A new strategic plan from Pennsylvania’s State Board of Higher Education aims to get colleges and universities working in harmony to boost the state’s economic development goals.
It’s the first time in decades the state has created a guiding document for post-secondary education.
Board Chair Cindy Shapira said Pennsylvania has historically found itself ranked near the bottom of states in terms of college affordability and state funding. She said the plan is a major step in addressing those issues.
There are six goals to the plan: increase postsecondary credential attainment, ensure affordable pathways to postsecondary credentials, support the economic development needs of the Commonwealth, support the workforce development needs of the Commonwealth, ensure accountability and efficient use of state funds, and strengthen the fiscal health and stability of the higher education sector.
The board was formed in 2024 to provide coordination for the fragmented sector. While the board can’t order schools to make changes, it can increase communication between lawmakers, businesses, students, and colleges. Shapira said finally having a central body for higher education could help create a more cohesive and collaborative landscape.
Kate Shaw, the board’s executive director, said the board has already opened collaborations with agencies that don’t always talk with the education sector, including the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
The plan was written after collecting input from more than 1,300 people across the state, from a variety of sectors and backgrounds.
Shapira said one of the strongest themes is that there needs to be more publicly available data.
“ We have to understand who is out there, what is out there. People want transparency, they want to know what they will get as an outcome of post-secondary education,” Shapira said, adding the board is working now to create a user-friendly repository of such information.
Shapira said the State System of Higher Education, where she also serves on the board of governors, has data to show that graduates earn $1 million over their lifetimes, on average, compared to those with only a high school education.
Shaw said Pennsylvania is not producing enough graduates with the right credentials to fill all the needed jobs, which could drive employers out of the state. Right now the gap is at 60,000.
“ We know that if we don’t do a better job of linking our higher education offerings to the credentials and skills needed by employers, that gap is going to grow to well over 200,000 by the year 2032,” Shaw said.
Improving communication and messaging are at the heart of solutions for both creating affordable pathways to higher education and increasing the number of people earning a degree or certificate.
Shaw said affordability is often cited as a barrier to higher education, but she said the true costs are usually lower than the tuition listed on college websites. There are federal and state grants as well as scholarships that can lower costs. Shaw said encouraging programs such as dual-enrollment, in which high school students earn college credit before graduation, can also bring down costs.
Shapira said she envisions creating a communications and social media plan that can be shared with partners to encourage people to seek training and education.