I was reminded again this week that committee meetings are not just about debating specific bills, but also can be quite informative. For example, during the Education Appropriations meeting, I learned:
300,000 Iowans have not earned a high school diploma or their GED. Iowa is one of the few states that provides no funds for Adult Literacy
In 1967, tuition and fees contributed 14.2% to community college budgets; today it is 58%
$29,000 is the average debt load for Iowa college graduates
Number of financial aid applicants with maximum needs has tripled in the last 10 years – up 280%. Of the almost 225,000 applicants, only 25,000 received aid.
State investment in college aid has dropped 13% while state medium income has fallen 3%
These statistics were provided by Iowa Community Colleges and Iowa College Student Aid Commission.
