither schools nor businesses can move the Arizona economy forward without working together.
“Support public education. That is what makes America great. A robust education means a robust economy,” Harper-Marinick said.

Therefore, this begs the question: is there a way to encourage more people to earn degrees? There are several ways that this can be achieved, which will be discussed below in great detail.

Making a Change in Schools 

Part of the problem lies in the fact that many schools haven’t changed their ways to reflect the current world. To make it a school that appeals to everyone, being inclusive of all, change needs to happen. Accessing the overall culture and speaking to existing students is the first thing every institute should do. There is no room for racism in any place of education, and so making sure that this is the case is vitally important. Making every student feel like they are part of a fully-inclusive school will make them proud of studying there and keen to reach the end of their education.

Encourage more online learning

One of the reasons so many people are hesitant to become a student again after leaving high school or later on in life is the rigid nature of colleges and universities. Having to live on campus or find close accommodation to the university is one thing. Also, often the courses themselves take up a huge proportion of time, making it almost impossible for those already working and/or have a family to even contemplate doing.

This is why the encouragement of online learning should be embraced. Rather than uprooting to a new location and forking out loads of money on accommodation, students can learn wherever they have an internet connection. This could be at home, in a local café, place of work, or while commuting. Online learning is already becoming a more popular choice for many, and more online-only universities are starting to pop up. This could be the key to future further education and ensuring that more people get their degrees.

Students can currently take bachelor’s, foundations, master’s, and doctoral degrees all online at extremely reputable schools. The concern for many is that they won’t be taken as seriously as those students who have earned degrees by attending a school physically. However, this is far from the truth. Rather, earning a degree from an online institute can display some of the skills that will be vital to have as you progress in your career, such as time management, reliability, self-motivation and drive to succeed, leadership, communication, and team-working skills.

The flexible nature of online learning often means that students can learn at a pace better suited to them. When they are struggling with a certain module, they can dedicate more time to this, for instance. Going at their own speed, students have more control and, therefore, often learn better. As a result, the retention rates are much better. With the ability to engage more with multimedia and the ability to not let school clash with other areas, students are more likely to make it to the end.

Encourage further learning

Once a person has earned their degree, many will seek out a job and continue working for the rest of their life. However, learning shouldn’t stop at this point. Once someone has their degree, they should be encouraged as much as possible to return to university or college at some point during their career journey.

Why more people don’t do this is for several reasons. First, with a full-time job and potentially a family to take care of, many people find that they have limited free time to further their education. Some may also think, what is the point of earning another degree when the current one has already landed them a well-paying job?

Others may feel that in order to earn another degree, they would have to quit their current job, and this is easy to understand. While some bosses may see the long-term benefits of their employees taking this course in their free time, not all will, and many would not be so encouraging of it. As the situation is unique for each person, many will not take the risk of asking or even thinking about it in the first place.

The risk of not earning while learning is a huge deterrent for many, even though it will improve their skills and knowledge. Despite it making them a more desirable job candidate and a way for them to earn more money, many never pursue the idea, but for Arizona’s economy to improve, this mindset has to change. There are several ways to inspire people to go back to education.

First of all, the focus should be on business owners becoming more understanding and aware of the benefits of their employees furthering their education. With highly skilled and expert employees at the helm, the business could grow and improve, making them a top industry leader. Grants could be the answer, too, but educating business owners on the benefits, in general, could be a first positive step.

Part of the reason so many are hesitant to go back to further education is the time required. This can all be forgotten about, thanks to online learning. Keeping a job while studying is a big appeal, and learning when is good for them will mean that more people feel confident in applying for a course.

The great news is that more and more online courses are being created, so no matter what industry you come from, you are likely to find a course that is relevant. For those seeking a doctorate of education, you can find courses that don’t require GRE and can be completed in less than three years. In the future, more institutes should be considering offering online masters and doctorates if they are hoping to attract more students.

Offering more financial support to students

To make money, sometimes you have to spend money, and as part of the problem for why students don’t get to the end of their degrees or bother applying in the first place is due to finances. Unless financial help is given in the form of paying part or all of the tuition fee, accommodation or buying the books and equipment they need, the problem will not be solved. In fact, without providing enough support to more potential students out there, increasing the number of those taking and earning a degree will be substantially harder and almost impossible.

However, business owners could offer to pay their employees to head back to school, or grants could be provided to more people by adjusting the number of eligible people. In addition, more word should be spread about the help that is available to people financially. Financial experts and universities should be writing resource guides on how students can seek the financial help they need, as often, students don’t know that they would be entitled to certain help.

Shout about the benefits

While many people know that getting a degree can help them get onto the career ladder, they can earn many more benefits. For instance, your children can benefit from your success and are likely to perform better in their own education. In addition, you will be influential in your local community and beyond and improve your health. You are more likely to improve your creativity skills too. The benefits extend beyond this, but not everyone knows them. This is why every school should be shouting these from the roof. Schools should be making video content, blogs, and spreading the word on social media to ensure as many people know the benefits they could be earning. It could give them the drive to finally apply for a course or see it through to the end.

In addition to telling potential and existing students the benefits, telling personal stories about the difference a degree has made to individuals allows schools to showcase what can come of hard work and perseverance. Talking about their experience and why it is worth pursuing can give students that final nudge that says, “you can do it too.”

Providing mental health support

At times, students will feel overwhelmed by the workload and the need to constantly be working hard to achieve their degree. However, part of the reason so many students drop out is a lack of support. For both online and physical universities, providing this hands-on support for each student will be vital to ensure that each one that applies makes it through to the end.

Schools should have plenty of support available should a student need to speak to someone they can. The last thing any student wants is to feel like they are not important enough compared to another. Making sure that the students are aware of the kind of support available and reminding them of it regularly will be key in students achieving their degrees. In terms of support, schools should be:

• Financial support and budgeting advice

• Counselors

• Academic support

• Mentoring schemes

• Buddy schemes

• Specialist support

It may be that a student never needs any of these services while studying. However, having that support in place just in case can ensure that if a student feels like they can’t cope or they are facing problems like harassment or bullying, they don’t have to feel like the only option they have is to drop out.

Even the educators themselves should be aware of the support that students need while studying with them. They should make social-emotional learning part of their lessons and encourage students to talk to one another, for instance, or end every lesson with a 2-minute meditation session to ensure every student leaves the room feeling calm. Many should be willing also to offer 1-2-1 chats. Educating lecturers on best practices to support their students is going to be vital.

Students should be looking into the type of support the university offers when applying just as much as the courses themselves. However, it should be made a top priority for all universities to offer thorough support.

To conclude

If students are going to achieve their degrees, change has to happen in the education system and individual schools. In addition, people need to be aware of the benefits of alternative educational options. These options need to keep growing to appeal to as many people as possible in order for change to take place