College Value and Affordability Conversation

Welcome and Thank You

• Thank you for participating today!• Who we are• Your voice matters• Today’s agenda• Let’s get started!

Leaders are Listening

• Approval of the nation’s largest expansion of public preschool, 2 years running

• Tougher teacher certification tests• Approval of deeper investment in the “Pure

Michigan” marketing campaign• Reform of state business taxes• Reforms to save taxpayers $250 million in

state prison costs• Stopped the erosion of traditional 180-day

school calendar

MICHIGAN’S JOB MARKET:

YOUR IMPRESSIONSTake a moment to read page 3 of your Issue Guide

Facts About Michigan’s Job Market

• The unemployment rate hovers just above 7%, down from more than 14% in 2009.

• There are about 75,000 job openings in Michigan currently, but many growing job fields pay low wages.

• MI lost 423,000 manufacturing jobs in the Great Recession. Many have not returned.

How do you feel about the current Michigan job market for yourself?

1. Great. There are many different opportunities available to succeed today.

2. Good. There are challenges, but people with skill and access to opportunities can and will succeed.

3. Lousy. It’s tough out there and opportunities are limited.

4. Terrible. The ability to prosper is greatly diminished.

Great. T

here are

many d

if...

Good. There

are ch

allenge..

Lousy

. It’s

tough out t

he..

Terrible. T

he ability t

o p...

25% 25%25%25%

How do you feel about the current Michigan job market

for your family members?1. Great. There are many

different opportunities available to succeed today.

2. Good. There are challenges, but people with skill and access to opportunities can and will succeed.

3. Lousy. It’s tough out there and opportunities are limited.

4. Terrible. The ability to prosper is greatly diminished.

Great. T

here are

many d

if...

Good. There

are challe

ng...

Lousy

. It’s

tough out t

he..

Terrible. T

he ability t

o p...

0% 0%0%0%

How do you feel about the current Michigan job market for all

Michigan residents?1. Great. There are many

different opportunities available to succeed today.

2. Good. There are challenges, but people with skill and access to opportunities can and will succeed.

3. Lousy. It’s tough out there and opportunities are limited.

4. Terrible. The ability to prosper is greatly diminished. Gre

at. There

are m

any dif..

.

Good. There

are challe

ng...

Lousy

. It’s

tough out t

he..

Terrible. T

he ability t

o p...

0% 0%0%0%

What will it be like to have a good career and prosper in Michigan in

the future?1. Great. There will be many

different opportunities available for residents to succeed.

2. Good. There will be challenges, but people with skills and access to opportunities can and will succeed.

3. Lousy. It will be tough and opportunities will be limited.

4. Terrible. The ability to prosper will be greatly diminished.

Great. T

here w

ill be m

any...

Good. There

will

be chall..

.

Lousy

. It w

ill be to

ugh a..

Terrible. T

he ability t

o p...

25% 25%25%25%

Discussion Questions• What are your hopes and fears about

Michigan’s economy and job market?• What would make you feel more

confident about Michigan’s future job market?

• Have you had any turning points in your job or career path? –What were they?–Who or what caused them?

COLLEGE VALUE AND AFFORDABILITY: YOUR

IMPRESSIONS

Take a moment to read pages 4 and 5 of your Issue Guide

Discussion Questions

• If you have an education after high school, how did you decide which degree or credential to pursue? Has your decision paid off for you? How do you know? Or how will you know?

• If you don’t have an education after high school, how did you decide what job to pursue? Has your decision paid off for you? How do you know?

Facts About College Value and Affordability

• 60.3% of MI high school graduates enrolled at a two- or four-year college in 2012.

• 75% of all college students are commuters, who often juggle work and family responsibilities with their course work.

• The average net cost of college tuition in MI is 21.6% of the median family income.

• Scores on the Collegiate Learning Assessment suggest that 36% of undergraduate students nationwide see no improvement in learning in four years of courses.

To prosper in Michigan today, how important is it to earn a college degree or vocational

training credential after high school?

1. Very important.2. Important.3. Somewhat

important.4. Not very

important.5. Not at all

important.

Very importa

nt.

Importa

nt.

Somewhat importa

nt.

Not very

importa

nt.

Not at a

ll importa

nt.

0% 0% 0%0%0%

Is a college degree worth the cost today?

1. Definitely worth it.

2. Worth it.3. Somewhat

worth it.4. Not worth it.5. Definitely not

worth it.Definite

ly worth

it.

Worth

it.

Somewhat worth

it.

Not worth

it.

Definitely not w

orth it.

20% 20% 20%20%20%

Many people enter, but do not complete, college today. Which best describes the

college experience for your family members?

1. Successful. We graduate and move on to prosperous careers.

2. Varied. Some individuals succeed, others do not.

3. Overwhelmed. We haven’t graduated.

Successf

ul. We graduate

...

Varied. S

ome individuals

...

Overw

helmed. W

e haven..

33% 33%33%

Based on your own, or your family members’ and friends’ experience, what is the most common challenge to completing college?

1. High costs.2. Students lack the academic skills to

succeed at the college level.3. Colleges are not held accountable for

making sure students graduate.4. Inconvenience. Courses are not offered at

appropriate times for students to balance studies with work and family responsibilities.

5. Bureaucracy. College credits do not adequately transfer from community colleges to universities or between universities.

6. Students don’t enter college with a clear purpose or plan for success.

7. Students don’t see clear paths from college graduation to prosperous careers.

High costs

.

Students

lack th

e academ..

Colleges a

re not held ac..

.

Inconve

nience. C

ourses a

..

Bureaucracy

. Colle

ge credi..

Students

don’t ente

r col...

Students

don’t se

e clear .

..

14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%

Based on your own, or your family members’ and friends’ experience, what is the second most common

challenge to completing college?1. High costs.2. Students lack the academic skills to succeed

at the college level.3. Colleges are not held accountable for making

sure students graduate.4. Inconvenience. Courses are not offered at

appropriate times for students to balance studies with work and family responsibilities.

5. Bureaucracy. College credits do not adequately transfer from community colleges to universities or between universities.

6. Students don’t enter college with a clear purpose or plan for success.

7. Students don’t see clear paths from college graduation to prosperous careers. High co

sts.

Students

lack th

e academ..

Colleges a

re not held ac..

.

Inconve

nience. C

ourses a

..

Bureaucracy

. Colle

ge credi..

Students

don’t ente

r col...

Students

don’t se

e clear .

..

14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%

Consider this statement: The governor and state legislature should fund public colleges

and universities at higher levels to make college more affordable.

1. Strongly agree.2. Somewhat agree.3. Somewhat

disagree.4. Strongly disagree.

Strongly

agree.

Somewhat agre

e.

Somewhat disa

gree.

Strongly

disagre

e.

25% 25%25%25%

Consider this statement: Colleges and universities must be more efficient and

customer-oriented to make college more affordable.

1. Strongly agree.2. Somewhat agree.3. Somewhat

disagree.4. Strongly disagree.

Strongly

agree.

Somewhat agre

e.

Somewhat disa

gree.

Strongly

disagre

e.

25% 25%25%25%

Consider this statement: Students and families must do more to prepare for, save for,

and fund their own college educations.

1. Strongly agree.2. Somewhat agree.3. Somewhat

disagree.4. Strongly disagree.

Strongly

agree.

Somewhat agre

e.

Somewhat disa

gree.

Strongly

disagre

e.

25% 25%25%25%

Which Michigan-based stakeholder should be most responsible for

improving college affordability and student debt loads?

1. The governor and state legislature, through higher levels of funding for public colleges and universities.

2. Colleges and universities, through cost efficiency and customer focus.

3. Students and families, through saving and financial planning.

The governor a

nd state le

...

Colleges a

nd universities,.

..

Students

and familie

s, t..

.

33% 33%33%

Which of the following issues regarding college affordability and value is most

concerning to you?1. Rising costs of college tuition in

Michigan.2. Rising student loan debt loads of

Michigan college students.3. Decline in state government funding

for colleges and universities.4. Wastefulness and/or inefficiency at

colleges and universities.5. Failure to hold colleges and

universities accountable for graduation and job placement results.

6. High numbers of students requiring remedial college courses, for which they receive no credit toward their degree or credential.

Rising c

osts of c

ollege

tui...

Rising s

tudent lo

an debt ...

Decline in

state

governm...

Was

tefulness

and/or i

neff...

Failu

re to hold co

lleges a

..

High numbers of s

tudents.

..

17% 17% 17%17%17%17%

Which of the following issues regarding college affordability and value is second most concerning to

you?1. Rising costs of college tuition in

Michigan.2. Rising student loan debt loads of

Michigan college students.3. Decline in state government funding

for colleges and universities.4. Wastefulness and/or inefficiency at

colleges and universities.5. Failure to hold colleges and

universities accountable for graduation and job placement results.

6. High numbers of students requiring remedial college courses, for which they receive no credit toward their degree or credential.

Rising c

osts of c

ollege

tui...

Rising s

tudent lo

an debt ...

Decline in

state

governm...

Was

tefulness

and/or i

neff...

Failu

re to hold co

lleges a

..

High numbers of s

tudents.

..

17% 17% 17%17%17%17%

COLLEGE VALUE AND AFFORDABILITY: IMPROVEMENT

IDEAS

Take a moment and read pages 6-8 of your Issue Guide.

Should public universities be required to become more cost efficient?

1. Yes.2. No.

0%0%

Should Michigan encourage more high school students to earn college credit

while in high school?

1. Yes.2. No.

Yes.No.

0%0%

Should state financial aid programs be redesigned to better reward college completion rather than

college attendance?

1. Yes.2. No.

Yes.No.

0%0%

Should Michigan expand “Pay it Forward” tuition plans, which offer free tuition in exchange for

students’ binding promises to repay a percentage of their after-college incomes for a set amount of

time?

1. Yes.2. No.

Yes.No.

0%0%

Should Michigan create a “Pay to Stay” tuition plan which forgives student loans if graduates stay

and work in challenged communities or specific geographic places?

1. Yes.2. No.

Yes.No.

0%0%

Should Michigan provide free, state-funded college tuition to our state’s

high school graduates?

1. Yes.2. No.

Yes.No.

0%0%

How would you address the financing for the projected $1.8 billion annual cost of providing free, state-funded

college tuition?1. Tax increases.2. Significant cuts

to other government programs and services.

3. Don’t do it.Tax i

ncrease

s.

Significa

nt cuts

to oth

er...

Don’t do it.

33% 33%33%

Which of the ideas you’ve seen today has the most potential to

improve college value and affordability?1. Requiring more efficiency in

university operations.2. Expanding opportunities for

high school students to earn college credit.

3. Restructuring state financial aid to reward completion rather than attendance.

4. Creating a “Pay it Forward” financial aid program.

5. Creating a “Pay to Stay” financial aid program.

6. Offering free college in Michigan.

Are you willing to pay more in taxes to make college more

affordable for Michigan residents?1. Yes.2. No.

Yes.No.

50%50%

Discussion Questions

• Who’s responsible? Which stakeholders should take the lead on making any changes you want to improve college value and affordability?

• At what cost? If Michigan were to improve the value and affordability of college, who should pay for the improvements? Are you willing to pay?

• What’s missing here? What are your additional ideas for improving college value and affordability in Michigan?

DEMOGRAPHICS

Which best describes you?

1. High school student

2. College or vocational student

3. Member of the workforce

4. Not currently working (retired or unemployed)

High school s

tudent

College or v

ocational st

...

Member o

f the w

orkforce

Not curre

ntly w

orking (

r...

25% 25%25%25%

If you’re a member of the workforce, which best describes your reason for attending today?

1. I’m a parent or a family member of a student.

2. I’m an educator.3. Other.

I’m a pare

nt or a

family

...

I’m an educa

tor.

Other.

33% 33%33%

Choose the number for the region where you live.

1. Region 12. Region 23. Region 34. Region 45. Region 56. Region 67. Region 78. Region 8

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Region 4

Region 5

Region 6

Region 7

Region 8

13% 13% 13% 13%13%13%13%13%

What is your age?

1. 24 or younger2. 25-343. 35-444. 45-545. 55-646. 65 or older

24 or younger

25-3435-44

45-5455-64

65 or older

17% 17% 17%17%17%17%

What is your race or ethnicity?

1. African American/ Black

2. American Indian3. Arab American4. Asian American5. Caucasian/White6. Hispanic/Latino7. Multiracial

Africa

n American/ B

lack

American In

dian

Arab American

Asian A

merican

Caucasia

n/White

Hispanic/

Latino

Multira

cial

14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%

What is your gender?

1. Male2. Female3. Prefer not to

say/ Other

Male

Female

Prefer not t

o say/ O

ther

33% 33%33%

What is your household income?

1. Less than $10,0002. $10,000-$14,9993. $15,000-$24,9994. $25,000-$34,9995. $35,000-$49,9996. $50,000-$74,9997. $75,000-$99,9998. $100,000-$149,9999. $150,000-$199,99910.$200,000 or more

Less

than $10,000

$10,000-$14,999

$15,000-$24,999

$25,000-$34,999

$35,000-$49,999

$50,000-$74,999

$75,000-$99,999

$100,000-$149,999

$150,000-$199,999

$200,000 or more

10% 10% 10% 10% 10%10%10%10%10%10%

Thank You and Conclusion

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