Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon is one of 17 states to join a new alliance aimed at improving college graduation rates.

Rob Manning reports on the national effort, backed by five foundations.

Deep-pocketed funders like the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, haven’t offered money directly to participating states yet. But state leaders are clearly hoping for some. The foundations have created a new non-profit, called “Complete College America.” Former Indiana higher ed director, Stan Jones runs it. He’s helped to rally the states, including Oregon. Stan Jones: “They’re making a commitment to substantially increase the number of graduates in their states, to close the achievement gaps in their states.” Jones says states have several months to plan how they’ll reach an ambitious goal: making six out of ten 25-to-35 year-olds college graduates, by 2020. Fewer than four in ten Oregonians that age have a degree today. Jones says states should work on everything from remedial programs to schedules. And he suggests something called “performance funding”. Stan Jones: “Instead of paying for attendance, it pays for graduation – for an increasing number of degrees. And there are probably four or five states that are moving in that direction.” Jones points to Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas, but not Oregon. Spokesman for governor, Ted Kulongoski, Rem Nivens, says “performance funding” will be discussed among state leaders.  Nivens: “Right now, the university system does – to some extent – fund based on retention, as students move through the system. But in terms of larger policy, I think that’s an issue that will be discussed within this group as a possibility along with many others.” With ideas coming from different states, Stan Jones expects those discussions to be fruitful and to lead to a national trend of paying colleges for improved graduation rates. Stan Jones: “I think performance funding is an issue whose time will come. I think some states will move more aggressively than others, but I think within five years, almost every state in the country will have significant involvement with performance funding.” But Jones acknowledges it’s a shift that college leaders may resist. That’s because while public colleges that improve graduation rates could stand to gain – those that struggle would be penalized. Rob Manning, OPB News.