The State of Texas has adopted a new education goal: 60×30 TX – for 60% of Texans ages 25 to 34 to acquire a higher education credential by 2030. Why did the Higher Education Coordinating Board select this goal? Because two-thirds of jobs in our state will require some higher education degree or certificate. Today, fewer than 40% of young adults hold a degree or certificate, so we have a long way to go. And we can’t get there without significantly improving college enrollment. As shown in this month’s Slide of the Month, college enrollment has remained flat across the region and state for the last decade. While low-income student enrollment has improved slightly, our students in Central Texas lag behind the rest of the state.
There is much that needs to be done to meet this objective. One strategy to work toward this goal is to support and spread our college-going culture, so that each student from every background knows that education beyond high school is necessary to secure a living-wage job. We’re excited to celebrate with students on May 4 when schools across the region will come together in celebration of our 4th annual CTX College Signing Day. As a community, we will celebrate graduating seniors making the pledge to attend and complete post-secondary education. Partners like Foundation Communities, Austin College Access Network, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Black Chamber of Commerce, and Austin Community College are helping to support this empowering event. CTX College Signing Day is a strategy for helping to generate a sustained college-going culture in the region, and a way we can collectively celebrate graduating high school seniors.