By Mark Hagerott
ND University Chancellor
As the academic year shifts into full gear and our children and grandchildren head back to school, I have been pondering upon the meaning of education. It is part of our culture, our passage into adulthood, and the conduit to experiences and knowledge that goes far beyond words in books. We have teachers and professors to thank for our widened perspective of the world. We also can thank the campus experience for friends with whom we’ve shared the adventures and joys of our education journeys, and others who have helped place us onto our own life trajectory.
As relates to our educational system, from kindergarten through graduate school, I often speak about the confidence North Dakotans place in our educational institutions as they entrust their loved ones in our care and in our institutions to grow and learn and forge paths that we all hope leads them to not only success, but fulfillment and happiness. The ND University System is growing enrollment, and we had a record number of 5,240 high school students enrolled in NDUS college courses in 2023 and this fall, we are on track to meet or exceed that number. Of the ND high school graduates who attend college, three out of four are choosing to stay in-state to attend college. The system experienced its highest graduation rate of 57%, which is an 8% increase over the past decade.
Some argue that higher education is not worth the investment. I would argue that the value of higher education has never been more important as our residents, businesses, and industries respond to the rapidly changing world that we live in. Our future generations depend on us, and we are responding. Since July 2021, the State Board of Higher Education’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee has approved 210 new academic programs for NDUS institutions, with 142 of these being in-demand certificate programs. In just the last 12 months, we added 94 new academic programs, 47 new professional certificates, and 12 graduate certificates.
The State Board of Higher Education and the University System are aligned with business and industry leaders to work together to offer programs that prepare our students for success and help meet our state’s pressing workforce needs. We do this while continuing to find ways to keep college education affordable. We have several scholarship and grant programs available. To help retain workforce, the last legislative session yielded a 19 percent increase in appropriation for state financial aid programs, including a 25 percent increase to the needs-based State Grant. NDUS institutions during the 2021-22 academic year issued $121.4 million to students in scholarships, grants, and waivers.
The Career Builders Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program has been particularly successful. The program is designed to help businesses to attract and retain talent in high-need and emerging occupations in the state. It’s a dollar-for-dollar matching program whereby the state contributes $1 for every $1 of private-sector matching dollars pledged for a recipient. The program has produced 435 North Dakota workers for in-demand occupations since inception. First instituted by the 2019 North Dakota Legislative Assembly, the program has been actively awarding scholarships and loan repayment for the past five years. There have been 171 unique private sector donors committing to the required private donor match, totaling $2.4 million.
This program boasts a student retention rate near 90 percent. Eighty-seven percent of scholarship recipients are currently either in a qualifying program that leads to an in-demand occupation or currently working in an in-demand occupation within North Dakota. Eighty-nine percent of loan repayment recipients are currently working in in-demand occupations within North Dakota.
One of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education’s goals is to provide access to programs people want, where and when they need them. We are achieving this mission with new educational programs and creative delivery methods that allow flexibility for our students. This includes those who may have started a degree program but faced challenges that led them off their degree path and now they want to return to enhance their experience and credentials to reach their career and life goals.
One example of meeting this need is how our institutions offer certificates and stackable credentials. A certificate can give someone an earned skill in as little as three courses and many certificates are offered remotely, allowing students to remain in their communities while sharpening their skillset.
In whatever stage of life, “back to school” time always has a buzz of new beginnings, fresh adventures, and new knowledge to be gained – whether that be in our classrooms, our workplaces or our homes. Our life perspectives, views, and friendships are all informed by past knowledge and experience and are continuously rejuvenated by innovative ideas and new pathways. It’s a time each year that we are reminded to begin again, to create our own stories, and gain the experiences that teach us more about who we are and who we want to become.