When it comes to completing coursework at two-year colleges, Texas is falling behind, reports My San Antonio. This could prove a hindrance in years to come. By 2020, a full 30 percent of US jobs will require some college experience or an associate’s degree.
To ensure that American workers are prepared, President Obama has proposed providing two years of college for free. The plan would save almost $4,000 in tuition per student per year, and 9 million students would benefit.
Of full time students who begin study at one of Texas’s 50 community or junior colleges, only about 30 percent complete the full two years. For part time students, the numbers are even more troubling: Only about one in four students completes two years of study. That ranks Texas 46th among states, when it comes to completion at two-year colleges.
And the reason for the drop-out rate isn’t tuition; Texas ranks third nationally in terms of lowest average tuition at public two-year institutions.