Education wake-up call

A national group of legislators is ringing the alarm bell about the future of America's higher education system, and Utah leaders are taking notice.

A report this month from the National Conference of State Legislatures points to students falling through the cracks in the American university and college network, which is quickly losing its standing as the premier education system in the world, the report said.

"The American system is no longer the best in the world. Other countries are outperforming us," the report states.

That message comes as no surprise to Utah higher education leaders, who have been pointing to declining enrollments and funding for more than a year. Lagging financial aid, unprepared students and rising tuition are just a few of the factors that are hindering students from getting into school and staying there, said Utah Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Cache, who sat on the bipartisan 12-member commission that prepared the report.

In Utah, the number of 25- to 34-year-old residents holding bachelor's degrees sits at 26 percent, putting the state 32nd in the nation. At the same time, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college has dropped in the past decade from 41 percent to 34 percent.

"We've always prided ourselves on having the best education system in the world. The question is, are our kids taking advantage of it?" Hillyard said. "A lot of these companies are now going to India and China to hire engineers that will compete against our kids because our kids aren't willing to pay the price."

Amanda Covington, spokeswoman for the Utah System of Higher Education, said Utah leaders have already stepped up efforts to address the 15 recommendations outlined in the legislators' report. The report suggest each state identify its strengths and weaknesses with particular attention to the demographic trends for the next 10 to 30 years.

Those numbers aren't great for Utah, with flat predictions for the next 10 years in the number of college-age residents. This year, only two of the nine state colleges and universities posted enrollment growth and the overall system dropped by nearly 4 percent.

Although those statistics are dreary, Covington said Commissioner of Higher Education Rich Kendell is working to recruit from untapped pools of students such as adult learners and minorities.

"We're excited about the report and I think it really pinpoints some of the same issue we're facing in Utah," Covington said. "We're hoping it helps to create a dialogue this legislative session and water cooler talk at Utah businesses."