Alaska higher education doesn’t make the grade
Published Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Alaska higher education did not make the dean’s list, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
The center’s “Measuring Up 2008” compares different aspects of higher education in every state and gives a report card biannually.
The center defined higher education as “all education and training beyond high school, including public and private, two- and four-year and for-profit and nonprofit institutions.”
Alaska was given a “C+” for preparation and benefits but received a failing grade for participation, completion and affordability.
Affordability
The center gave every state except for California an “F” for affordability. Patrick Callan, president for the center, said increased costs and family financial burden are a national trend and although some states are increasing the amount of aid, the rising costs are outpacing it. The downturn in the economy also has a negative effect on higher education costs.
According to the report, the affordability if Alaska’s colleges worsened. Undergraduates in Alaska borrow $5,427 on average, which is one of the highest amounts in the nation. For every Federal Pell Grant dollar, the state contributed only 6 cents. There also was a large gap between the state’s investment in need-based financial aid compared to federal investment, 6 percent compared to 89 percent from top-ranking states.
Stephanie Butler, director of operations at the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, said the history of state-funded, need-based grants has been spotty. A state-funded program ended in the 1980s with the oil crash and funds dried up, but in 2005, a new program started. There is $500,000 in the fund, which Butler said is a small amount, but it is more than what was previously available. The amount of aid available will double to $1 million for the 2009-2010 school year.
Butler said Alaskans face other problems with the Pell Grant. The grants are need-based, and Alaskans, on average, have a higher income because of the higher cost of living in the state. However, the higher income disqualifies students for the grant.
There also is a long-term trend of Alaskans not filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form needed to apply for federal aid.
“An hour of time could save you thousands of dollars,” Butler said.
Participation
Alaska was one of only three states to earn a failing mark for participation. Only 18 percent of Alaska’s 18- to 24-year-olds go on to higher education.
According the report, the small percent is a result of a smaller percentage of Alaskans graduating from high school. Alaska has an 8 percent dropout rate for high school students, which is double the national average for the 2005-2006 school year, and the report card predicts the number of high school graduates in the state will decrease by 8 percent by 2025.
It is not just young adults who are failing to take advantage.
The number of adults ages 25 to 49 who participate in education past high school has decreased 39 percent since the early 1990s.
Completion
The state also received an “F” for completion. Alaska has one of the lowest ratios of students to degrees and certificates in the nation, although the report acknowledged the state has made improvements.
The report card found 67 percent of freshmen return for their sophomore year, but only 22 percent of first-time, full-time college students complete a bachelor’s degree within six years.
Kate Ripley, director of public affairs for the University of Alaska, said the university system has a sizable percent of part-time or nontraditional students who do not have a goal of completing their degree in less than six years.
Sixty-two percent of UA students go to school part time and 38 percent full-time students, while the national average is 43 percent part-time students and 57 full-time students.
Saichi Oba, UA assistant vice president of student and enrollment services, said it is difficult to compare the Alaska higher education system to other states because the state’s decision to incorporate community colleges into the UA system.
Oba said the system includes community campuses, which range in size and might not be on the road system but charge the same for tuition.
“So our community college tuition appears high when compared to community college Outside; it’s the premium we pay for proximity,” Oba stated in an e-mail. “Because of this, UA always gets marked down for affordability along with the lack of adequate needs-based aid in the state.”
Preparation
The report card showed the state had made improvements in preparation of its students for higher education and awarded the state a “C+.”
The performance of Alaska’s eighth-graders on national tests for math and science was fair, but the students lagged behind in reading.
Eighty-nine percent of Alaskans earn a high school diploma or a GED diploma by the time they are 24, which is a small increase since the early 1990s when it was 87 percent.
Benefits
Alaska also received a “C+” in the benefits category.
The benefits category looks at how a state benefits from having more people take advantage of higher education. Every state showed improvement in this category.
Alaska had one of the biggest gaps in performances between whites and Alaska Natives. Thirty-two percent of whites have a bachelor’s degree compared to only 8 percent of Alaska Natives. However, 11 percent of students enrolled at UA are Alaska Natives.
UA’s enrollment figures show a greater increase in Alaska Native enrollment than non-Native enrollment, Oba said.
“A public university is a reflection of its state,” Oba said. “Enrollment demographics should mimic the state’s population, or come close.”
UA figures show the numbers of degrees awarded to Natives have doubled from the fiscal year 2001 to 2007.
The report card projected the state total annual personal income for Alaska would be $2 billion higher if all people had the same educational background and earned as much as whites.
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that researches higher education issues and makes them available to the public, higher education leaders and policymakers.
According to North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., chairman of the center, the report card shows that despite previous higher education successes, the U.S. can do better and needs to meet the current necessities of society and the economy.
Community Discussion
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See that's what happens when a proud product of the Alaska school systems goes out on the campaign trail and pretty much admits she knows nothing!
About 1969, the UAF prez william wood told the Legislature its university system was the equivalent of a junior college. About 40 years later, Sarah of the stem-winding sentences pretty much admits she doesn't read or know, much!
This is what happens when your Governor is running outside and leaving the Alaska children behind with unattented budget cuts while this is the vehicle the state suicide rate is one of the largest in the union. Some people do not understand we have short days to add to this chronic problem within our communities. There is a program that has been tested called; dancingwiththespirit.org which is a healthy way to reverse the suicide problems or school non-participations statewide. This program needs state attention and donations to run and it will take many our support to work. Peace!
no wonder so many kids leave the state for school. they try so hard to retain us but often fail
HILARIOUS that the failings of past generations (and possibly this administration's 2 years in office) are all laid at the doorstep of Sarah Palin.
It shows the depths of the furtive grasping at straws that the Obamabots go towards their continual attempt to denigrate any political threats to their Obamessiah. Gotta love the lengths to which they reach to take pot shots as the Governor.
Piteous lot.
Give it a break on Sarah. Interesting to note that, reading elsewhere, the only state that didn't get panned on affordability is Calyfornia. Oh yea that wonderful state which attempts to give everything to everyone and then comes crying to DC for a massive handout from the rest of us. Since you want to hit our Gov. over the head with this problem I would assume you will also give her credit for the billions in the permanent fund, only seems fair to me.
Um, should an Alaskan really be talking about Californians allegedly "crying to DC for a massive handout from the rest of us?"
Over the last 15 years, California received 79 cents back in federal spending from every dollar it contributed to the national Treasury.
Alaska received $1.87 in federal money for every dollar it contributed.
Who's getting a massive handout from "the rest of us" again?
Hate to say I agree with Andrew, but he's right for once; you can't blame (all of) Alaska's current educational picture on the governor, although she certainly has an obligation to improve things.
There's plenty of room for improvement in the public schools and certainly in the UA system. Ultimately, though, if Alaska wants to improve its record on education, they need to address some issues in the local culture. Too many Alaskans are proud to be ignorant; they view all formal education as brainwashing and all research as bunk. They prefer dogma over scholarly debate. They are certainly free to believe those things, but the state suffers as a result.
I think myself and others have been commenting on how weak our education system up here is - and we were continually bashed by University types continually stating how wonderful our Palace on the Hill is.....
Am looking forward to see how they refute this....and please don't mention all the darn grant money....a college should be in the business of education first and foremost...and our ivory tower is showing some substantial cracks.
Maybe instead of the whale-tail museum we could have spent the money on teachers and students....that - or we can continue to bury our heads in the sand and pretend like their are no problems with education in Alaska.
It will just be another excuse to raise the tuition again. Need more money to bring us up to grade.
akguy ... no I'm the one who has been bitching about the school district and the fact that UAF is not in the education business and never has been.
People think if we give the teachers more money $$$$ (again) they will do a better job of motivating the kids so that they can go to UAF and have a big science and research party. If there is any time left they can work at the museum or actually get some education in!
The problem starts at home with crappy parents (most of you) and it follows the kids the rest of their lives. No $$ for teachers or schools will change. Fairbanks has already proved that education is a secondary issue and that pay, benefits and classroom conditions are the real issue.
Alaska has the highest cost in the nation for primary education and one of the poorest track records ... Yea!
FNSB school district and the UAF are pitiful.
1. I'm getting downright sick of everyone blaming everything on Sarah Palin. These statistics have nothing to do with Palin's vice-presidential run. Honestly, can't you people lay off her for just one second?
2. Am I missing something here? Because it seems to me that NONE of these criteria---benefits, preparation, affordability, completion, participation---actually consider the QUALITY of Alaska's higher education? Seems like that ought to be an important consideration. Now I suppose you could argue that less participation and completion mean that the education is bad, but I'm inclined to think that's a weak correlation at best.
I know many, many people who have attended UAF, and although I chose to go out of state myself, I have no reason to believe it is an unsatisfactory school.
Yea James most of us are crappy parents. Tell us your secret and let us know what we have been doing wrong. I have 10 siblings and 9 of them have at least a bachelors degree. My kids were raised the same way I was, but the 90 percent success rate dropped to 50 percent.
I always thought it had someting to do with the media, but I want to hear from an expert where I went wrong.
You people will blame the Governor who has only been in office a few years for anything. Just hope there isn't an earthquake, you'd blame her for that. One interesting fact came out yesterday. As of this year 51 % of the students in Anchorage schools are minority students and 49% caucasian. Maybe the schools are failing because they need to change the approaches they use in teaching.
Quick give them more money, they are not burning it fast enough to be able to measure up to real schools outside Alaska.
Let's remember this 'outrage' at laying all of Alaska's problems at Palin's feet when Obama enters office with a pile full of Bush's fark ups at HIS feet, shall we? lol
We in Alaska know this already. Every one of us know all too well the advantages of a college education.
Most of us have worked under people who we've had to train in regards to the business we work at, simply because no one hires anyone to manage that hasn't got a college diploma. But many a college grad has been to busy doing college to get the hands on training.
For most of us going to college is a pipe dream akin to what the Gas line has been, or getting some of our formerly state land unlocked by the Feds.
We've pretty well have had to scrap for every dollar we earn. So many of us aren't home long enough to keep friendship going in our households.
By the time the kids are old enough to be sophomores in high school, they want out, and they make plans on banding up with their buddies to move out. Girls often plan on pregnancy and welfare to help them do this. NO, SARAH PALIN'S daughter is NOT the ONLY 17yr old (and younger) to get pregnant in the state. Though it is more prevalent amongst single parents and other poverty stricken households.
DFYS is wise to this so they impress on the young ladies that there is a 2 yr consecutive limit to where they can receive assistance. (before the Reagan era, many women did this "plan" in order TO GO TO AND FINISH COLLEGE) So then being under the wire with only 2 years of help, they're face with getting just enough education to GET A JOB.
Working with child(ren) IS NOT conducive to going to college even PART TIME with out a lot of help. And, guess what? It's not out there, because the young woman's parent(s) is still out there scraping for a living, with their own aspirations of higher education totally trashed.
So at this point, mom or dad, and sometimes both say to wayward daughter: "Sorry honey, I TRIED to warn you!!! Why do you think I kept dragging you down to family planning to get birth control? If you want you can move back in with the baby till you finish." (WHICH IS THE LAST DANG THING THAT GIRL WILL EVER DO!)
It's not that our kids aren't smart enough, that's for sure. But the only kids graduating college here are the ones WISE enough to stay home and unfettered till they do. Usually products of 2 parent households with one or both parents finishing college themselves (so it's unlikely anyone there is having to work 2 or 3 jobs).
If parents shove them out at 18 with orders to "get a job - like I did"...their prospects of finishing their education are dwindling with each step they take. Esp. when they land a full time job which is the min. of what they need once they leave home.
With males life is somewhat easier, but not really...esp if they're the fathers of those babies the unwed mothers have, as the state has them nailed to the wall to pay child support!
Most single parents are proud as hell just to get their kids to graduate high school before they start raising families of their own.
I just might fall over and die at the surprise that UAF is subpar in many respects as a University. Maybe if they would offer classes more than once every 5 semesters, people might actually be able to get through in less than 8 years for an undergraduate degree. I took classes there as a sophomore in high school and even then was bored. There are so many problems with the way the U is run... and if we are going to lay this at the governor's foot, fine, but let's consider how many governors have served Alaska when the U had the same problems... Tony, Frank, Lisa, etc.
LISA??? Lisa Murkowski was the governor?! REALLY?!! NO WAY!
Whoops, there you have it!!!! Another college grad in need of training! I rest my case.
EVENK It's obveious you can't chew gum and walk at the same time...
The article was about schools not PALIN.
Alaska, Birth control IS the answer! In addition to getting your kids birth control (do they have any that will last 8 years?)
Maybe we could get the kids to enjoy NEEM or Pennyroyal tea, or mix it in with their food. Almost virtually tasteless in curries.
It's temporary birth control and neem is now being widely used amongst men in India and Asia. Said not to have any side effects (?) but, used for a limited time...You might be able to get them to finish high school and get past the hormonal insanity before their lives are ruined.
"Oh yea that wonderful state which attempts to give everything to everyone and then comes crying to DC for a massive handout from the rest of us."
That's exactly why everyone on here was crying that we should vote for Ted Stevens. You're gonna miss your massive handouts now that Begich is in the Senate.
Great post, alaskansheilah. I very much agree that parents who are so obsessed with "personal responsibility" that they won't help their children pay for higher education are contributing to this problem.
I don't think the problem is with the University system per se, but with the State's approach to the University. It isn't funded nearly well enough.
I'm not saying that faculty or staff salaries are too low (some of them are) but that, in some cases, there aren't enough faculty or staff to keep a department running efficiently. I'm not saying the problem isn't with the University's actions in certain areas, and I agree that the new Museum, while certainly eye-catching, was overpriced and overbuilt.
The University sure has its problems, but to blame all of those problems on the faculty, staff, and administrators, is just as short-sighted as blaming the Governor.
I don't understand how people choosing not to go to college becomes the University of Alaska's fault. Sure, UA could probably do more to recruit people, but we also live in a state where you can get a decent job and make a decent living without a college degree. Why would you spend a lot of money on a college degree to be an oil rig worker? This notion that EVERYONE should go to college is flawed.
Also, the amount of student loans people take out doesn't necessarily reflect that college isn't affordable. Most of my evidence is anecdotal, but I knew plenty of people who took out large student loans and bought snowmachines or rented apartments outside of what they really needed. They could've afforded college on their savings, PFDs, and part-time jobs but didn't want to live that more frugal lifestyle.
I SEZ CLOZE THE DAMMED YUUNOVERSETY SINS IT AINT GOT NUTHIN GUDE. ALL THEM EDYUUKATED PEEPL JUZT WAZET MY TAXPAE-ER DAHLLARZ ENY WAZE. IM SMART ENUF i DONT NEED NO HEL P FRUM THEM COMMMUNIZTZ NO HOW.
Just did a Really Fast look at some of the things that had come out of UAF, and wonder what some of the money is being use for.
Some of the things that came out of the UAF that deserves an Honorable
Mention. ( Drum Roll Please )
1. Do melting glaciers make for bad oysters?
Article #1816
by Ned Rozell
2. The AGLA (Alaska Gay & Lesbian Association) is to provide a supportive environment for UAF Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgendered Students, Faculty and Staff to meet and discuss issues and socialize
3. Are sea birds becoming too dumb to survive?
12:06 09 November 2005 by Gaia Vince
The global decline in seabird populations is of growing concern to ecologists, and now researchers have discovered a new cause - some may be becoming too stupid to survive.
NOTE: Someone paid Good Money to the UAF, so that Young-People could write Stuff like this!
(Big-Grins)
GASP. Some people are actually educated and intellectually curious? Education and research can actually be beneficial to society? No way!
Glockmod, you sound like a serious version of TAC's above comment.
One of the reasons why I didn't go to college out of state was because UAF was more affordable. I was surprised to read that. Most of my friends stayed here too because it's cheap... hmm.. Either way, I'm currently going to UAF and I'm really happy with it. The professors are awesome and the past 3 years that I've attended have ran smoothly. If anything, they get an F for parking.
i really hate to generalize here but i was thinking about this article last night and today and was considering the people i know who attend UAF. again, let me say that i really hate to generalize, but i feel as though the people who i personally know who attend UAF fall into one of three categories: they have a parent working there and get free tuition (which is fantastic, i might add), they don't have very much money or are forced to pay for school themselves and thus can't afford to go out of state, or they are not really academically inclined. again, this only includes people i can think of who attend and not everyone fits the bill. there are exceptions. but it seems like there's an overrepresentation of people in those categories at uaf. you can't do much without money, it's true. but i do not see uaf retaining a lot of UA scholars or a lot of people who graduated at the top of their class. it just seems like the general credentials of local students are not as high as at other large state institutions. i'm not really sure what kind of out of state students they get though, other than athletes. my knowledge on that is very limited.
Solution:
Join the military and get a no-cost education including textbooks.
I completed my Associates, and will complete my Bachelors next spring.
Online courses are a breeze, no gas consumption, no trips to the library, everything at your fingertips.
Good Luck!
I got one of my degrees in New York and one at UAF and I really didn't see a whole lot of difference between the two Universities. In both cases you were given more information than you could possibly completely absorb.
Excuse me.....I thought that Sarah Palin earned her degree in Idaho?
As far as K-12 education, most of these systems don't discriminate between bush Alaska and the Anchorage/Fairbanks/Juneau/MatSu area. These analyses are biased to begin with.
TAC: Thank you Dr. C. for injecting a dose of humour into some others' diatribes 'bout the attitude that pervades the futility of further education.
Also on another post, there are quite a bunch of out of state students that either come as traditional freshmen or transfers, do finish and stay on in the community or elsewhere in the State. UAF is a superb institution in research, engineering and the sciences, open-mindedness (grain of salt should be taken as w/ any community though), and Bunnell's legacy of our little college on the hill. There is also nothing wrong with working a trade after school either. I do and love it.
Or rather should we have let this Golden Heart of ours shrivel like so many other mining towns that dot the Alaskan landscape. Pedro's legacy would not be known then, would it.
K.
This article is not about UAF. It's about all higher ed institutions in the state, including UAA in Anchorage and UAS in Juneau, private institutions such as APU, vo-tech programs such as AVTEC and others.
This article is also not about the quality of the education, which is excellent in most cases. It's about the level of participation (how many Alaskans go to college in the first place), the level of preparation (how well our students do in high school), the amount of financial aid available (not much, unfortunately) and how many college students graduate within six years. If it took you seven to get through because you worked part-time or were raising a family, this report considers that you are somehow a failure, even if you got the degree and a great job.
This report and this article certainly have nothing to do with Palin, the museum, etc. It has to do with a culture in Alaska that doesn't support education. With a state that ranks near the bottom for high school graduation nationally, why would anyone think that higher ed institutions are suddenly going to turn straw into gold?
Another point: tuition at the University of Alaska is about in the middle of western states and less than the national average.
There are excellent alums from the university system. Look around at the folks who have top jobs in this state, with the oil companies, the permanent fund, banks, CPA firms, engineering firms, the hospitals, etc. Many are UA grads.
It's true. We suck. UA Statewide should stop defending, denying, and deflecting and instead provide leadership so that we can become the university system Alaskans need and want. Downsize UA Statewide, and reinvest the salaries and overhead costs into local campuses.
Forget it glow,
Alaska is a welfare state and always will be!
It will take solid leadership (that we fail to have)
in order to provide an efficient education system
in this state. Keep dreaming that teachers will take
a pay cut to provide better services to students.
Through education we become poets and philosophers, and through experience we become useful.
I just thought that up, feel free to use it.
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