States — not the feds — have the power to transform higher education

May is graduation season, and this year, an estimated 3.6 million students will be celebrating their program completions. 

The United States needs to continue increasing the number of people with postsecondary degrees or credentials to keep pace in today’s economy, but the extreme costs of higher education and the associated student debt have left Americans questioning the value and necessity of higher education. 

If we want to fix these issues, it is the states, not the federal government who bear the responsibility for making higher education affordable and accessible to all.

While statistics about the 2023 class are still being finalized, the 2022 graduating class offers a glimpse into the various pathways to postsecondary attainment. Nearly 2 million of those graduates will attain a bachelor’s degree, more than 800,000 will earn an associate degree and more than 700,000 will earn a workforce certificate. Approximately 740,000 graduates in 2022 were over the age of 25, showing that postsecondary education extends far beyond the traditional 18–24-year-old student.

Given the purported benefits of higher education, people have been willing to take on debt to cover the cost. Forty-four million student borrowers owe more than $1.7 trillion in student debt, averaging roughly $37,500 per student. 

But things are changing. In a recent New America poll, half of the respondents questioned whether an American can get an affordable, high-quality education after high school. This, coupled with stagnant and declining postsecondary enrollment rates, should raise concern for political leaders.

The U.S. faces an inflection point in higher education, as it is estimated that by 2027, over 70 percent of jobs will require some form of postsecondary degree or education. As of 2021, America has a postsecondary attainment level of 53.7 percent, more than 16 percentage points lower than what is projected to be needed. To reach this goal, every state must embrace its role in reducing the cost of higher education and making it accessible for all residents.    

If we are going to fix higher education issues, state governments must be at the forefront of the work. The U.S. Constitution, and subsequent Supreme Court cases, have made it clear that education is a power reserved for states under the 10th Amendment. Federal financing was never meant to be the primary way to pay for higher education, but rather a means to bridge a cost gap for those from low-income families. Regardless of the outcome of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, the current higher education finance system is broken.

State legislators have the power to make a difference immediately by reducing the cost of higher education and showing residents that there is still value in pursuing postsecondary education. The three suggestions below outline ways to utilize and expand on what is currently working in our higher education system, and areas where state lawmakers owe it to students to create more clear and transparent outcomes.  

First, state policymakers must clarify and uplift the various postsecondary pathways available in their states. The number of associate degree and credential attainers from the 2022 graduating class shows that residents see value in these programs, but more work is needed to align these pathways with regional and local economic needs. 

A perfect example of seamless pathways is seen in the work happening at the College of Southern Nevada. On a regional site visit last month with our Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows, we saw how Nevada is equipping students with crucial professional skills. Through dual enrollment, high school students have the opportunity to gain skills in one of 16 recognized clusters, which each outline a sequence of courses and associate degree and certificate pathways. We heard from students how these clear pathways made pursuing postsecondary training easier and more affordable, while also restoring confidence in the value of higher education.

Second, policymakers must continue to support and elevate the work of minority serving institutions (MSIs) across the nation. MSIs include historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Tribal colleges and universities, predominantly Black institutions (PBIs) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions. These institutions serve critical roles in creating inclusive, supportive environments for students from historically excluded racial populations and are proven drivers of economic mobility. MSIs play a pivotal role in addressing the opportunity gap facing Black, Hispanic and Native American students seeking postsecondary attainment, a systemic failure that continues to undermine the needs of our workforce. Given the success rates these institutions boast, state lawmakers must prioritize supporting MSIs so they can not only continue the work they are doing but expand it.

Finally, state policymakers do not like to talk about increased spending, but if America is going to achieve its goals and maintain an educated workforce, states must invest financially in their higher education systems. While funding for higher education has been on the rise in recent years, when adjusted for inflation, per-student funding still lags behind pre-2008 recession levels. Lack of state investment, decreased financial aid and increasing tuition rates have left students covering more of the total cost of education than ever before.

Through clarifying postsecondary pathways, uplifting MSIs and investing wisely, state legislators have the ability to make an immediate difference in not only the cost of higher education but also the perception of its benefits. 

We owe it to not just the more than 3.6 million graduates this year, but to all the current and future students to deliver on the promised benefits of higher education. It is not just good for citizens, but it is what is needed to keep the United States competitive in today’s economy, and state legislators are best positioned to lead the charge.

Javaid Siddiqi, Ph.D., is president and CEO of the Hunt Institute.