In today’s economy, good-paying jobs often require a post-secondary credential after high school.  The Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University estimates that by 2018, 60% of all jobs will require post-secondary training.  The Memphis Talent Dividend, an Action Initiative of Leadership Memphis, has, for over 3 years, advocated all post-secondary training as a workforce development tool, leading to more well-paying jobs for Memphians.

Governor Haslam noted in his State of the State address this past January, only 32 percent of Tennesseans have an associate’s degree or higher.  In Memphis, while the overall attainment numbers are similar, when race is taken into account, the African American majority in our city falls far short.  In fact, only 24% of African Americans have an Associate’s degree or better, compared to 33% of white citizens; and only 14.5% of African American males have attained at least an Associate’s degree.  Until we find a way to eliminate this disparity, a significant portion of our citizens will be at a distinct disadvantage when competing for living-wage jobs.

Dual enrollment, in which high school students take a class that earns them both high school and college credit, can improve postsecondary outcomes for students who tend to be under-represented in higher education. The Community College Research Center (CCRC) recently conducted a study of Tennessee’s dual enrollment program and recommended several policy changes to make the program more effective and increase student participation. You can access the CCRC Tennessee study by visiting tncollegeaccess.org/learn or ccrc.tc.columbia.edu.

One key recommendation in the report is to eliminate the cost to high school students. Currently, a lottery-funded dual enrollment scholarship provides $300, but tuition for a three-hour course at a community college is closer to $450. This gap between the scholarship amount and the cost of the course, as well as the need to buy a college textbook, can be a significant barrier for students of limited financial means.   At Christian Brothers University, we have seen this need firsthand with our dual enrollment students, and have provided additional scholarship dollars to cover this gap.

Finding a statewide solution to the tuition gap makes dual enrollment more attractive and feasible for institutions and students. High schools should not be penalized by losing funding for students who are dually-enrolled, and colleges should receive their state allocation for serving these students while waiving their fees. Both high school and college credit should be guaranteed to students, and the college credits should be transferable to any public two- or four-year institution in the state.

CCRC also recommended that dual enrollment be made available to a wide range of students. By implementing streamlined, multi-tiered eligibility requirements, students with differing abilities will be able to take college courses in the areas for which they are ready, even if they are not prepared for college coursework in other disciplines.

Dual enrollment opportunities can give all students—including those who come from families with no college experience—a chance to “try on” the role of the college student. But dual enrollment programs serve another important function: forging relationships between colleges and local high schools.  Through their work with dually enrolled high school students, colleges can develop a clearer understanding of the needs of incoming students. Partnering high schools can better align their high school curriculum with college standards.

When students are encouraged to participate in dual enrollment, they receive a clear message that all economically viable roads to success require some form of postsecondary education.  Perhaps most importantly, with more students preparing to take at least one college class, high schools will raise expectations and standards for all students. Governor Haslam has set the right goal of 55 percent of Tennessee’s adults with a postsecondary degree by the year 2025, and improving our dual enrollment program will help us meet the challenge.

Dr. John Smarrelli is also Co-Chair of the Memphis Talent Dividend: College Attainment Initiative, whose goal is to raise the college attainment rate in Memphis by one percentage point, realizing a $1 billion annual economic benefit for Memphis.

By Dr. John Smarrelli, President of Christian Brothers University as well as Co-Chair of Memphis Talent Dividend

This article was first published in August 31 edition of The Commercial Appeal