10 June 2016

Is Mesa's "Higher Education Initiative" A SnapShot of Today's College Student?

America’s postsecondary student population is more diverse than ever.
A chart produced by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation captures the complexity of the higher education landscape and why there can be no one-size-fits-all approach.
"There is this indelible image of college being a place where fresh-faced 18-year-olds spend their days in lecture halls and nights bunking in dorms on tree-lined campuses. In reality, higher education experiences are a lot more diverse than that. So much has changed in a generation: who attends college, how they learn, and what their lives are like outside of the classroom. . ."


Take a look.

Here are a few highlights from the chart, which was created using data from the Department of Education:
The report found 62% of students are working full- or part-time while pursuing their degrees, and nearly as many (59%) are commuting to class from off-campus residences. 
Two-thirds of all college students are full-time, non-Pell Grant eligible students who attend four-year institutions. 
The number of students who exclusively take courses online (13%) may also be surprising to some . . . distance learning may become more of a desired option for students balancing tuition and housing costs and time constraints for classes, internships and studying. 
Age: While more than half of students enter college straight out of high school, nearly half are pursuing a degree in their late 20s, 30s and 40s
Dependents: For at least the past 20 years, a little more than a quarter of college students have been parents. Yet too few schools have day-care facilities to make it easier for parents
Housing: There are far more college students living off campus than dwelling in dorms.
Learning environment: Colleges have grown more adept at integrating technology into the learning experience. There are hybrid courses that split the time online and in the classroom.
Work: About 62 percent of college students are holding down either part-time or full-time jobs. The prevalence of students working full time has necessitated more flexible class hours and distance learning. At the same time, the quality of part-time work for students has come into question. Student advocates have called for turning federal work-study jobs into subsidized internships. That way, students who have to work to pay for college can earn valuable experience in their field of study.

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel covers the economics of education, writing about the financial lives of students from when they take out student debt through their experiences in the job market. Before that, she wrote about the banking industry.
Follow @DaniDougPost 
 
 
Sources
Gender: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 303.60.
Age: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 303.50.
Type of School: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 303.70.
Race: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 306.10.
Enrollment: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 303.70.
Employment: U.S. Department of Education, Demographic and Enrollment Characteristics of Undergraduate Students. Table 8.
Financial Aid: National Center for Education Statistics. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
Housing: American College Health Association. National College Health Assessment.
Children: U.S. Department of Education, Demographic and Enrollment Characteristics of Undergraduate Students. Table 1.
Learning Environment: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Table 311.15.
 
Other resources of interest from the Gates Foundation
Flexible Paths to College Completion
We work with partners to find solutions to help today’s students easily transition among colleges and between college and the workforce. We support the creation of a system of flexible paths to credential completion so that all students can graduate in a timely manner with easier credit transfer and marketable, career-ready skills.
Today, nearly half of all students who acquire a postsecondary credential take courses at two or more institutions. Each time they transfer to a new institution, they encounter friction points that deter or delay completion, such as requirements for repeating courses they have already taken and passed at another institution or taking courses that don’t lead to the completion of a certificate or a degree. Furthermore, once they do earn a credential and enter the labor market, many find that employers don’t recognize the credentials they have or require them to obtain additional credentials or training.
Our work in this general area is exploratory as we seek, with our partners, to identify potential high-impact solutions and the roles the foundation might play to support their development or training.
Visit our What We’re Learning page to read the latest news, trends, and reports on Flexible Paths to College Completion.

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