By Kayli Reese | [email protected]

W

hile state budget cuts might make the future murky for the University of Iowa, a bright future exists for local high-school graduates when it comes to higher education.
Diane Schumacher, the Iowa City School District director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, said in the most recent data (2014), local high-school graduates have a college-readiness of 79.9 percent. That figure is the percentage of high-school graduates enrolled in college within a year of their graduation.

In comparison, she said, the state of Iowa has a college-readiness percentage of 71.1, and the nation is at 67.1 percent. The figures, in addition to other findings, were compiled in the State of Iowa Postsecondary Readiness Report by the Iowa Department of Education,  Iowa Workforce Development, and state Board of Regents.

In addition to this, Schumacher said, local graduates also have lower rates of needing remedial classes, those taken in college for students not quite ready for college-level courses. For math, she said, Iowa City has a remedial rate of 15.8 percent compared with the state’s 18.9 percent, and in English, Iowa City has a remedial rate of 7 percent compared with the state’s 9.2 percent. More students take remedial math classes, she said, because more are offered.

Schumacher said these positive results, which have been consistent for five years, are due to a number of factors, including families in Iowa City valuing education and having lots of opportunities for students to succeed in postsecondary education, including the proximity to universities.

The Iowa City District schools’ academic programs also contribute to the data, Schumacher said, noting the large number of advanced-placement courses available to students.

“[A] lot of students are graduating [from] high school with college credit and are ready for more rigorous coursework,” she said. “All students who want to pursue postsecondary education should do so, and we are happy to provide the first steps at no cost.”

Mark Warner, the UI assistant provost for Student Financial Aid, said the college-readiness percentages can help students to graduate in four years as opposed to five or six, therefore cutting the cost of postsecondary education.

Many opportunities are available to students to minimize their cost of attendance, he said. Having good summer savings, working, and receiving scholarships and grants outside of the UI are great ways for high-school graduates to start saving for college, he said.

“The UI Office of Student Financial Aid employs three full-time financial-literacy specialists who are extremely helpful in helping students find ways to minimize their [costs] and therefore limit their annual amounts of student loans,” Warner said.

The default rate on UI student loans is much lower than in the rest of the state as well, he said. While 2.7 percent of UI students default on loans, the state has a default rate of 11.9 percent.

Matt Degner, the assistant superintendent for the Iowa City School District, said high schools also have numerous outlets for college-ready students to pay for their education. Guidance counselors work with students on scholarships, financial aid, and contacting colleges, he said.

Also, he said, the district works with Kirkwood Community College and the UI to offer post-secondary-enrollment-option courses in addition to advanced-placement courses.

“Earning these credits can account to large savings for students by completing these courses in high school at little or no cost rather than paying tuition at a college or university,” Degner said.