Our intern extraordinaire Annabel writes: 

On Friday, October 17, the Center for American Progress hosted an event entitled "Disconnected Youth and Working Adults: Meet the 21st Century’s Newest College Grads." The panel of speakers, including the authors of two reports recently released by the Center, presented their policy suggestions to tap into the talent and build the skills of high school dropouts as well as improve federal access policies for adults wishing to attend college.

A recurring theme in the discussion was the increasing price of college tuition and the insufficient funds given to adult students through Pell Grants. According to Derek Price, co-author of Federal Access Policies and Higher Education for Working Adults, an independent single adult making $30,000 per year who wishes to attend college is expected to contribute $8,940, or one third of their yearly earnings, to his or her tuition. Price noted that when confronted with this expensive decision, most adults are rational and would thus do the rational thing and not go back to school. To remedy the issue of unaffordable higher education for working adults, Price’s study suggests an increase in the average Pell Grant given to working adults enrolling in school part time, equalization of Pell Grant Eligibility rules, and the alignment of state and federal workforce education programs so low-income adults who complete the programs are then eligible for postsecondary financial aid benefits.  

A second study by Linda Harris and Evelyn Gazglass was also presented at the event. Creating Postsecondary Pathways to Good Jobs for Young High School Dropouts focuses on high school dropouts and what can be done to improve their value in American society. The speakers emphasized that there is no such thing as a spare American and that the “lost” population of high school dropouts can be utilized and trained to aid in a time when the job market is changing. Between 2006 and 2016, an estimated 15.6 million new jobs will be created in the U.S. However, half of these jobs will require more than a GED. To address this changing reality, Harris and Gazglass’ study makes a series of recommendations that emphasize the importance of pushing disenfranchised youth to not only earn their GEDs, but move on to postsecondary education and thus be eligible for more lucrative jobs that will lead to higher paying careers.

The event was informative and raised some very important points. As our country enters a recession, the government is intervening in the student loan market to free up capital. Despite this hit on student loans, the panel still had hope for the future of their policy recommendations. With the election of a new President, the speakers hope a new meta-framework will be set, with more young people being trained for green jobs shifting the paradigms of the American workforce.