Seamless pathways critical to cutting college costs

In 1962, my identical twin brother Steve and I turned 12. It was a big day around the Ender household. Dad took us to lunch and a movie and we came home to a surprise party attended by all of our friends. Following the party, Mom and Dad sat us down for a reality check.

First, there would be no more allowance for chores we were expected to do. So, if we wanted spending money, we would earn it by becoming independent and working outside our home. They also offered a tip: The neighborhood paper route was available.

We were also advised to save the money we earned for college. Our parents did not attend college, but were wise enough to know that we needed to be financially prepared to pursue college and we were expected to pay for it ourselves.

So, we worked hard for the next six years, and continuously ever since. We saved enough to pay every college bill ourselves.

I should mention that our first college bill, for 15 credit hours, was $248. We lived at home, completed our degrees, and went on to live the American dream.

I reflect on this story because things are very different today. To have a chance at a reasonable lifestyle in today's economy, one must obtain a college credential (a certificate, a license, or an associate's degree at a minimum). It is no longer an option. It is very hard to name a job that will sustain an individual, much less a family, which requires only a high school diploma.

Today, every high school student should be preparing to earn a college credential that signals knowledge, competencies and skills to potential employers. Our children must graduate high school prepared for college-level courses.

Most importantly, we must develop new pathways that ensure every child has a chance to earn a college credential without taking on significant debt.

Today, 15 hours of college credit at Harper College costs $1,706.25. At our surrounding colleges, (McHenry, Oakton, Elgin, and Lake) the cost is about the same. The average cost of tuition and fees at our five institutions combined is about $2,500/year for 30 hours of college credit. By living at home and working part-time, this education is still considered affordable. But there are other strategies to keep college costs down.

At Harper, through a partnership with Districts 211, 214, and 220, we are seeing students earning college credit while still attending high school. We are developing seamless pathways that ensure high school outcomes are aligned with college entry requirements.

Thus, high school students are able to either "speed up" their path to college by taking college-level courses while still in high school or "catch up" by taking required remedial courses before they graduate that ensure they are college-ready.

Both save time and money. We're also working closely with regional universities so students can complete their bachelor's degrees on our campus.

Coupled with early college credit while in high school and affordable community college tuition, these partnerships bring the total cost of higher education down. It also provides greater access for thousands of young adults who need to continuously acquire credentials to support a lifetime of employment in the 21st Century knowledge economy.

Given the scarcity of public resources, we must continue to break down traditional silos and develop a new education ecosystem: one that treats high schools, community colleges and public universities not as separate entities, but instead, as a highly integrated, seamless pathway to a college credential.

We're off to a great start in aligning Harper with the high schools in our district. But more and deeper alignment is needed, especially with our public universities, to ensure that higher education is affordable and accessible to all.

Dr. Kenneth Ender is president of William Rainey Harper Community College in Palatine.