Improving Economic Prosperity in Kentucky

Kentucky’s 60×30 plan has a goal to increase the state’s postsecondary degree-holding population to 60% by 2030. Currently, there are 1.4 million people in Kentucky who do not hold a higher education degree. There are significant risks associated with this lack of education at a state level, such as increased rates of unemployment and poverty. The initiative’s urgency is underscored by the 40% decrease in adult learners within Kentucky during the previous ten years.

Pursuing higher education presents a number of hurdles for adult learners. With nearly half being parents, attending traditional classes is challenging and made more difficult by Kentucky’s expensive $6,400 annual cost of daycare. Due to the fact that many adult learners balance job and family obligations, flexible class alternatives like evening or remote courses are necessary. A further obstacle is the high cost of schooling, where the average unmet need is more than $6,000. 

Kentucky must overcome these challenges in order to reach the 60×30 goal. It is important for state residents’ economic well being, as having a college degree is becoming more and more necessary to land a good job. Households with at least one college graduate make around $40,000 more a year than those without. Adults without a college degree, however, are more likely to live in poverty. 

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