Topic: Postsecondary Student Success and College Completion
Postsecondary Student Success
College Completion
Creating jobs is a top priority in Southern states, and a better-educated workforce is an important strategy. Helping states with policy and practice to improve postsecondary completion is central to SREB’s mission.
The goal: a higher percentage of state residents who hold college degrees or certificates
Higher Education Return on Investment for Students, Families and Society
With mounting focus on the return on investing in a college degree, this brief shows how the benefits outweigh the costs to individuals, communities and society. A postsecondary credential remains a profitable investment for individuals, who in general earn more and are less likely to be unemployed, as well as for economies that need a highly skilled workforce and residents who contribute to society.
Why Focus on Underserved Students
SREB’s vision for the South is that every student has access to high-quality education. At the postsecondary level that entails increasing access to college and raising completion rates for valuable postsecondary credentials. This report shows why it is critical for states to focus on increasing student success for Black, Latino and American Indian students, as well as those from low-income families or rural areas and those who would be the first in their families to attend college.
SREB’s Strategy to Increase Success for Underserved Student Populations
Since its founding, SREB has focused on postsecondary attainment as a means for improving the social and economic vitality of the South. Today, SREB remains committed to increasing college access and completion rates, with an emphasis on groups that have been historically underserved by higher education. This report outlines SREB strategies to increase student success for Black, Hispanic and Native American students, rural students, and those who come from low-income families or would be the first in their families to attend college.
Workforce-Driven Financial Aid: Policies and Strategies
Essential Elements of State Policy For College Completion
The rapidly evolving workplace has created a shortage of skilled and educated workers in many fields, leaving essential jobs unfilled and millions of adults unqualified for them. This policy brief summarizes statewide strategies to support financial assistance for students in programs designed to address workforce needs. It includes suggestions for states that are evaluating, or considering creating, workforce-driven financial aid policies.
Postsecondary Attainment Goals
in SREB States
| State | 2019 Attainment Level |
Goal | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 45.1% | Add 500,000 high-skilled employees | 2025 |
| Arkansas | 43.6% | 60% | 2025 |
| Delaware | 47.9% | none | none |
| Florida | 52.8% | 55% | 2025 |
| Georgia | 52.8% | 60% | 2025 |
| Kentucky | 49.4% | 60% | 2030 |
| Louisiana | 48.1% | 60% | 2030 |
| Maryland | 55.9% | 55% | 2025 |
| Mississippi | 44.4% | Reach the national attainment level average | 2025 |
| North Carolina | 52.1% | Ensure that 2 million, age 25 to 44, have earned a postsecondary degree or credential | 2030 |
| Oklahoma | 46.5% | 70% | 2025 |
| South Carolina | 47.6% | 60% | 2025 |
| Tennessee | 46.8% | 55% | 2025 |
| Texas | 47.9% | 60% of adults ages 25-34 | 2030 |
| Virginia | 57.4% | 70% | 2030 |
| West Virginia | 42.6% | 60% | 2030 |
Community Colleges in the South: Strengthening Readiness and Pathways
Report of the SREB Commission on Community Colleges
The full report of SREB’s Community College Commission offers 21 recommendations for states and community colleges. It presents findings on readiness, placement, math standards and structurally guided pathways to help students clearly see entry, exit and re-entry points to continue their education. Recommendations ask states to commit increased funding and hold colleges accountable for improving student services and completion. The goal: increase college access and success so more students earn postsecondary credentials and enter careers in demand in their communities.
