3: Higher Education, Employment, and Future Learning

Ensure the accessibility, affordability, and accountability of higher education, and better prepare students and adults for employment and future learning.

Other Information:

America’s institutions of higher education have long been engines of innovation, helping the nation to achieve a level of economic prosperity experienced by few other countries throughout history. The dynamics of rapid technological change over time have required greater levels of education to sustain the global competitiveness of the American economy. As a result, an increasing proportion of Americans have enrolled in and completed a program of postsecondary education in order to secure high-quality employment in competitive industries. However, the provision of higher education in America requires further transformation. According to data from the Bureau of the Census, only 36 percent of Americans over the age of 25 have an associate’s degree or higher; as a nation, we need more individuals enrolling in and completing a higher education program. Postsecondary institutions must become more transparent in providing relevant information to the public and more attuned to trends in global economic development. Financial aid must be made available to students in a more simplified manner and be more focused on students with the greatest financial need. Furthermore, adult education and vocational rehabilitation programs in America must provide increasingly effective services to improve the skills and employment prospects of those they serve. The Department’s third strategic goal focuses on these essential improvements over the next six years.

Stakeholder(s):

• Postsecondary Students


• Adults

Objective(s):

3.1: Completion

3.2: Student Aid

3.3: Adult Learners and Individuals with Disabilities

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