Education Forward Arizona — Arizona college presidents speak out: ‘Yes, college is still a worthwhile investment’

Frank Moraga | June 6, 2023

Hello,

I am writing to ensure that you saw the open letter below, signed by 15 Arizona university and college presidents.

The letter shares a powerful cross-college message about the need to significantly increase the number of Arizona adults who pursue education after high school — and the benefits that individuals, communities, and the state economy will realize when they do.

To hit the state’s attainment goal, we need to add more than 500,000 degrees and certificates over the next seven years. That will require a coordinated and sustained effort, and we need your help.

Once you read the letter below, please sign on to add your support hereand join us as we launch Everything to Gain, a statewide effort to improve education outcomes PK-20 that are needed to increase attainment of degrees and certificates.

We also ask that you amplify the letter on your own social platforms and encourage your networks to join us.

Click to tweet: “Yes, college is still a worthwhile investment.” Education after high school is essential for Arizona communities, workforce and economy. Postsecondary leaders unite to support a vibrant future Arizona, join in at everythingtogain.org! #EverythingtoGain

Stay tuned for regular updates on Everything To Gain activities. Together, we can make significant gains in a more educated Arizona.

Thank you!

Rich Nickel

President & CEO

Education Forward Arizona

Join Us

Yes, college is still a worthwhile investment.

This spring, Arizona’s three public universities, community colleges, tribal colleges, and private colleges and universities have awarded more than 80,000 two- and four-year college degrees and thousands of professional certiﬁcates. Those numbers continue to hover near pre-pandemic levels at a time when Arizona needs more people with college degrees and certiﬁcates than ever before.

Arizona faces a severe shortage of college-educated adults. Just under half of Arizonans between the ages of 25 and 64 have earned a bachelor’s or associate degree or a professional credential or certiﬁcate. We’re well below our own statewide goal of ensuring that at least 60 percent of Arizona’s adults have a postsecondary degree or credential by the end of the decade. And, in fact, we have one of the lowest postsecondary attainment rates in the nation.

The consequences of these shortages? Entire communities, municipalities, and regions—and Arizona as a whole—are all missing out on the extraordinary beneﬁts that result from having a more educated populace. We need thousands more high school graduates to earn degrees or certiﬁcates. Investing as a state to make this happen will pay dividends for individuals, communities, and Arizona for generations to come.

This year’s four-year and community-college graduates will become an essential part of Arizona’s workforce and contributing members to communities throughout our state. They will use their degrees to become creators, engineers, scientists, business leaders, or will support some of our most thriving sectors, using their certiﬁcations to improve Arizona’s growing healthcare, manufacturing, building trades, and technology sectors. Their degrees and certiﬁcates will improve the rest of their lives—and our own.

State and national research provides conclusive evidence of the value of education after high school. A college graduate increases their lifetime earnings by $1.2 million compared to what they would earn if their education stopped after high school. Further, a recent statewide study by Helios Education Foundation and Education Forward Arizona showed that the beneﬁts of education after high school go far beyond graduates; by increasing postsecondary enrollment by 20 percent, Arizona stands to beneﬁt from more than $5 billion in annual gains attributable to factors like higher lifetime earnings, improved health, and increased workforce productivity.

There’s a lot of talk about whether education after high school is valuable. Nearly three-quarters of Americans still believe that a college education is equally or more important today than 20 years ago, and the numbers clearly answer YES! to the question, “Should I pursue education after high school?” We must do all we can to rapidly ensure that more Arizona families and students come to that same conclusion.

Dr. Daniel P. Corr

President

Arizona Western College

Dr. Michael M. Crow

President

Arizona State University

Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera

President

Northern Arizona University

Dr. Jackie Elliott

President

Central Arizona College