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August 11, 2004 - For immediate release
Two-Year Colleges Are a Good Investment for Students and for Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK - Two-year colleges are growing and making a difference in Arkansas. The growth of two-year colleges since the creation of 14 new two-year colleges in 1991 has been nothing short of phenomenal.
From a credit student headcount enrollment of almost 20,000 in 1991, the enrollment has grown to over 44,200 in Fall 2003. This enrollment growth in two-year colleges has occurred during a span of time when enrollment in four-year colleges has remained stable. "This means that more students are pursuing an education beyond high school, and this is a positive cultural change for Arkansas," according to Dr. Ed Franklin, Executive Director of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC).
Growth in enrollment means more access to higher education for Arkansans. Many of the two-year college students are the first person in their families to attend college. By educating first-generation college students, two-year colleges are changing the culture of Arkansas for future generations-a good investment for Arkansas.
Two-year colleges have four purposes. They prepare students to transfer to universities, they offer technical degrees and certificates to prepare students for the workforce, they offer developmental education to assist under-prepared students, and they offer customized workforce training to businesses and industries.
"Arkansas business leaders know that our educational system must be able to deliver trained and prepared workers in order to meet the competitive challenges of business and industry," said Ron Russell, State Chamber/AIA President and CEO. "Two-year colleges are the highlight of the Arkansas educational system and are making a great contribution toward meeting these challenges."
While enrollment is increasing, state funding for two-year colleges has been decreasing. "With the decline in funds from state sources, the two-year colleges are seeking funding from other sources such as foundation development, a local tax base, and increases to tuition and fees," explained Franklin.
Even with the two-year colleges' tremendous increases in enrollment over the past 15 years, they are still behind states of similar populations. "We have approximately 20,000 fewer two-year college students than Iowa, Kansas, and Mississippi, all states of similar population," said Franklin.
According to a report on Work and Workers in the 21st Century, 65 percent of the jobs in the 21st century will require an associate's degree or advanced training. "We know that having an associate degree will mean $400,000 more in earnings over a lifetime for students. In 2003, the lifetime value-added for students receiving associate degrees in Arkansas' two-year colleges was $1.3 Billion!" Franklin added. "When you look at what that will do for the economy in Arkansas over a period of years, it is easy to see the link between education and the economy."
The two-year colleges partner with other organizations to improve educational attainment in Arkansas. According to a report from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, "Of the 1,095 students who earned an Associate of Arts degree at an Arkansas two-year public institution in 2000, 76 percent subsequently transferred to a public four-year institution, and 54 percent of those who transferred earned a baccalaureate degree within three years."
The two-year colleges also work with the high schools in Arkansas to offer career testing to determine what careers the students plan to pursue. "This testing shows what majors students plan to pursue in college. By knowing this information, we can see what careers will possibly have a shortage of workers," Franklin added. "For example, if we see that students are not planning to pursue careers in nursing, and we know that we will need trained nurses, we can focus our recruiting efforts on the careers that we know may have a shortage of workers. It has been a great partnership with the high schools and the Department of Workforce Education."
The two-year colleges also assist with the training needs of businesses and industries in the state. In 2002-03, the AATYC WorkForce Training Consortium served 2,043 businesses and 44,691 students. By partnering through AATYC, the two-year colleges are better able to share ideas, resources, and opportunities.
Education is the key to an improved economy. Two-year colleges are making a difference in Arkansas and will continue to be a good investment by improving the educational attainment in the State and by meeting the training needs of business and industry.
The 22 two-year colleges are located throughout the state. They offer a variety of degrees and certificates. Many colleges offer courses in the daytime and evening, on weekends, and online. Whether you are just graduating from high school or you've been working and want a better job, the two-year colleges are the place to start. For more information about two-year colleges in Arkansas, please contact AATYC at 501-371-2014 or your local two-year college.
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