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Board of Regents reports growth in dual-enrollment and urges expansion of adult workforce scholarships
Summary
The Board of Regents and the commissioner of higher education updated lawmakers on dual enrollment gains, teacher-recruitment work and adult scholarship programs; officials recommended increased funding for the MJ Foster adult scholarship and adjustments to scholarship stacking rules.
Kim Hunter Reid, commissioner of higher education, told the Senate Education Committee on March 18 that dual enrollment participation has risen and that the state is expanding efforts to align higher education with workforce demand.
Hunter Reid said 41,000 high school students were participating in dual enrollment through public postsecondary institutions, a multi-year increase the board attributes to policy priorities set in 2019. She also said 74% of the class of 2023 graduated from high school with at least one college credit or credential, a jump from 64% when the initiative began.
The commissioner and Board of Regents chair Misty Cordell described work across multiple fronts: increasing pathways for career and technical education within high schools, pursuing funding parity so families are not charged for dual enrollment courses, and expanding pre-service educator and paraprofessional-to-teacher programs to address teacher shortages.
Hunter Reid highlighted the MJ Foster adult scholarship program, a 2021 initiative for adults entering high-demand fields. The Board reported that initial MJ Foster participants saw average salary increases of about $20,000 after completing credential programs; the Regents recommended doubling MJ Foster's appropriation from $10.5 million to $21 million to serve more adults. The commission also recommended statutory or administrative changes to allow GoTeach scholarship recipients to stack Pell and other aid so funds serve more aspiring teachers.
Other items discussed included nurse workforce challenges, the Patriot Scholars (National Guard) scholarship and a study of state scholarship programs to ensure better alignment with workforce needs.
Ending: Hunter Reid and Regents staff told lawmakers they would continue work with the Legislature on scholarship alignment, dual-enrollment funding mechanics and workforce-aligned credentialing.
