Arizona education officials want to get young students on college path sooner

PHOENIX — Arizona education officials are looking to boost college attainment by increasing outreach to young students.

The Arizona Board of Regents, a government panel that oversees the state’s three public universities, held a roundtable Thursday with economic and educational experts to discuss how to raise college completion levels.

For example, the board’s new AZ Opportunity initiative aims to boost college attainment by building investments and local community connections.

Regent Gregg Brewster explained that Arizona is falling behind national levels of college attainment, and one solution to boosting that number is to start with young students and set them on the path for higher education.

“Going back to the K-12 examples, I think we can do a better job of demonstrating how those students that are getting those kinds of incentives with college credit attainment then become prioritized for things like the Promise scholarship,” he said.

Brewster was referring to the Arizona Promise Program, which pays tuition and fees for eligible low-income students at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

Experts say increasing college attainment can boost Arizona economy

He said when young students opt for college and take advantage of those opportunities, Arizona’s economy gains.

“Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, and we must ensure we have the workforce for this future. In large part, that starts with our public universities,” he said.

Danny Seiden, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, said that when career pathways start sooner, younger students are more likely to stay in the state and contribute its universities and economy over time.

He also said educational pipelines that lead students into fast-growing Arizona industries like semiconductor production is another essential element for increasing college attainment.

“I think we have to be very specific with the story we’re telling about where our dollars are going, what we’re choosing to invest in, and why it matters,” he said. “We are training the workforce of the future. We are meeting the demands of the global economy right now here in Arizona.”

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

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