The decline in Indiana’s college-going rate for recent high school graduates has accelerated due to the pandemic. This presents challenges which must be addressed with urgency and thoughtfulness. José Medina and Sean Tierney from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) will discuss enrollment trends along the postsecondary pipeline during a program hosted by IUPUC on Nov. 4, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in the Columbus Learning Center Lecture Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Medina serves as the School & Community Outreach Manager for CHE, where he supports K-12 outreach initiatives and provides bilingual services to schools, families, and community partners across Indiana. Tierney directs the Commission’s policy, research, and data efforts, including the higher education reporting process.

According to a recent Commission report, 53 percent of 2020 Indiana high school graduates went to college the following year –a 12 percent decline from 2015. While cost remains a significant barrier, there are a number of other factors keeping Indiana students from attending postsecondary education, including the perceived value of higher education. Medina and Tierney will address these issues and more during the program.

Created in 1971, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education plans, coordinates and defines Indiana’s postsecondary education system to align higher learning with the needs of students and the state. The Commission also administers Indiana’s financial aid programs, including the 21st Century Scholars early college promise scholarship, which celebrated 30 years in 2020.

“Educational attainment has a dramatic impact on local economies to be sure, but education beyond high school also impacts the quality of life for individuals and families including health outcomes,” said Marsha VanNahmen, Assistant Director, Center for Teaching and Learning at IUPUC. “We welcome this opportunity to drill deeper into the college-going data and consider actionable steps we might take in the short- and long-term to change the trajectory of this troubling trend.”

For more information about the program, please contact Marsha VanNahmen via email at mvannahm@iupuc.edu.