NEW POLL SHOWS ARIZONANS DEMAND ACTION ON INCREASING ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

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Oct 17, 2024, 20:08 ET

PHOENIX, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Education Forward Arizona, as part of its Everything to Gain campaign, unveiled a new poll in an ongoing study regarding the state of attainment of education and training after high school. The results show that Arizonans overwhelmingly support specific policy actions from leaders and lawmakers to increase support and resources to help Arizonans attain a degree or certificate. The poll also showed that voters want to see candidates they are considering voting for this November supporting these policies.

Key findings from respondents include:

Six in ten voters favor "doing more" to increase the share of Arizonans with education and training beyond high school.
- Support for this idea crosses all major demographic groups, including party affiliation, gender, age, race/ethnicity and income levels.

Three in four Arizonans would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports Arizona's attainment goal.

Voters strongly support policies to make career/technical education programs and college more accessible and affordable, and there is broad support for increasing the number of Arizona high school students who complete FAFSA.
- To highlight:
  - 95% support increasing access to career training and readiness programs, including apprenticeships, internships and professional certificate training programs
  - 93% support expanding access to advanced placement and dual enrollment courses that allow high school students to earn college credits (with 64% strongly supporting)
  - 81% support waiving fees and auto-enrolling eligible students in programs to earn college credits prior to high school graduation

"We said it after the legislative session ended, but this data bears repeating it: the state budget missed the mark," said Education Forward Arizona President and CEO Rich Nickel. "This data makes it shockingly clear that there is a fundamental disconnect between policymakers and what Arizonans want to see from them regarding supporting increased attainment of education and training after high school. This data should be a wake up call."

Education Forward Arizona and Helios' recent study, "Billions to Gain," shows that if Arizona addresses barriers to postsecondary education, communities stand to benefit, to the tune of $5 billion in new revenue. But Arizona reaching 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. Poll data also showed that over 60% of Arizona voters support the state "doing more" to hit this goal.

This is the third in a series of polls to better understand 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. The second study found that regardless of socioeconomic status, most Arizonans who never completed a degree or program outside of high school see value in additional education - with cost being the only barrier to finishing.

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 as well as a joint op-ed that was just published in the Arizona Republic by the President of Diné College and a Navajo business leader. Engaged Arizonans have also echoed this call, writing multiple letters to their local news sources.

This new data is also bolstered by the 2024 Arizona Voters' Agenda, a recent survey released from the Center for the Future of Arizona who is a partner with Education Forward Arizona on the state Education Progress Meter. In conjunction with Education Forward Arizona's survey, the findings present an inarguable call to action for elected officials to prioritize education as a critical driver of Arizona's long-term success. Now backed by multiple samples of Arizona voters across the two organizations, the findings implore Arizona policymakers to swiftly present focused plans to expand educational opportunities and fuel economic growth through a highly educated and skilled population.

Read a memo summarizing the poll here.

View a slide deck sumarizing some of the data from the poll here.

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.