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New Jersey's Colleges & Universities
 7th Annual Systemwide
Accountability Report

 adopted January 23, 2004
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education

Mr. Laurence M. Downes, Chairman

Mr. William M. Freeman, Vice Chairman

 

Ms. Jenny Buontempo

Mr. Kevin J. Collins

Dr. Stuart Cook

Dr. Cecile A. Feldman

Dr. Amy H. Handlin

Mr. Rishi S. Jaitly

Dr. Henry C. Johnson

Mr. Alfred C. Koeppe

Mr. Warren E. Smith

Dr. James E. Sulton, Jr., Executive Director


Table of Contents

Introduction
Capacity - The Baby Boom Echoes Across New Jersey
Costs - Affordability
Student Financial Assistance
From Admission to Graduation
Completions - Baccalaureate Degree-Granting Institutions
Completions - Associate Degree-Granting Institutions
Resources - The Faculty
Resources - State Support

Resources -Who Pays?

Benefits
Key Findings


                              Introduction

Accountability stands as a major state higher education policy issue in New Jersey. In the increasingly knowledge-driven global economy, higher education accountability represents a mechanism for providing consumer information and performance-related data to the public.  The statewide focus on accountability arises from perennial concerns about access for New Jersey residents who want to attend college, the increasing difficulty of paying for college, and an incomplete understanding by the public about what quality in higher education means.  In New Jersey, the Commission on Higher Education together with the colleges and universities are accountable to students, taxpayers, businesses, communities, and state and local leaders. 

The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education is responsible for statewide planning, coordination, and advocacy for higher learning in our state.  In conjunction with these responsibilities, the Commission publishes an annual systemwide accountability report on higher education in New Jersey designed to identify priorities and inspire dialogue for future change and growth.  In addition, the Commission is involved in developing a long-range plan for higher education in New Jersey.  Successful implementation of this plan depends on a strong compact between the state and its diverse institutions of higher learning.  In future years, systemwide accountability reporting will measure how well realization of the plan fulfills the higher education needs of students and effectively addresses state priorities.

This year’s systemwide accountability report follows an established practice of assessing annual progress based on student-centered outcomes or results.  It is a statewide performance report, reflecting what students get out of higher education, as well as what resources the state and others put into it.  Among its principal findings are these:

*      Total enrollment has increased by more than 35,500 students since 1997.  Approximately 42% of the total undergraduate and graduate/professional school student enrollment growth since 1997 occurred between fall 2001 and fall 2002. 

*      Over the course of the past decade average annual tuition and fees for New Jersey colleges and universities have increased at rates higher than regional and national averages.

*      New Jersey ranks third in the nation in the percentage of full-time undergraduate students receiving need-based grant aid, and sixth in financial aid of any kind as a percentage of total state higher education funding.

*      Students are taking increasingly longer to complete the academic degree programs in which they enroll.  Students generally need more than two years to earn an associate degree and longer than four years to complete a baccalaureate program.

*      The total number of faculty at New Jersey higher education institutions increased by approximately 35% between fall 1995 and fall 2001.  Part-time faculty increased by 76% during this period, while full-time faculty rose by about 9%. 

*      A 20% gap between the graduation rates of black and Hispanic students and those of whites and Asians has persisted for eight years.


Capacity - The Baby Boom Echoes Across New Jersey

Student enrollment is growing rapidly at New Jersey’s colleges and universities.  More than two-thirds of New Jersey high school graduates attend college within one year of high school graduation, a college participation rate that exceeds the national average.  Since 1997, total enrollment in New Jersey has increased by more than 35,500 students (about 11%).  About 42% of the total enrollment growth since 1997 occurred between fall 2001 and fall 2002.  The overall growth in undergraduate enrollment has been fueled by rising numbers of full-time undergraduates, while the enrollment of part-time students continues to decline.  The majority of students enrolled at New Jersey colleges and universities are New Jersey residents. 

Figure 1:
Percent of Recent High School Graduates
Attending College

Source: Postsecondary Education Opportunity, July 2002.

Figure 2:
Total Enrollment, NJ Colleges & Universities

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Fall Enrollment, 1990 through 2002.

The undergraduate student body at New Jersey's colleges and universities has become more diverse over the past 20 years.  New Jersey is a leader in providing access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds.  Each fall, approximately 10% of the full-time freshman class at New Jersey colleges and universities enrolls through the state's Educational Opportunity Fund program. 

Figure 3:
Race/Ethnicity, NJ Total Undergraduates,
1981-2002

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Fall Enrollment, 1981 through 2002.

Race/Ethnicity

1981

2002*

Black

10%

13%

Hispanic

5%

12%

Asian

2%

7%

White

82%

56%

Alien

1%

3%

Other/Unknown

0%

8%

* - column does not add to 100% due to rounding.


Costs – Affordability

As the demand for postsecondary access increases, public concern mounts about the rising cost of college attendance.  A major issue in the current deliberations over reauthorization of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 touches upon ways to contain postsecondary education attendance costs.  Those expenses increase at rates that exceed annual changes in the Consumer Price Index.  Most colleges and universities have implemented annual tuition and fee increases, with considerable variation among institutional sectors and across the years.  In the case of public institutions, such variation usually tracks closely with the level of state support in a given year.  This relationship has been clearly demonstrated by the community college sector during the period from 1998 to 2003, when tuition increases were small and state funding for these institutions rose. 

According to Trends in College Pricing 2003, an annual survey published by the College Board, average tuition and fees (in current dollars) at colleges and universities in the mid-Atlantic region have increased over the past decade at rates ranging from 89% at four-year public colleges and universities, to 85% at four-year independent institutions and 69% at two-year public colleges.  During the same period, combined tuition and fee assessments at New Jersey colleges and universities have grown at the following average rates: 119% at four-year public colleges and universities, 71% at four-year independent institutions, and 69% at two-year public colleges.  Since 1998-99, the increases for the community colleges have averaged 2.7% per year. 

Figure 4:
Average Full-Time Undergraduate Tuition & Fees,
NJ Colleges & Universities

Note: State college/university data exclude Thomas Edison State College.

Source: NJ IPEDS Form #14 (Tuition and Required Fees).

Figure 5:
Average Tuition & Fees, NJ Compared with US
(Enrollment-Weighted Averages)

Note: State college/university data exclude Thomas Edison State College; data for public research universities exclude UMDNJ.  All New Jersey data adjusted by the AFT Interstate Cost of Living Index.

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Institutional Characteristics, Fall Enrollment, 2001.


Student Financial Assistance

New Jersey is a national leader in providing need-based student financial aid, and during the past decade the state has expanded its provision of merit-based aid.  New Jersey ranks third among all states in the percentage of full-time undergraduates who receive need-based grants and in the need-based dollars it awards per student.  New Jersey ranks sixth in the financial aid of any kind it provides to students as a percentage of total state higher education funding.  During fiscal 2003, over 70,000 New Jersey resident undergraduate students received approximately $227 million in financial assistance from the state. The amount of need-based student financial assistance that New Jersey awards its students is greater than the federal Pell grant dollars that New Jersey resident students receiveFor example, in the 2000-01 academic year, New Jersey grant aid for low-income students was 124% of the federal Pell grant aid.  Nationally, federal Pell grants are the major source of need-based student aid, while the total amount of need-based aid awarded by the states averages between 50% and 60% of the federal dollars distributed in the form of Pell grants.

Families pay a greater percentage of their incomes for students to attend independent colleges and universities than to attend public institutions.  The costs of attending a college or university are lessened by financial aid awarded on the basis of family income.  Nevertheless, the net cost of attendance at New Jersey public colleges and universities is slightly higher than the national average. 

Attendance costs affect students differently depending on family income.  Even though New Jersey provides considerable financial aid, low-income and lower middle-income families still face formidable odds in meeting the costs of college attendance in the state.

Figure 6:
State Grant Aid for Low-Income Students
                                             As a Percent of Federal Pell Grant Aid                           

Source: Postsecondary Education Opportunity, July 2002.

Figure 7:
Percent of Family Income Needed to Pay for College,
By Type of Institution

Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education, 2002.

Table 1:
Net Percent of Income Needed to Pay for College Expenses (Minus Financial Aid) at NJ Colleges and Universities

 

Community Colleges

Senior Publics

Independents

For the 20% of the population with…

the lowest income

54%

67%

133%

lower middle income

24%

30%

56%

middle income

15%

19%

32%

upper middle income

10%

13%

22%

the highest income

6%

8%

14%

Source: Public Agenda Online.


From Admission to Graduation

A STUDENT PROGRESSION MODEL

Institution/Environment

                                    

 Admission standards for new students vary widely among New Jersey’s colleges and universities.  Community colleges maintain open admission policies, while four-year institutions have moderate or highly selective standards.  A widely held belief is that institutions with more stringent requirements will enjoy more impressive graduation rates.  Applicants’ levels of academic preparedness are key elements, and the decision-making process generally requires some combination of standardized test scores, grade point average, and high school rank in class.  Recent affirmative action litigation over admissions practices at the University of Michigan has led to widespread reexamination of the manner in which colleges and universities admit new students.  Under the Supreme Court’s ruling, higher education institutions will have to give more careful, individualized attention to the applications of all prospective freshmen seeking admission. 

The rates at which students progress from admission to graduation vary widely.  The use of graduation rates as an institutional performance measure has been the subject of much debate; questions have surfaced about the validity of this indicator, as well as about its use.  From a state policy perspective, graduation rates are extremely important results.  But a major issue when examining these rates is the need to give proper consideration to the diverse roles and missions of individual institutions. 

State-level accountability should include graduation rates as an index of performance, even though it may incur criticism.  Coincidentally, many external sources also rely upon graduation rates in evaluating higher education performance.  For purposes of systemwide accountability, it is just as important to record and review graduation rates as it is to note the varying missions of colleges and universities in the state.


Completion - Graduation Rates - Baccalaureate Degree-Granting Institutions

Overall, New Jersey’s senior public and independent institutions outperform the national average on graduation rates.  The standard measure used for reporting and comparison is a six-year student cohort completion rate.  It has become commonplace for undergraduates to spend more than four years to earn baccalaureate degrees and more than two years to earn associate degrees.  Prolonged time to degree completion arises from complex circumstances or interactions, which differ markedly among colleges and universities and individual students.  Some explanatory factors are institutionally specific, such as course availability, developmental education prerequisites, English as a Second Language prerequisites, and quality of advisement.  Other factors are more individual and based on students’ personal circumstances, such as part-time study, the need to work, family responsibilities, and interruptions for personal reasons. 

While overall cohort graduation rates for New Jersey senior institutions exceed national averages, further examination reveals much less favorable results for certain groups of students attending our colleges and universities.  A pattern seen in the First Systemwide Accountability Report was a 20% gap between the graduation rates of black and Hispanic students and those of whites and Asians.  Recent data clearly demonstrate that those disparities persist and remain a crucial policy matter for higher education and the state.

Figure 8:
Six-Year Degree-Seeking Freshman Cohort Graduation Rates,
Senior Colleges & Universities

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Graduation Rate Survey, 1997 through 2002.

Figure 9:
Six-Year Degree-Seeking Freshman Cohort Graduation
Rates by Gender and Race/Ethnicity,
NJ Senior Public Colleges & Universities

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Graduation Rate Survey, 2000, 2001, and 2002.


Completion - Graduation Rates - Associate Degree-Granting Institutions

The three-year graduation rate for enrolled students at New Jersey community colleges averages 12%, a rate far below the 30% national average.  These data should be examined in the context of the role community colleges fulfill in the larger state higher education systems.  Some states regulate admissions standards and processes, and based on criteria such as SAT profiles, high school Carnegie units, advanced placement courses, basic skills test scores, formally dictate where students can begin their collegiate careers.  As a state with a highly decentralized system of higher education, New Jersey does not regulate student admissions.  Admissions policy falls strictly within the purview of institutional governing boards. 

Figure 10:
Three-Year Degree-Seeking Freshman
Cohort Graduation Rates,
Community Colleges

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Graduation Rate Survey, 1997 through 2002.

Figure 11:
Three-Year Degree-Seeking Freshman Cohort
Graduation Rates by Gender & Race/Ethnicity,
NJ Community Colleges

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Graduation Rate Survey, 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Figure 12:
Three-Year Degree-Seeking Freshman Cohort
Graduation and Transfer Rates,
NJ Community Colleges

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Graduation Rate Survey, 1997 through 2002.

A contributing factor to New Jersey’s community college graduation rate is students’ ability to transfer from community colleges to senior institutions before completing an associate degree: while the three-year graduation rates for the 1994 through 1999 freshman cohorts hovered between 12% and 13%, their transfer rates rose from 9% to 16%.  As New Jersey continues to promote articulation and student transfer between community colleges and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, it becomes increasingly important to improve associate degree completion rates.  The dual-degree programs with community colleges that New Jersey’s senior colleges and universities have begun to establish and promote require harmony between curricular rigor and course offerings for associate and baccalaureate degrees.  Such programs may make it more appealing for students to complete their associate degrees than to transfer earlier to senior institutions.  


Resources – The Faculty

In fall 2001, New Jersey colleges and universities employed 12,069 full-time faculty members and another 12,331 part-time faculty.  The total number of faculty at New Jersey higher education institutions increased by approximately 35% between fall 1995 and fall 2001.  This increase primarily results from the growth in part-time faculty, whose numbers increased by 76% during this period.  In contrast, the number of full-time faculty members rose by just 9%. 

The faculty has expanded statewide, and the female-to-male ratio among full-time faculty members has steadily increased.  Women now account for 39% of full-time faculty statewide.  Between 1995 and 2001, the number of female full-time faculty members increased by 15%.  In contrast, the number of male full-time faculty members rose by only 4%.  Overall, during fall 2001, 57% of the full-time faculty was tenured.  With 63% of all male full-time faculty having tenure, compared with 50% of females, males represented 65% of all tenured faculty members.  Women comprise an increasing majority of the student body, but they do not predominate in the ranks of full-time faculty. 

Also, despite a 35% increase in the total number of faculty members, New Jersey colleges and universities overall have shown little improvement in the racial/ethnic diversity of the faculty. Faculty diversity does not reflect the demography of either the state population or enrolled students at institutions of higher education.  During fall 2001, African Americans and Hispanics together comprised only 9% of full-time faculty with known ethnic information; in 1995, these two groups accounted for 8% of the full-time faculty.  Whites continue to represent the majority, 78% of the full-time faculty. 

Figure 13:
Total Employees, NJ Colleges & Universities, Fall 2002

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Fall 2001 Staff.

Figure 14:
Faculty, NJ Colleges & Universities,
Full-Time/Part-Time

              Source: NCES, IPEDS, Fall Staff, 1995 to 2001.

Figure 15:
NJ Full-Time Faculty,
Tenure/Nontenure Status
By Gender & Race/Ethnicity, Fall 2001

    Source: NJ IPEDS Form #32 (Full-Time Faculty Survey).


Resources  -  State Support

The state of New Jersey provides principal support for 12 senior public institutions and, in partnership with county governments, partial support for 19 community colleges.  The 14 independent colleges and universities with a public mission also receive fiscal support from the state.  For public institutions, state support includes operating aid, fringe benefits, and a portion of debt service on state-backed bond sales.  The independent colleges and universities receive formula-based aid according to the number of state resident undergraduates enrolled at these institutions and the level of direct state support per student provided to the state college/university sector.  In fiscal year 2003, the state provided more than $1.5 billion in support for higher education institutions (not including fringe benefits for the public institutions).  

Because New Jersey has a small higher education system relative to its population, it trails other states, as gauged by State Tax Appropriations for Higher Education per $1,000 of Personal Income.  In fiscal year 2003, New Jersey ranked 43rd among all 50 states on this index, with approximately $5.78 per $1,000 of personal income in state general fund appropriations going to higher education.  The national average was $7.35 per $1,000 of personal income. 

Tuition in New Jersey remains high.  The most recent data compiled by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board ranks New Jersey seventh highest in the nation for state resident undergraduate tuition and fees at senior public colleges and universities and ninth highest for charges at community colleges.  In fiscal year 2003, the average tuition increase for the senior public colleges and universities was 10%; it was 7% for the independents, and 3.5% for the community colleges. 

To balance high tuition costs and maintain accessibility and affordability, state resident full-time students have a bountiful array of financial assistance programs.  New Jersey ranks near the top nationwide in several key areas: state-funded grant aid to full-time undergraduate students, percentage of full-time undergraduates receiving such aid, and total state grants for student aid as a percentage of total state operating support for higher education institutions.  In fiscal year 2003, the state appropriated $227.2 million for student financial assistance programs.  Additionally, students have available the New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust, a 529 college savings plan that offers certain state tax incentives, as well as scholarships.

Figure 16:
State Support
(in thousands)

Source: Fiscal Year 2003 New Jersey Appropriations Handbook.

Figure 17:
State Tax Appropriations for Higher Education
Per $1,000 of Personal Income

Source: Center for the Study of Educational Policy, Grapevine, “Appropriations of State Tax Funds for Operating Expenses of Higher Education,”  2003.


Resources  -  Who Pays?

Trends in the level of state support for higher education have varied by institutional sector.  The state share of operating expenditures for community colleges increased from 25% in fiscal year 1994 to 29% percent in fiscal year 2002.  During the same period, the average percentage contribution by counties has decreased from 34% in fiscal year 1994 to 28% in fiscal year 2002.  County financial support continues to vary among the counties.  With some paying more than one-third and some paying much less, tuition revenue remains the primary means of funding for the community colleges.   Revenues continue to be unequally shared among students, county support, and state aid.

Figure 18:
Shares of Operating Aid, Community Colleges

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Finance, 1994 to 2002.

For senior public institutions, state support accounts for a declining proportion of their operating expenses.  Data for fiscal year 2002 reveal that the state paid 56% of institutional operating costs including fringe benefits, down from 64% in fiscal year 1994.  Conversely, the percentage borne by students/families in the form of tuition and fees increased from 36% in fiscal year 1994 to 44% in fiscal year 2002. 

Figure 19:
Shares of Operating Aid, Senior Public Institutions

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Finance, 1994 to 2002.


Benefits

There is a high correlation between a highly educated citizenry and a state’s prosperity.

New Jersey’s economy depends on numerous factors, including a strong postsecondary education system.  The Progressive Policy Institute publishes a state New Economy Index, which measures the competitiveness of state economies.  Index scores are based on a variety of indicators that evaluate types of employment and industries, education levels of the workforce, investment and opportunities in high-tech industry, and other related factors.  New Jersey ranks sixth overall on this index, attributable partly to the large proportion of the state’s population with a college education and the large number of professional jobs with college as a prerequisite.

Higher education is critical to the health and vitality of the state’s economy, civic life, stability of communities, and individual well-being.  New Jersey’s “human capital economy” depends on the availability of college-educated workers.  According to Postsecondary Education Opportunity, for the period 1989 through 2001 New Jersey was the seventh largest net importer of college graduates who were educated in other states.  Census 2000 results demonstrate a clear relationship between individual, family, and average municipal family income and the percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Possession of a baccalaureate or more advanced degree increases average household and family income significantly – by 35%.  New Jersey ranks fifth among the states in the percentage of the population holding bachelor’s or more advanced degrees.  New Jersey exceeds the national average in personal and family income, owing partly to a greater proportion of households and families led by parents with college degrees. 

In addition to degree and certificate programs, New Jersey colleges and universities offer a variety of noncredit programs.  The community colleges, for example, served about 100,000 individuals in noncredit courses and provided customized training to 50,000 employees of New Jersey companies during the 2002-03 academic year.

Blacks and Hispanics, however, attend college and graduate from college at lower rates than do whites and Asians.  Therefore, as the state’s population becomes increasingly diverse and its economy depends on the level of education and training of this changing population, these gaps in outcomes may pose serious challenges to future prosperity and quality of life.  One result of the differences in educational outcomes is lost income for individuals and, subsequently, lost potential tax revenue for the state.  According to Measuring Up 2000: State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education, the estimated gap in black college completion rates cost individuals and the state approximately $13.1 billion in lost income and $4.6 billion in lost tax revenue in 2002.

Figure 20:
Educational Attainment of People 18 Years and Over,
NJ and US

Source: US Bureau of the Census, Educational Attainment of People 18 Years and Over, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin, for the 25 Largest States, March 2002.

Figure 21:
NJ Median Income by Educational Attainment, 2001

Source: US Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, March 1996 through 2001.

Figure 22:
Percent of NJ Population Age 25 Years (and Older)
With Bachelor’s Degree (or Higher)
By Race/Ethnicity

Source: US Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, March 1996 through 2001; NJ Department of Labor, Division of Labor Market & Demographic Research, January 2002.

Figure 23:
Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded by NJ Colleges & Universities,
Top 10 Major Areas

Source: NCES, IPEDS, Completions, 1991, 1995, and 2001.

More than half of all bachelor’s degrees were awarded in five major areas (both communications and life sciences surpassed arts, letters, and sciences  in 2001).  Despite an overall decline between 1991 and 2001, business/management remained the most popular degree.  


Key Findings

Enrollments/Capacity

*       Student enrollment has grown by 35,500 since 1997; 42% of the total growth occurred between fall 2001 and fall 2002.

*       The undergraduate student body at NJ colleges and universities has become more diverse over the past 20 years.

*       More than two-thirds of NJ high school graduates attend college within one year of high school graduation, which is higher than the national average, and this percentage has been growing.

*       NJ is a leader in providing access to higher education to students from low-income families. 

Cost of Attendance

*       NJ ranks seventh highest in the nation for state resident undergraduate tuition and fees at senior public colleges and universities and ninth highest for charges at community colleges. 

*       Over the past decade, average tuition and fees at community colleges and four-year independent institutions have grown at the same or lower rates in NJ than in the mid-Atlantic region; the average increase at four-year public institutions has been higher in NJ than in the region.

*       NJ is a leader in the nation in need-based student aid and has expanded merit-based aid over the past decade.

*       In 2000-01, NJ grant aid for low-income students was 124% of federal Pell grant aid.

*       Even though NJ provides considerable financial aid, low-income and lower middle-income families still face formidable odds in meeting the costs of college attendance in the state.

From Admission to Graduation

*       NJ’s senior public and independent institutions outperform the national average among their counterparts on graduation rates. 

*       While the three-year graduation rates for the 1994 through 1999 freshman cohorts at NJ community colleges hovered between 12% and 13%, trailing the national average three-year graduation rate of 30%, their transfer rates during the same period rose from 9% to 16%.

*       As NJ continues to promote articulation and student transfer between community colleges and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, it becomes increasingly important to improve associate degree completion rates.

*       A 20% gap between the graduation rates of black and Hispanic students and those of whites and Asians has persisted for eight years.

The Faculty

*       In fall 2001, a total of 12,069 full-time and 12,331 part-time faculty members worked at NJ colleges and universities. 

*       The total number of full-time faculty has grown, and the female-to-male ratio among faculty members has increased, with females now constituting 39%.

*       The overall increase is primarily the result of hiring part-time faculty, who increased by 76% between 1995 and 2001, in contrast to the number of full-time faculty, which rose by just 9%. 

*       Despite a 35% increase in the total number of faculty, NJ colleges and universities overall have shown little improvement in the racial/ethnic diversity of the faculty. 

State Support

*       NJ provided $1.9 billion for higher education in FY 2003, but the state ranked 43rd among all 50 states, at approximately $5.78 per $1,000 of personal income; the national average was $7.35 per $1, 000.

*       The state share of operating expenditures for community colleges increased from 25% in FY 1994 to 29% percent in FY 2002.

*       State support for senior public institutions decreased from 64% to 56% of operating expenses since FY 1994.

Benefits of Higher Education to the State

*       NJ ranks sixth overall on the state New Economy Index, attributable partly to the large proportion of the state’s population with a college education and the number of professional jobs requiring college. 

*       A high correlation exists between a highly educated citizenry and a state’s prosperity.

*       For the period 1989 through 2001, NJ was the seventh largest net recipient of college graduates educated in other states.

*       One result of the differences in educational outcomes is lost income and subsequently lost potential tax revenue.

*       The estimated earnings gap resulting from black students in New Jersey failing to complete their college degrees cost individuals approximately $13.1 billion in lost income and the state approximately $4.6 billion in lost tax revenue in 2002. 


New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, PO Box 542, Trenton, NJ  08625-0542, Telephone: (609) 292-4310