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ECONOMIC REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

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Thousands of 2015 Dollars<br />

900<br />

800<br />

700<br />

600<br />

500<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

Figure 5-2<br />

Present Value of Added Lifetime Earnings vs. Total Tuition<br />

Present Value of Added Lifetime Earnings<br />

Total Tuition and Fees<br />

Associate Bachelor's Graduate<br />

Note: Lifetime earnings are calculated by summing median annual earnings for full-time, fullyear<br />

workers at every age between 25 and 64 by educational attainment, subtracting earnings<br />

for the same type of worker with only a high school degree, and converting to present value<br />

using a 3.76% discount rate. Tuition for associate (bachelor's) is the full-time tuition for two-<br />

(four-) year schools multiplied by two (four), and for graduate, it is the average graduate tuition<br />

multipled by three added to bachelor's tuition.<br />

Source: CPS ASEC 2015 and 2016; NPSAS 2012; NCES 2015<br />

Zimmerman (2014) compares students whose GPAs are either just above or<br />

just below the threshold for admission to Florida International University,<br />

a four-year school with the lowest admissions standards in the Florida<br />

State University System. This study finds that “marginal students” who are<br />

admitted to the school experience sizable earnings gains over those who just<br />

miss the cutoff and are thus unlikely to attend any four-year college, translating<br />

into meaningful returns net of costs and especially high returns for<br />

low-income students. Using a similar methodology, Ost, Pan, and Webber<br />

(2016) study the benefit of completing college among low-performing<br />

students whose GPAs are close to the cutoff for dismissal at 13 public universities<br />

in Ohio. They find substantial earnings benefits for those who just<br />

pass the cutoff and complete their degree. Turner (2015) similarly finds that<br />

women who attend college after receiving welfare benefits experience large<br />

and significant earnings gains if they complete credentials.<br />

In addition to higher earnings, college graduates are also more likely<br />

to work than high school graduates. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,<br />

summarized in Figure 5-3, show that college graduates with at least a bachelor’s<br />

degree participate in the labor force at a higher rate than high school<br />

Investing in Higher Education | 303

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