Kentucky is undertaking a major initiative to increase the percentage of adult residents that have a postsecondary credential to 60% by 2030. This effort, appropriately named 60×30, is attempting to address the economic issues that are caused by the lack of educational attainment. One of these issues is the increase of poverty when people do not have a degree. Statistics show that 52% of people with a high school degree or below live in poverty, compared to 5% with a Bachelor’s degree. In addition, there may be a lot of job posts that go unfulfilled due to their educational requirements. Kentucky is already in the top 10 states with job vacancies, and the 60×30 effort is attempting to ensure this number doesn’t increase.
In the last ten years, Kentucky has had 16,000 fewer undergraduates between the ages of 26 and 64. The difficulty of striking a balance between family, work, and school obligations is one contributing reason. Adult learners are further deterred by the high cost of college, which exceeds $6,000 per year, and the challenges of readjusting to an academic setting. As a result, the completion rate for these adult learners is four times lower than that of students who continue their education straight out of high school. The goal of the 60×30 project is to reduce these obstacles and raise state-wide educational attainment.
