Policy Matters

Key Takeaway: The average composite ACT score for Mississippi’s 2010 high school graduates is 18.8 – below the minimum score of 19 that is recognized as a measure of college readiness.  Community colleges and universities face the challenge of providing effective remedial courses to ensure all students have the skills they need to succeed in college coursework and to advance to quality careers.  The challenge is exacerbated by the current funding environment for the community colleges.

2010 ACT Score Summary

The ACT sets a score of 19 as the minimum composite score that students need to enter and succeed in college-level courses. In 2010, Mississippi’s average composite ACT of 18.8 was the only state average below the minimum for college-readiness. The map below details state averages for ACT composite scores in 2010 for the Southern region.

Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama all received ACT composite scores above 20 on average. Tennessee’s average ACT composite was below 20, but above the national minimum for college-readiness.

What do Mississippi’s ACT scores mean for community colleges and universities?

Across Mississippi, community colleges and universities frequently use ACT composite scores and subject-specific scores to determine the course placement for recent high school graduates. Each community college sets a minimum ACT composite or subject score that indicates whether a student is ready for college-level courses. Students with scores below the minimum are placed in remedial courses in math, reading, and/or English designed to prepare students for success in college-level courses.

Many of Mississippi’s high school graduates are in need of remedial coursework when they enter college. The state’s community colleges and universities face a challenge of providing effective remediation for a large number of students, both recent high school graduates and those that return as adults. Ensuring that remedial courses are provided effectively to students is imperative for increasing the number of Mississippi’s students that advance towards a college degree and into quality careers.

To ensure underprepared students receive high quality remediation, colleges will need adequate support and resources to implement improvements. As Mississippi’s leaders face a climate of limited resources, a balanced approach that includes raising revenues instead of a cuts only approach is needed to ensure that Mississippi’s students are well supported on a long-term path towards self sufficiency.

A previous article on student loan debt encouraged a deeper look at the volume of Mississippi community college students that need the financial support of federal student loans to pay for school. In 2008-2009, 21,113 community college students in Mississippi borrowed federal student loans. The 21,113 students taking out loans represent 28.9% of all community college students in Mississippi.

In the wake of rising enrollment and constrained state support, many colleges have had to raise tuition to cover the cost of instruction and operations. Average tuition at all of the state’s community colleges rose 19.7% from 2008-09 to 2010-11¹. The rise in tuition indicates more students may require larger loans to cover the cost of pursing a postsecondary degree. State and national leaders face the challenge of keeping tuition affordable and providing sufficient financial aid to students most in need.

In 2008-09, students at Mississippi’s community colleges took out $90.2 million in student loans. On average, students borrowed $4,272 per year through student loans for expenses associated with attending classes.  The chart below lists average federal student loan aid by community college.

Average Federal Student Loan Aid Received by Community College, 2008-09

Postsecondary education remains a critical avenue for moving towards economic security in Mississippi. As decisions are made for the FY2011-12 budget year, the data on student loans is a reminder that funding of higher education not only affects community colleges, but also the debt burden students may face as they seek to advance to quality careers and self-sufficiency through higher education. A balanced approach that includes raising revenue is required to allow the state to maintain its vital investments in higher education and to keep a community college education affordable for all Mississippians.

Note: MS Delta, Coahoma, and Southwest Mississippi Community Colleges each did not have any federal student loans reported in 2008-09.