utah higher ed public opinion survey
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Dave Buhler's presentation on a recent survey of public opinion regarding higher ed in Utah.TRANSCRIPT
Report to the State Board of Regentson Utah Public Opinion Survey
October 14, 2009
Research Conducted by Dan Jones & AssociatesFor the Utah System of Higher Education
1
• Survey of 675 adult Utahns statewide by Dan Jones & Associates.
• Conducted July 2009 for the Commissioner of Higher Education.
• “Oversampling” of Hispanic Population.• Margin of error +/- 4.0%
2
3
State Issues
Most Important Issue for the State of Utah: The Economy
4
State Budget & Healthcare (tie)
Education
Economy & Jobs
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
6%
14%
40%
Highest Priorities for Governor Herbert
5
Protecting our environment
Building/improving roads to keep trans. moving
Reducing taxes
Setting higher standards in education
Making health care available to all Utahns
Creating jobs through econ. development
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
4%
5%
10%
15%
18%
38%
Budget Choices
6
Roads or Education? Prisons or Education?
Prisons6%
Education92%
Roads8%
Education82%
Prisons o
r Roads?
Healthca
re for u
ninsured or R
oads?
Healthca
re for u
ninsured or E
ducation?
20%
70%
46%
77%
28%
52%
Budget Choices
7
Roads
Roads
Healthcare
Healthcare
Prisons
Education
8
Higher Education
Is College Important?
• 99% of respondents feel a college education is important.
Why?80%: Career & economic opportunities17%: Societal benefits, “well-rounded”, helps in
understanding the world
9
Is a college education more important or less important than it was 10 years ago?
10
80%
7%12%
More important than 10 years ago
Less important than 10 year ago
Of the same im-portance
Is higher education accessible to all Utahns?
11
All Hispanics $20k-$35k $75k-$100k0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
63%
43%49%
70%
31%
51% 51%
30%
Yes No
“Grade” Higher Education • 80% give colleges an “A” or “B”• 81% in 2006
12
Should assisting economic development be a part of the mission of a state college or
university?
13
Should assist? Meeting Economic Need?0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% Yes78% Yes
74%
No16% No
12%
Financial Aid & Student Loans• 80% of respondents favor “increasing the availability of state-
funded student financial aid for needy students”• How much debt is reasonable?
14$5,000 + $10,000 +
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%60%
38%
66%
41%2009
2006
Strategies to Handle Growth in Higher Education
15
Increase state funding for colleges and universities
Increase the number of Community College campuses
Increase use of technology/internet in classroom
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
77%
87%
82%
19%
11%
16%
Oppose Favor
New Taxes to Expand College Access?
16
Property tax* County or regional income tax
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
46% 45%49%
53%
Favor Oppose
*Salt Lake and Utah Counties favor by small majority (51%)
17
Preparation for College
Should Utah high schools require students to take more science and math classes?
18
All respondents Hispanic0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
65%
82%
27%
16%
YesNo
Different standards to prepare for college than for the job-market?
19
75%
20%
Other5%
Same standards for students whether college-bound or job-market bound
Different standards for college-bound students
What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?
20
High schoolSkill training/certificateSome college2-year Associates4-year bachelor'sM
asters/AdvancedTotal 2-year+Total 4-year+
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
21%
5% 6%
21%
32%
7%
60%
39%
17%
5% 5%
16%
37%
12%
65%
49%
Female Male
College expectation gapMen vs. Women
21
Females Males SL County Utah County LDS0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
17%
14%
11%
26%24%
10%9%
7%
10%
13%
2006 2009
“What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?”(4-year degree+, male minus female)
Saving for child’s college education?
22
Parents & Grandparents Parents Only
No Yes0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
53%
47%
Yes
58%
51%
41%<12 years old
13-18 years old
19-25 years old
Aware of UESP?
23
Series10%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
200640%
200957%
Qualitative FindingsFocus Groups:• Three focus groups were conducted: • 2 with parents who themselves have attended or graduated from college and 1 with
grandparents
Main findings:• By default, scholarships have become many parents’ college savings plans for their children • Tax incentives the most attractive feature of 529 plans• Pivotal points in a family’s life when they might start saving for college:
– Newborn– 5 year-old beginning Kindergarten– Junior high – grades start to matter– When other financial obligations of the family free up
-Qualitative Research Analysis of UESP, Dan Jones & AssociatesJune 2009
24
Approaches to handling K-12 growth
25
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
69% 69% 70%
29% 30%26%
Favor Oppose
Conclusions—Utahns Believe:• Economy, creating jobs is top state priority.• Higher Education is linked to economic success.• Both men & women should attend college, “expectation gap” has
narrowed.• Higher education is accessible (except Hispanic Utahns don’t agree).• Support significant priority for funding education over other state
needs.
26
Report to the State Board of Regentson Utah Public Opinion Survey
October 14, 2009
Research Conducted by Dan Jones & AssociatesFor the Utah System of Higher Education
27
• Survey of 675 adult Utahns statewide by Dan Jones & Associates.
• Conducted July 2009 for the Commissioner of Higher Education.
• “Oversampling” of Hispanic Population.• Margin of error +/- 4.0%
28
29
State Issues
Most Important Issue for the State of Utah: The Economy
30
State Budget & Healthcare (tie)
Education
Economy & Jobs
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
6%
14%
40%
Highest Priorities for Governor Herbert
31
Protecting our environment
Building/improving roads to keep trans. moving
Reducing taxes
Setting higher standards in education
Making health care available to all Utahns
Creating jobs through econ. development
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
4%
5%
10%
15%
18%
38%
Budget Choices
32
Roads or Education? Prisons or Education?
Prisons6%
Education92%
Roads8%
Education82%
Prisons o
r Roads?
Healthca
re for u
ninsured or R
oads?
Healthca
re for u
ninsured or E
ducation?
20%
70%
46%
77%
28%
52%
Budget Choices
33
Roads
Roads
Healthcare
Healthcare
Prisons
Education
34
Higher Education
Is College Important?
• 99% of respondents feel a college education is important.
Why?80%: Career & economic opportunities17%: Societal benefits, “well-rounded”, helps in
understanding the world
35
Is a college education more important or less important than it was 10 years ago?
36
80%
7%12%
More important than 10 years ago
Less important than 10 year ago
Of the same im-portance
Is higher education accessible to all Utahns?
37
All Hispanics $20k-$35k $75k-$100k0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
63%
43%49%
70%
31%
51% 51%
30%
Yes No
“Grade” Higher Education • 80% give colleges an “A” or “B”• 81% in 2006
38
Should assisting economic development be a part of the mission of a state college or
university?
39
Should assist? Meeting Economic Need?0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% Yes78% Yes
74%
No16% No
12%
Financial Aid & Student Loans• 80% of respondents favor “increasing the availability of state-
funded student financial aid for needy students”• How much debt is reasonable?
40$5,000 + $10,000 +
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%60%
38%
66%
41%2009
2006
Strategies to Handle Growth in Higher Education
41
Increase state funding for colleges and universities
Increase the number of Community College campuses
Increase use of technology/internet in classroom
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
77%
87%
82%
19%
11%
16%
Oppose Favor
New Taxes to Expand College Access?
42
Property tax* County or regional income tax
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
46% 45%49%
53%
Favor Oppose
*Salt Lake and Utah Counties favor by small majority (51%)
43
Preparation for College
Should Utah high schools require students to take more science and math classes?
44
All respondents Hispanic0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
65%
82%
27%
16%
YesNo
Different standards to prepare for college than for the job-market?
45
75%
20%
Other5%
Same standards for students whether college-bound or job-market bound
Different standards for college-bound students
What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?
46
High schoolSkill training/certificateSome college2-year Associates4-year bachelor'sM
asters/AdvancedTotal 2-year+Total 4-year+
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
21%
5% 6%
21%
32%
7%
60%
39%
17%
5% 5%
16%
37%
12%
65%
49%
Female Male
College expectation gapMen vs. Women
47
Females Males SL County Utah County LDS0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
17%
14%
11%
26%24%
10%9%
7%
10%
13%
2006 2009
“What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?”(4-year degree+, male minus female)
Saving for child’s college education?
48
Parents & Grandparents Parents Only
No Yes0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
53%
47%
Yes
58%
51%
41%<12 years old
13-18 years old
19-25 years old
Aware of UESP?
49
Series10%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
200640%
200957%
Qualitative FindingsFocus Groups:• Three focus groups were conducted: • 2 with parents who themselves have attended or graduated from college and 1 with
grandparents
Main findings:• By default, scholarships have become many parents’ college savings plans for their children • Tax incentives the most attractive feature of 529 plans• Pivotal points in a family’s life when they might start saving for college:
– Newborn– 5 year-old beginning Kindergarten– Junior high – grades start to matter– When other financial obligations of the family free up
-Qualitative Research Analysis of UESP, Dan Jones & AssociatesJune 2009
50
Approaches to handling K-12 growth
51
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
69% 69% 70%
29% 30%26%
Favor Oppose
Conclusions—Utahns Believe:• Economy, creating jobs is top state priority.• Higher Education is linked to economic success.• Both men & women should attend college, “expectation gap” has
narrowed.• Higher education is accessible (except Hispanic Utahns don’t agree).• Support significant priority for funding education over other state
needs.
52