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Public Colleges Pledge to Graduate 3.8 M Additional Students By 2025
The United States has dropped from first to 14th in the developed world in the number of people with a college education. That's based on population statistics.
Now, nearly 500 public colleges across the country, including many in Illinois, are pledging to have an additional 3.8 million graduates by 2025. It's called Project Degree Completion. The mission is to help reach a national goal of having 60 percent of adults hold a college degree.
The University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Springfield are both on board.
UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said, "It is necessary that the U.S. have a very well educated and skillful workforce in order for us to be globally competitive."
Right now, the public colleges joining the effort hand out just over 1 million degrees every year. At current rates, that means about 14.6 million degrees by 2025. The new target is 18.4 million.
"We've been working hard to provide the financial aid students need to help them start college and stay in college to get their degree," Koch said.
Experts say one of the best ways to help reach this national goal is not to just recruit students, but to retain them.
While community colleges like Lincoln Land are not on the national list of public colleges in this effort, LLCC leaders work with several four year schools to help students achieve goals; and they have new initiatives to keep them on track.
"One thing we're implementing is a mandatory new student orientation," Leslie Frederick, the Vice President of Student Services said. "We know as students start college, it's important they understand what it means to start college. [Including the] challenges they may face, strategies for being a successful student and getting them off on the right foot."
Two leading education groups are spearheading the goal to increase the number of college graduates: The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Public Colleges Pledge to Graduate 3.8 M Additional Students By 2025
The United States has dropped from first to 14th in the developed world in the number of people with a college education. That's based on population statistics.
Now, nearly 500 public colleges across the country, including many in Illinois, are pledging to have an additional 3.8 million graduates by 2025. It's called Project Degree Completion. The mission is to help reach a national goal of having 60 percent of adults hold a college degree.
The University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Springfield are both on board.
UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said, "It is necessary that the U.S. have a very well educated and skillful workforce in order for us to be globally competitive."
Right now, the public colleges joining the effort hand out just over 1 million degrees every year. At current rates, that means about 14.6 million degrees by 2025. The new target is 18.4 million.
"We've been working hard to provide the financial aid students need to help them start college and stay in college to get their degree," Koch said.
Experts say one of the best ways to help reach this national goal is not to just recruit students, but to retain them.
While community colleges like Lincoln Land are not on the national list of public colleges in this effort, LLCC leaders work with several four year schools to help students achieve goals; and they have new initiatives to keep them on track.
"One thing we're implementing is a mandatory new student orientation," Leslie Frederick, the Vice President of Student Services said. "We know as students start college, it's important they understand what it means to start college. [Including the] challenges they may face, strategies for being a successful student and getting them off on the right foot."
Two leading education groups are spearheading the goal to increase the number of college graduates: The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
