Nonprofit, Online University, WGU Texas, Public Community College & Private University Associations Release 2nd Bi-Annual Statewide Higher Education Poll

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Online, non-profit university, WGU Texas, Independent Colleges & Universities of Texas (ICUT) and the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) released the results of The 101: The Higher Ed Poll of Texas (“The 101”) today, marking the Texas online higher education leader’s second collaboration with the public community college and private university associations. 

In addition to exploring Texans’ traditional attitudes toward higher education, as in years past, the 2021 poll also surveyed opinions about COVID-19 and its impact.

Key Findings: 

Texans are experiencing disruptions in post-secondary education along with the more widely recognized economic impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• Asked about their experiences since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, 11% reported an interruption to their higher education or certificate training, with another 15% reporting an interruption in the higher education or certificate training of a family member.

As a result of the pandemic, education has shifted primarily online and a significant number of Texans face unrecovered costs and technological burdens, including a lack of reliable internet access and/or limited digital literacy to continue their education. 

• More than 1 in 3 Texans (36%) report purchasing new equipment in order to continue to work or go to school online during the pandemic. Of those who need to purchase equipment, 32% purchased for work, 28% for school, and 40% for both work and school.
• A large majority of those who had to purchase technology for work or school—87%—were not reimbursed for those purchases.
• Among those who purchased technology, 43% said the purchases were a financial hardship.
• Lack of reliable internet service to access online courses or education is cited by 23% of Texans as an obstacle to completing a college degree, with 28% of urban and 30% of rural Texans citing internet reliability as an obstacle to degree completion.

Worries about the cost of obtaining a higher education degree or certification remain prominent in Texans' views of education in both personal and general terms, even though a large majority of Texans who have obtained post-secondary degrees think the cost was worth it to them.  

• Among those without a college degree, financial concerns top the list of obstacles for why a student does not complete a college degree. The number one obstacle cited was "the cost of a degree" (68%), though followed closely by job or work responsibilities (67%) and taking on student loan debt (62%). 
• Seventy percent of those with associate’s degrees, 74% of those with college degrees, and 84% of those with graduate degrees say that the money they or their family has paid for their education has paid off or will pay off.

Most Texans don’t think the state spends enough on higher education, and a large majority think it’s important for the state to continue providing aid to students with financial need.

• Eighty percent say it is ‘very important’ for the State of Texas to continue providing state-funded financial aid for college students who demonstrate financial need. 
• Nearly as many Texans, 75 percent, say it’s ‘very important’ for the state to provide financial aid for adult learners who demonstrate financial need. 
• As in previous surveys, more than 90% of Texans agree that it is essential to have an educated workforce if Texas’ economy is going to compete with other states. 

Large shares of Texans appear to have embraced the pursuit of lifelong learning opportunities within the higher education system in Texas. 

• Among Texans who don’t view their job as a career, 56% say that they need more education and training; but even among those who do see their job as a career, 24% still say that they need more education or training. 
• Twenty-five percent of Texans say that they will enroll in an educational or training program in the next five years, with more than half of those being over the age of 30 (56%). 

“The coronavirus and access to technology have created significant challenges for current and potential students, and this poll supports the widely publicized fact that the pandemic exacerbated existing equity gaps in underserved communities,” said Dr. Darrin Q. Rankin, Chancellor of WGU Texas. “WGU Texas’ mission is to change lives for the better by providing pathways to opportunity, but we need support from our state and local governments when it comes to delivering broadband access and improving digital literacy. We hope Texas lawmakers will use this poll's findings as a resource for drafting policy and making budget decisions that support our higher education students and positively impact our state's economy and workforce development.”

“The past year brought new challenges to our learning communities that required strong, innovative and flexible response plans to support the needs of our students,” remarked Dr. Steven Johnson, President of ICUT. “These poll results make it clear: Texans value higher education as a critical step on their career path, but affordability and inequality continue to create barriers to learning. As we look ahead, affordable opportunities to gain cutting-edge skills will drive our state’s economic property, easing economic woes and repairing local communities. The understanding provided by “The 101” should help policymakers make important funding decisions in the 87th legislative session and beyond.” 

 “The findings of this year’s poll uphold our commitment to offering affordable learning environments that are accessible to Texans from all walks of life,” said Jacob Fraire, President and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC). “Over the past year, we have seen enormous success in adapting to the demands of our current times. We will continue to evolve to meet student needs and expand equitable access to higher education for all Texans.”

The 101 was conducted by independent researchers James Henson, Ph.D., and Joshua Blank, Ph.D., of Strategic Research Associates, (SRATEX, LLC.). The survey utilized a stratified probability sample design, with respondents being randomly selected at the level of the household. The survey also employed a randomized cellphone supplement, with 61 percent of completed interviews being conducted among cell phone only or cell phone dominant households. A Spanish-language instrument was developed and bilingual interviewers offered respondents a chance to participate in English or Spanish. On average, respondents completed the interview in 17 minutes. 800 interviews were conducted between January 4-11, 2021. The final data set is weighted by race/ethnicity, age, and gender to achieve representativeness as defined by the Texas State Health Department’s population projections for the 2018 Texas Adult Population. The overall margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.46 percentage points.