Posts published on October 21, 2011

Analysis Of 13 Projects To Increase College Completion

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)  published:

A Guide to Major U.S. College Completion Initiatives

While the United States has focused on improving access to higher education, many other nations have made steady progress over recent decades in increasing educational attainment. As a result, the U.S. has slipped to 15th place in the proportion of younger workers (ages 25-34) who hold a postsecondary degree or certificate; this is a threat to the nation’s global competitiveness.

Spurred by President Obama’s goal to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, a large number of organizations (funded by major foundations) have recently adopted a “college completion agenda” and have undertaken a wide variety of initiatives to boost college completion. This paper provides background information on the topic and summarizes 13 major college completion projects. The origins for each completion initiative are briefly discussed, as are the associated funding partners, key goals and objectives, accomplishments achieved and time frame for future plans.

Authored by Alene Russell, Senior State Policy Consultant