Lege & Regulatory TREND. Education Spending Focus 2 State Comparison.

Iowa & Virigina are focusing their public education funding on career and technology. Here’s their stories:

Iowa is spending on public education by:

• Gap Tuition Assistance Program
• Pays tuition, books and fees for lower-income students pursuing credentials from approved program
• Boasts an 89% completion rate
• $2M in state funding

Virginia is spending on public education by:

• New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program covers 2/3 cost of a credentialing program,
• pay-for-performance model that pays community colleges when students complete a class
• AND, the student has obtained an approved credential aligned with the state’s annual “hot jobs” list
• State Funding Levels are $4.5 million in 2017 &  a projected $13.5 million by 2020

The economic benefits of their investment in career in technology have netted big returns by:

• raising workers’ wages
• closing skills gaps
• driving economic development
• at a lower cost than “free college” inititatives in other states

Governing | Commentary | The Education Investment States Should Be Making