More in Hawaii
skipping college
A report says the state lags
the nation as a whole in preparing
students for higher education
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But there's a lot of room for improvement.
According to a biennial study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, the chances of Hawaii young people enrolling in college right after graduation has dropped 12 percentage points over the last 10 years.
A decade ago, about 44 percent of ninth-graders entered college four years later. Today, only about 38 percent go to college by age 19. The "Measuring Up 2004" study attributed the drop to a decline in the percentage of students graduating from high school.
Overall, Hawaii's grades in five areas -- preparation, participation, affordability, completion and benefits -- are slightly below the nation as a whole, according to the report.
Despite some improvements over the last decade, Hawaii's K-12 schools got a "C" grade for preparing students for college as compared with a "B-" for the entire country.
The report cites poor performance by low-income eighth-graders on math -- only 8 percent are proficient -- and below-average performance overall among eighth-graders, despite an increase in reading proficiency.
"All states are improving, but Hawaii started further behind than most states," said Dennis Jones, an adviser on the report card who is also a consultant for the University of Hawaii.
On the positive side, the report noted that 73 percent of Hawaii's intermediate and high school teachers majored in the subjects that they teach.
Hawaii got a "D" grade for keeping college costs affordable, the same as the last report two years ago. While that may seem low, the United States as a whole flunked college affordability.
Among the states, only California, Utah and Minnesota earned higher than a "D." No state received an "A."
The report card grades affordability in part by comparing net college costs, including state financial aid, with the average family income in each state. By that measure, the study said, college is becoming less affordable in most states.
Attending a public four-year college here costs the average family about 23 percent of their income. Community college costs about 18 percent of an average family's income, one of the most affordable percentages in the nation.
Several factors could change Hawaii's grade in the next few years.
This fall, UH regents are expected to consider a tuition increase that will begin in 2006. UH officials are also asking the governor and the Legislature for $20 million to start a state financial aid fund.
Unlike most states, Hawaii does not offer state financial aid, instead relying on tuition waivers to help low-income students afford college.
The report noted that state funding of higher education here has remained fairly constant at about 10 percent of total spending.
Jones, who will be making a presentation to lawmakers and university officials later this month, said state funding, tuition and financial aid all need to be considered as part of an overall strategy to fund higher education and still keep it affordable.
"With the money we have, how do we spend it to maximize education and opportunity?" Jones said. "You have to think about how you spend the money, not just how much money you spend."
Jones noted that the report suggests there has been progress in improving education from kindergarten through high school over the last decade, but the nation has not made much progress with significantly increasing college enrollment or completion rates.
Hawaii received a "B-" for participation in higher education. About 36 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds here are enrolled in college, close to the top states, which have 40 percent participation.
Of those who go to college, about 28 percent of high school graduates leave the state for higher education. Overall, about 1,361 more students leave Hawaii than enter to attend college.
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education is a nonprofit group that promotes policies that enhance opportunities for higher education.
The report card evaluates states on the performance of their private and public four-year schools and community colleges. It is designed to provide the public and policymakers with information to assess and improve post-secondary education in each state.