Access to Education = Economic Opportunities

Unemployment rates for workers who have a high school diploma are 50 percent higher than for holders of an associate’s degree and twice that of those who have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Over a lifetime the added economic value of a college education is reflected in earning differences among workers based on their level of education. Those with higher levels of academic attainment have tended to increase their earnings. Individuals with a baccalaureate degree earn on average 40% more –the equivalent of $900,000 – over a lifetime than those who hold only a high school credential (Ruppert, 2003). Human capital theorist holds that colleges and universities contribute to economic growth through the creation of new knowledge and increasing the stock of citizens who are able to implement new processes and technologies into the economy. Researchers estimate that increases in education levels account for 15 to 20 percent of the annual growth in output for the United States.

Mortenson (2003) in his report based on data collected in 2000 indicates that households headed by persons with a least a bachelor’s degree paid 51 percent of all federal income taxes, despite accounting for only 27 percent of all households and 42 percent of all household income. Given these factors the question facing political leaders is not a simple one, but one that impacts the future of society. Can America continue to remain the world’s largest economy with an educational system where access for the vast portion of its population is slowly being eroded? And those impacted the most and can afford it the least are consistently finding it more challenging to pay for an education? The closing off of access to higher education will have a serve and negative impact on minority and women and thereby limit their economic viability. This process is antithetical to the purpose of community colleges and the historical role it has played in the development of the nation’s workforce.