A Higher Ed Credential for Every High School Grad

Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin mentioned he wants each significant faculty college student in the condition to gain an associate diploma or other larger education credential upon graduating so that they are “immediately prepared to go right into everyday living,” the Cardinal Information documented. That may possibly imply earning these a diploma a superior college graduation requirement, Youngkin explained.

In his remarks, presented at an event co-hosted by the News on the economic growth of southwest Virginia, Youngkin explained he strategies to talk to for a funds modification in December to grow the state’s current Early University Scholars method to persuade higher schoolers to dually enroll in community school or vocational applications.

“What we want to do is get the job done with field and function with our increased instruction establishments and experienced training establishments to make confident that in higher university, you have a possibility to investigate your desires, to attempt new matters, and if you just make a decision to go to university, you are going to be prepared,” Youngkin claimed. “And if you select to go proper into the workforce, you will have a skill that permits you to stack and develop your vocation.”

Though acknowledging the push would be a “big lift” that would need employing extra staff at neighborhood schools throughout the condition, Youngkin claimed he thinks the state has “the capabilities” to accomplish it.

“There’s no motive why it couldn’t be included into our graduation specifications,” he mentioned.

A lot of states have applications to encourage dual enrollment or partnerships amongst group colleges and regional higher colleges, but none have designed earning an associate degree or qualified credential a graduation requirement for high faculty learners.

Nationally, dual enrollment by large schoolers makes up an more and more significant slice of the local community university enrollment pie it jumped from 7 percent of community school enrollment in 2007 to 16 percent in 2019, in accordance to knowledge from the Neighborhood University Study Centre at Lecturers Higher education of Columbia College.

And as local community university enrollment plummeted between grownup learners through the pandemic, large school–age learners became an essential goal demographic. Twin-enrollment premiums enhanced by 11 percent at community schools this fall, in accordance to a latest report from the Nationwide Student Clearinghouse Investigation Heart, which served drive a slight improve in over-all enrollment for the to start with time considering that the pandemic began.