Task force calls for a national strategy to enhance the value of higher education degrees

As SSTI reported earlier this fall in its series of articles on higher education, college tuition and student loan debt are rising. In a recent report from the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL)—the first such comprehensive report from that body since they convened the Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education in 2006—a task force comprised of 29 legislators and four legislative staff from 32 states concluded that increased federal efforts to address these tuition and loan issues "quietly expanded the federal footprint in higher education," and so now calls for a rebalancing of the state-federal relationship regarding higher education. They propose a national strategy for the federal government, states, and higher education institutions to improve the public perception of higher education.

The task force laid out bipartisan recommendations in its report. These recommendations are framed as actions that higher education institutions, states, and the federal government should consider. They emphasize in the report that, ultimately, higher education institutions are most responsible for ensuring the value of higher education.

Some of the recommended actions are intended to ensure that the degree offerings available to students and the enrollment decisions that students make lead to desirable career and life outcomes.

Their recommendations for higher education institutions include relying heavily on student outcomes data to evaluate program and course offerings. They also emphasize aligning program offerings to labor demand by forming partnerships with the public and private sectors. They say states need to aid this process by developing comprehensive education and workforce longitudinal data systems. They encourage state legislatures to pass legislation to direct higher education boards and agencies to play a more vital role in assessing the success of degree programs and note that states are “uniquely suited to create or coordinate resources and support to help all students navigate the many possible college and career pathways.”  The federal government can help bring about these desirable outcomes for students by increasing its collection of accurate and complete data for federal student aid recipients.

A second set of recommendations is for actions to ensure that students can complete degree programs on time and at their own pace.

The task force calls upon higher education institutions to improve the navigability of degree requirements and remove obstacles to timely completion. They discuss the obstacles working learners face and suggest that higher education should find ways to remove them. They also call for more transparent transfer partnerships and recognition of students’ life learning experiences. States could help by developing statewide or systemwide articulation agreements, transfer pathways, or common curriculum and degree requirements. States could also offer scholarships or qualify more postsecondary students for benefits such as SNAP. The task force suggests the federal government could invest in the Postsecondary Student Success Grant program, designed to support individuals who have started but not completed postsecondary education. They also indicate that the federal government should update criteria for several TRIO programs to provide greater flexibility to non-traditional students. The Task Force also recommends a national policy related to credit transfer across state lines and into private nonprofit and for-profit institutions.

The third set of actions is meant to ensure that students' tuition price for on-time completion is reasonable relative to program costs, a student's income, and the earning outcomes for potential career pathways.

Higher education institutions should clearly communicate the actual price students will pay. The Task Force emphasized that “the distinction between student loans, even subsidized federal loans, must be more easily distinguished from grant aid.” Higher education institutions should also prioritize affordability for low- and middle-income students. The Task Force also calls for higher education institutions to assess program costs and prices against enrolled students’ income and career earnings potential and to consider addressing substantial disparities revealed by price-to-earnings ratios. State legislatures could help by creating long-term funding plans for higher education. States could also expand dual enrollment opportunities aligned to degree and transfer pathways and save thousands on tuition and living expenses by shortening the time spent at a higher education institution. States should also consider targeted scholarships or loan forgiveness programs for high-cost programs that prepare students for in-demand or high-social-value careers. The federal government should continue to support the Pell Grant program. It could also require institutions to adopt standardized financial aid award letters so students can more readily understand the information. The task force also supports federal proposals to create a universal net price calculator as part of the College Scorecard to allow students to easily compare actual prices across institutions.

This article was prepared by SSTI using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070129 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.