Apr 26, 2012  |  Permalink »

The Credential Differential: The Public Return to Increasing Postsecondary Credential Attainment

Right now, the nation is falling behind other leading countries in the number of adults with a postsecondary credential and the skills needed by employers. If the United States does not significantly increase the number of credentialed adults, the country stands to leave hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue on the table.  

Today, CLASP and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) have released a new interactive tool for the nation and all 50 states to calculate the federal, state and personal revenues at stake. View the CLASP-NCHEMS Return on Investment Dashboard now >> 

The Return on Investment Dashboard tool allows stakeholders to calculate the short- and long-term effects of either maintaining the status quo or increasing postsecondary participation and credential attainment.  To remain globally competitive, the United States will need to produce 24 million additional degrees by 2025 to achieve a 60 percent degree attainment rate among adults 25 to 64. At current attainment rates, the U.S. is on track to produce just 278,500 additional degrees by 2025 - a significant shortfall.  

Using the tool, we estimate that under the status quo, additional national revenues from the 278,500 additional credentials will be about $6 billion. On the other hand, additional national revenue from meeting the 24 million credential mark would top $600 billion. 

View the CLASP-NCHEMS Return on Investment Dashboard now >>

How States Fare: 

In addition to the 50 state dashboards, CLASP has also produced a set of resources based on the tool to help local and state advocates and policymakers know where their state stands comparatively and what levels of improvements their state must make to meet credential goals and increase public revenues.  

Read the state-by-state fact sheets >>

State Ranking Fact Sheet >>

Apr 09, 2012  |  Permalink »

Federal Agencies Show Strong Commitment to Career Pathways

By Marcie Foster

Last week, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services released a joint letter of support demonstrating their shared commitment to career pathways as a key strategy to improve the number of adults and youth obtaining postsecondary and industry-recognized credentials. CLASP has long supported career pathways as an evidence-backed strategy to expand economic opportunity and access to marketable credentials for low-income workers at all skill levels, and is pleased to see the federal government reinforce the effectiveness of this approach. 

While this letter is the first of its kind, individual agencies have signaled their support for pathways and provided technical assistance on best practices through guidance and program memoranda to their grantees. These include:

• Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System (TEGL 15-10)
• Use of Funds Provided Under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) for Integrated Education and Training (IET)
• Improving Literacy and Numeracy Gains for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program Participants

Several states have already adopted a career pathways approach, including California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. The Joyce Foundation's Shifting Gears Initiative helped expand these efforts. This multiyear state policy initiative promoted regional economic growth by improving the education and skills training of the workforce in six Midwestern states- Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. CLASP managed this effort and was the main technical assistance provider to the participating states.

Hopefully, with the introduction of this letter, many more states will be encouraged to forge new cross-agency partnerships and take the first step toward setting in place a career pathways framework for education and training statewide.

For more information on how to find funding for a career pathways effort, view Funding Career Pathways and Career Pathway Bridges: A Federal Policy Toolkit for States>>

For additional resources from the Departments of Labor and Education on career pathways, visit www.learnwork.workforce3one.org >>

Mar 29, 2012  |  Permalink »

Students without a High School Diploma or GED to Lose Access to Student Aid

by Marcie Foster

After July 1, 2012, newly enrolled college students without a high school diploma or secondary school equivalent will no longer be eligible for federal student aid, due to the elimination of the “Ability to Benefit” (AtB) options by Congress in December 2011. The loss of AtB options threatens the economic mobility of low-skilled adults and youth seeking postsecondary credentials to improve their job prospects. Furthermore, it is disproportionately harmful to low-income, first generation, and minority students.

Two new CLASP resources released this week lay out the facts of the issue and explain why reinstatement of the provision is essential for maintaining access to education and training for low-income, low-skilled students. 

The Ability to Benefit provisions allow students without a high school diploma or secondary school equivalent to demonstrate their readiness for postsecondary education by either passing a skills test or successfully completing six college credits. Students who qualify under either of these options are eligible to receive student financial aid (depending on their further income eligibility) for the remainder of their college certificate or degree program.

• Eliminating “Ability to Benefit” Student Aid Options Closes Door to College Credentials for Thousands and Undermines Innovation explains why the loss of AtB is devastating for lower-skilled adult students wishing to return to school and get better-paying jobs. It lays out the consequences for students given declining state and federal education and training resources, and provides details about how the loss of the provision disproportionately impacts students who are low-income, first generation, and minorities. 

• FAQs on How the Loss of Ability to Benefit Options in Federal Student Aid Affects Those without a High School Diploma, will help state administrators, program staff, and practitioners in adult education and higher education understand the known details of this provision. It provides recommendations for further implementation of the grandfathering of students, and discusses why the AtB policy is essential for maintaining access to education and training for low-income, low-skilled students. Most importantly, it clarifies that the elimination of AtB applies only to students without U.S. high school diplomas or equivalents who are newly enrolled in a college program eligible for federal financial aid after July 1, 2012. 

Reinstating the “Ability to Benefit” options will require legislative action from Congress to fully restore them for federal student aid. To prevent a lapse in eligibility for the thousands of students who could benefit from this provision, action must be taken before the provision expires on July 1, 2012.