Keeping college affordable in Arizona: What’s next for students and families? Experts weigh in

PHOENIX — College affordability is top of mind for Valley students planning their futures. As rising tuition creates new barriers, many families are also prioritizing workforce development.

At the Arizona Media Association’s Education Solutions Town Hall earlier this month, local leaders discussed college enrollment and students’ post-high school goals.

The conversation focused on cost, practical options in Maricopa County, and innovative pathways from the classroom to career.

“We did a poll a couple of years ago and asked people … what was the barrier here?” Rich Nickel with Education Forward Arizona said during the event. “Here’s what polled: it cost a lot.”

Nickel said in a recent poll, 80% of Arizonans shared they would like the state to take a more active role to help students afford college or a post-secondary program.

College affordability solutions for Arizona students

Only 48% of Arizonans enrolled in a post-secondary option after high school, according to the Center for the Future of Arizona.

Susan Bitter-Smith with the Maricopa County Community Colleges said community college is a more affordable path for many students, and dual enrollment can knock down costs even further by letting high schoolers earn college credit early.

Bitter-Smith said once students are inside the classroom, the landscape is shifting. She explained a career after school used to be the goal but is now a requirement for students enrolling in a program.

“We actually have fast track certification programs that are that are piloted and owned by employers,” Bitter-Smith said. “So, you literally walk from the classroom at the end of six or eight or 10 weeks, the next day into a job,”

The full town hall will air Wednesday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on KTAR News 92.3 FM and the KTAR News app.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

Related

K-12 education: Experts explore ways to keep teachers in Arizona classroomsTown hall gathers education experts to reframe Arizona’s education issuesPeoria Unified board member questions quality of training, alleges sex scandal cover-upPeoria Unified governing board members deny accusations surrounding teacher sex caseArizona judge rejects Republican effort to block ESA reform ballot initiative; appeal plannedMore school closures could be coming in the West Valley