College & Career

By the year 2030, Texas wants 60% of young adults (25-34 years old) to have a certificate from a vocational or technical school, or a degree from a two- or four-year college. Students who continue their education after high school will have the knowledge, skills, and experience to find and keep a good paying job. Living in Central Texas offers many opportunities to choose an educational path that is best suited for them. Students also have many ways to help pay for education, such as FAFSA/TASFA and scholarships.

As a community, we care because we want employers in Central Texas to hire our students so they can have economic prosperity. To make sure that happens, our students need a certificate or degree to get the skill set these employers require. Helping students in our community attend school full-time (at least 12 hours per semester) will increase their chances of completing a degree. Please visit our resources below to learn more.

You Need to Know

  • 60% of job openings in the Austin area require a bachelor’s degree.
  • Some type of postsecondary certificate or degree is practically required to earn a living wage.
  • Yearly postsecondary completion rates in Central Texas need to double to meet Texas’ goal.
  • Less than half of students going to college part-time return the next year.
  • Only 16% of those who start college part-time complete their degree.
1 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Texas Higher Education Strategic Plan: 2015-2018. Find Plan and Progress Reports here. http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?ObjectID=EDCAFAFF-D542-11E7-A03300505694284C

Learn about the Make It Movement, a campaign to engage our future workforce in trades and two- and four-year colleges

Watch the April 2020 SXSW Edu recording about the Make It Movement with prominent Austin leaders