Socioeconomic WellBeing of Washington State: Who Attends Community and Technical Colleges

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Socioeconomic Well-Being of Washington State
Who Attends Community and Technical Colleges
House Higher Education Committee January 22,
2007 Washington State Board for Community and
Technical Colleges
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A Census Based Proxy for Student Socioeconomic
Status and Income

• Based on census data for income, education (BA or
  higher) and occupation (professional/managerial)
• Student address matched to census
• Student assigned average and household income SES
  for area mapped

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Washington State Socioeconomic Status Quintiles
1990 and 2000
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Race still matters
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Our colleges mirror the state - providing access
and opportunity for all
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Young adults in low SES quintiles are less likely
to go directly to college than those in high SES
quintiles.

• Young adults (18-24 yrs old) from the two lowest
  income households are less likely to go directly
  to college than young people in middle and higher
  income households.
• Instead low income people come to college when
  they are older (25 years).
• Typically they come for job skills training and
  re-training. Often they begin in basic skills
  programs.
• This trend rate is increasing.

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Participation for Younger and Older Students by
SES Quintiles - 2000
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The issue is more compelling when we consider
that more than ever before our future adults are
being born and raised in low SES households.
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Students socioeconomic differences magnified by
college communities
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AffordabilityTuition hikes vs. growth in
household income

• Tuition increases on average have outpaced
  household income growth more than 21 between
  1989 and 2005.
• Tuition as percent of income ranges from 6.5 for
  lowest income households to 1.5 for highest.

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It is reasonable to presume that increasing
tuition is having an effect on students

• Younger Students (18-24 years old) in lower SES
  households - median income just under 40K, may
  be the tip of the iceberg for families that feel
  the strain.
• We dont know if it is due to actual costs,
  perceptions of cost, or perceived benefits vs.
  cost.

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Conclusions

• The question to ask about participation is not
  only who, but when.
• The social policy question we need to keep asking
  is, Do the children from every socioeconomic
  level in our state have the same opportunities to
  prepare for and go directly to college?
• Next step - student outcomes and socioeconomic
  status

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Statewide Strategies

• Vision Raise educational attainment for all
• Opportunity Grants
• Financial aid for low income working adults
• Freeze tuition, analysis, propose policy
• Integrated basic skills and workforce education
  IBEST
• Transfer pathways for technical degree graduates

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Acknowledgements

• The State Board for Community Colleges wishes to
  thank the Ford Foundations Bridges to
  Opportunity Program, Columbia Universitys
  Community College Research Center, and the
  Washington State College Spark Foundation for
  their support for this project.
• Full report available at http//www.sbctc.ctc.edu/
  college/d_socioeconomicstudy.aspx