For some students, college wasn”t an option – pursuing a higher education was a certain and critical part of their future.
But for others, college wasn”t an option. It was a dream – an almost improbable reality they had to struggle to achieve. Some students never thought about college and never will.
Not every student grows up in the same environment or with the same ideas about higher education, which makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly where problems like low “go-on” rates among the state”s youth population begin.
Commissioned by University of Idaho President Chuck Staben, UI”s McClure Center for Public Policy Research executed a study and released data earlier in January examining the foundation of Idaho”s low go-on rate, or the rate at which the state”s graduating high school students go on to pursue higher education.
Of Idaho”s youth, the study found only 53 percent of females and 38 percent of males enrolled in a college or university in the fall after high school graduation. An additional finding of the study was that not all young adults believe postsecondary education is worth the endeavor.
These low numbers are a statewide problem, but it isn”t being overlooked by UI administrators.
Not only did Staben commission the study as a means of understanding the reasons behind such low go-on rates, the university staff as a whole has also been working on a number of initiatives to increase student awareness of and interest in higher education.
In addition to a number of new recruiting events held by the university around the state and campus-wide construction projects aimed at creating more spaces for potential and incoming UI students, the university is part of developing state initiatives such as Complete College Idaho and Direct Admissions to help increase college enrollment and continuation rates.
Although higher education is one of the many ways to begin a career and serves as a tremendous, invaluable learning experience, it”s also not for everyone. University environments in particular can be stressful, anxiety inducing and not cohesive or accommodating to certain learning styles.
Not every young adult will thrive in an environment driven by grade-oriented academic performance. Some of the best and brightest minds hardly finished high school, and other individuals have found success in the job market by attending a trade or technical school or training for a specialized job under someone within their field of choice.
It”s important that the university acknowledges these low go-on rates and does everything possible to encourage young adults to pursue a higher education, but it”s also important to remember that college isn”t for everyone, and that”s OK. Whether it means taking a break from school and resuming later on, starting a job immediately after high school or going to college, at the end of the day, students should follow a life path that they feel like is best for them and will make them the happiest.
– CB