alabama's working families and the broken promise of economic ...

level for the state, and ultimately compromises thestate’s ability to foster an adequately trained workforce.The link between educational attainmentand earning capacity would indicate, further, thatstudents leaving without acquiring some level ofcertification will see a corresponding decreasein their ability to provide economic security forthemselves and their families.A significant factor that likely plays a role in the state’spoor retention rate among students is affordability.While tuition at Alabama’s two-year college systemis 59 percent of the average cost of tuition and fees atpublic four-year colleges in the state, 27 costs representa significant barrier for low-income students and theirfamilies. Tuition and fees at the lowest-priced collegein the state would require 28 percent of the income ofAlabama’s poorest families – those 40 percent withthe least financial resources. 28 Alabama provides onlythe most minimal need-based financial assistancewith tuition and fees. According to the AlabamaCommission on Higher Education, in the 2005-06academic year, more than 100,000 Alabama studentsmet the eligibility criteria for need-based assistance.But because of financial limitations, fewer than 4,000students received assistance, with an average grant ofonly $555. 29 Though the Alabama Legislature morethan doubled the appropriation for assistance in the2008 fiscal year, the outlay remains woefully inadequate.The allocation of additional state resourcescould play a significant role in improving the state’sretention and graduation rates, particularly amonglow-income students.Alabama offers non-degree career classes, but statepolicies do not support them in ways that makethem accessible to low-income working adults.Financial assistance cannot be used for suchclasses, and these classes are funded similarly tocredit classes, thus relying on tuition and fees tocover their costs. That makes them prohibitivelyexpensive for low-income working families. Thesetypes of training activities can provide low-incomeadult workers with the skills necessary to competefor higher-wage jobs while continuing their currentemployment.Low-income workers with families face particularproblems in seeking educational and trainingopportunities outside the workplace. The financialcosts associated with tuition, textbooks and fees;transportation to and from education facilities;available child care at affordable rates; and academicschedules may conflict with work demands.Creation of student support services that addressthese and other barriers is necessary if Alabama’slow-income working families are going tobridge the gap and gain economic security.Since 2000, the Alabama College System(ACS) has employed a detailed and comprehensiveperformance evaluation system thatuses data from a number of indicators to measureboth individual college and system-wideperformance in career and technical educationprograms. This system tracks studentretention, program completion, academicperformance, post-college employment andother factors. The resulting data reports,however, are prepared for internal use onlyand remain difficult for consumers and taxpayersto obtain – or to understand. In 2006,the ACS began to implement a new accountabilityinitiative, the College AccountabilityPerformance Profile (CAPP), that purportsto provide each college with a similar array ofdata on all students and program areas. Thegoal of the new system is to “increase recognitionof accomplishments of communitycolleges while providing specific areas of focusfor improvement.” 3020 Bridging the Gap