Education Forward Arizona, as part of its Everything to Gain campaign, unveiled a second poll in an ongoing series for the state of Arizona. The results show that regardless of socioeconomic status, most Arizonans who never completed a degree or program outside of high school see the value of additional education or training. Costs—financial, time, and opportunity—are the major barriers to why Arizonans did not pursue or did not complete education or training after high school.

Key findings from respondents include:

  • Fifty-four percent say they would be better off with more education and training after high school. However, 60% say that cost kept them from continuing their education.
  • Sixty-two percent of mothers cited the cost as a major barrier compared to 44% of fathers.
  • Thirty-two percent of mothers said the cost of childcare was a major barrier compared to 22% of fathers.
  • Fifty-three percent of Latino respondents indicated that working to support their families financially is a major barrier to completing education or training after high school, compared to 39% of their white non-Hispanic counterparts.

“Cost being a prohibiting factor is not necessarily groundbreaking,” said President and CEO Rich Nickel. “But it is revealing of the opportunity because many other issues that some consider barriers to postsecondary attainment – fear of coursework, lack of encouragement, fear of discrimination, political bias, and more – were virtual non-issues. According to this data, solving the cost issue and providing childcare options will open the enrollment floodgates. Additionally, a majority of the people surveyed agree that their lives would be “better off” if they were to enroll and complete education and training.”

Education Forward Arizona and Helios’ recent study, “Billions to Gain,” shows that if this issue is solved, all of Arizona stands to benefit, to the tune of $5 billion in new revenue. But Arizona hitting the Achieve60AZ goal—which is 60% of working-age adults having some form of postsecondary education by 2030 – is critical to achieving that new revenue.

Education Forward Arizona commissioned this second poll with support from the Arizona Innovation Alliance (AIA), a tri-university partnership between Arizona’s public 4-year institutions to increase postsecondary attainment through enhanced collaboration.

This is the second in a series of polls aimed at better understanding the desire and value for education and training after high school in Arizona. The first study found that Arizona voters, across the ideological spectrum, overwhelmingly support increasing the percentage of Arizonans with a degree or certificate beyond high school.

This comes on the heels of multiple op-eds calling for more investments in education after high school by elected, business, and education leaders in Maricopa, Yuma, Coconino, and Pima Counties.

Education Forward Arizona will unveil a new poll this fall, the third in the series, focused on potential solutions to draw Arizonans to education or training after high school. The findings will be a clear call to action for elected and business leaders to take essential steps to support learners across the state and benefit our economy.

About Education Forward Arizona
Education Forward Arizona is a statewide education advocacy organization dedicated to championing education as the key driver to improving Arizona’s economy and quality of life. Education Forward Arizona serves as the leading voice for promoting the state’s Achieve 60AZ education attainment goal and a shared action plan to move the goals of the Arizona Education Progress Meter forward. The organization’s work also includes mobilizing people and communities to advocate for policies and funding to improve educational outcomes across the Pre-K to postsecondary continuum, as well as providing scholarships and programs that improve postsecondary attainment for Arizona’s diverse student population. Learn more at EducationForwardArizona.org.

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