Tennessee.
Citizens want prospective students fromTennessee earning a degree. to investStudent more ities Family responsibilities loans in college education and % % 61 financial 55aid By KIMBERLY K. ESTEP
86% 27
%
86% said having some form of education after high school is important.
27% said they need more education for the job/career they want.
Tennesseans increasingly believe in the importance of college education for success in today’s economy. That is clear from the results of an annual statewide survey commissioned by WGU Tennessee to gauge residents’ feelings and views about the state of higher education in Tennessee. While all of this year’s results are worth examining, three stand out. First, 89% agree that it is essential to have an educated workforce. This is not surprising; almost everyone recognizes that education is one of the primary keys to success and that an educated workforce is necessary for economic growth and stability. What’s also clear from the survey, though, is that Tennesseans want to see active investment toward this goal from several directions. Second, an increasing majority of respondents (53%) think Tennessee state government should increase its funding for college education, the results show. That’s up slightly from last year, when 48% of respondents said the state should spend more money. (Most of those who disagreed think it should remain at the same level.) In 2019, 46% agreed funding should be increased. This demonstrates a clear trend: When it comes to increasing state investment in higher education, support is rising and now has a majority for the first time since we began administering the survey in 2019. Third, only 39% of those who participated in the survey think Tennessee colleges and universities provide adequate financial aid to students. We couldn’t agree more. In a column for The Tennessean in 2019, I wrote: “Institutions of higher learning have a moral and civic responsibility in the long term to address [the student debt] crisis, finding ways to lower the cost of getting a degree.” Further, I believe that higher-education institutions have a responsibility not only to provide adequate financial aid, but also to help students make wise financial choices related to their education.
2021 HIGHER EDUCATION
This is one reason WGU implemented the Responsible Borrowing Initiative (RBI) in
A recent poll of 500 registered Tennessee voters revealed important through which all students who apply for financial aid receive a personalized perspectives on the 2013, current state of higher education in Tennessee.
Financial Aid Plan. We recommend that students only borrow money for unmet direct costs, only tuition and fees.
Most common obstacles keeping prospective students from earning a degree. Cost of a degree
Job or work responsibilities
Family responsibilities
Student loans
62%
60%
61%
55%
What priorityThe levelGeneral shouldAssembly, using WGU’s Borrowing Initiative Act in June 2020, Governor Bill Lee’s administration thereafter. give to these issues? OTHER
26
LOW
MIDDLE
TOP
www.HRProfessionalsMagazine.com
Affordability of college and technical training
RBI as a model, passed the Responsible and Gov. Bill Lee signed it into law shortly
86%
86% said having some form of education after high school is important.
