The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) is the governing body for public community colleges, technology centers and universities in the state of Tennessee except for the University of Tennessee. It prepared the Focus on Access report to offer suggestions to the P-16 Council initiative for ways to increase the pipeline of students entering into college with the predisposition, preparation, participation and persistence necessary to graduate.
Tennessee’s ability to compete in the knowledge economy depends upon its ability to provide workers in the work force with a basic level of skills and knowledge. This is often measured by the number of students who graduate from high school and those who have attained a college degree (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010). In Tennessee, 25% of its young adult residents between the ages of 18 and 24 do not have a high school diploma (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010). Further, only 21.4% of the adult population in Tennessee has a bachelor’s degree (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010). To close the gap in the level of educational attainment, the Tennessee Board of Regents’ strategic plan has goals to increase the attainment level of higher education which includes adding over 154, 800 residents to college (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010). However, even with the advent of the Tennessee lottery, only about 5,000 additional students have enrolled in college each fall (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010).
TBR conducted a study to determine why the number of residents attending college was low and uncovered a key factor. The pipeline of college eligible students from 9th grade and the retention of students in college is too low. The study examines the reduced pipeline of college eligible students and offers suggestions for increasing the pipeline.
According to TBR, in Tennessee, of 100 9th graders, only 59 complete high school. Of the 59 who complete high school only 36 continue to college. In a survey of over 3,000 students, the main reason given for not attending college was economic (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010). Students primarily stated that they needed to work to earn money and secondarily stated they were concerned about the cost of college. For low income at risk residents, the research showed that in addition to the above stated reasons for not attending college, they also mentioned that they did not want to acquire student debt.
In adequate student preparation was another factor uncovered in the study. Of the 59 students in the pipeline to attend college, over half were not prepared for college level math and language arts courses. 60% of the college freshmen were required to take remedial or developmental courses during their first year (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010). This lack of preparation affects persistence and retention in college. The quality and rigor of high school studies has been a determining factor in college success. Only 16% of Tennessee’s high school graduates are ready for college level work based on their ACT scores (Tennessee Board of Regents, 2010).
Further, economic challenges also affect students while in college. The first challenge is the ability to handle costs necessary to pursue the degree and the second challenge is the perception of lost income due to attending college instead of working full time. Students who value immediately working over the potential for future earnings and careers tend to leave college before graduation.
The report offers recommendations to increase the number of students who graduate from high school, improve academic preparation, and provide fiscal resources for those who do attend college. Regarding economic challenges, the report suggests community based support measures. First, a community level need-based grant should be offered to match state funding. Local funds should be provided to cover additional costs students have that are not addressed by state grants, such as books, supplies, transportation, etc., Second a community based program that provides students’ money if they meet HOPE scholarship standards should be created. This community based program would offer an average stipend of $5,000 to students so that they can at least afford community college tuition and books if they meet academic standards and graduate on time.
References
Tennessee Board of Regents (2010). Strategic Plan for 2010-2015: Charting the Course. Retrieved from http://www.tbr.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=6819.
Tennessee Board of Regents (2010). Tennessee Board of Regents Postsecondary education policy series, focus on access. Retrieved from http://www.tbr.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=864.
