Research by the U.S. Department of Education in 2019 affirmed, once again, what is generally thought to be true—to get a good job, get a good education.
As Inside Higher Ed reported on the study, “Adults with a degree after high school are far less likely to be unemployed or underemployed than are their peers who lack such a credential.”
A report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics connects earnings and employment with education; the higher the education attainment, the more money an individual usually makes and the less likely they are to be unemployed.
For example, on average a person with only a high school diploma earns about 80 percent of a person with an associate’s degree, 60 percent of an individual with a bachelor’s degree and 40 percent of someone with a professional degree.
These statistics are relevant for our state. The financial website Wallethub looked at 18 education metrics to rank the most and least educated states. Massachusetts came in first, while West Virginia ranked 50th.
West Virginia must do better, and one of the ways is to get more West Virginia students to take advantage of the Promise Scholarship. The merit-based program awards scholarships to West Virginia students to attend an in-state two-year or four-year institution.
But the Promise hit a snag.
The myriad school interruptions during the pandemic and the difficulties associated with distance learning have caused test scores and grade point averages to drop, meaning fewer students would qualify for the scholarship.
The Higher Education Policy Commission has responded by lowering the academic standards slightly, while also raising the scholarship amount from $4,750 to $5,000 per academic year. HEPC Chancellor Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker hopes the changes will help improve the going to college rate during a tough time.
“High school students have been working hard to overcome challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Tucker said, “and it is critical that we work with them so they have every opportunity to continue their education affordably.”
Tucker expects the reduced academic qualifications to be temporary. “We will continue working to find the right balance between preserving the integrity of our merit-based scholarship and meeting the students where they are.”
We have a long way to go in West Virginia toward improving the education of our people. Currently, only 43 percent of our workforce is formally credentialed beyond high school. HEPC’s goal is to improve that number to 60 percent by 2030.
Critics might suggest the state is “dumbing down” the Promise. There may be some truth to that, at least in the short term. But the greater goal is to give students opportunities to continue their education with less debt.
That will be a benefit for the students, their families, and our state.