1. By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34
With the 60x30TX strategic plan, Texas is focused on student success over the next 15 years. This plan will establish a globally competitive workforce in the state by 2030.
The plan was developed over 18 months by a committee that included business and education leaders from across Texas.
The Texas Higher Education Strategic Planning Committee received expert testimony from individuals from across the state, the U.S., and from around the world and sought input from more than 5,000 stakeholders across the state throughout the plan development process.
This input and feedback helped to refine the 60x30TX plan, which was adopted by our full board on July 23, 2015.
By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34
will have a certificate or degree.

2. 60x30TX Builds on Past Achievements
60x30TX builds on the success of the Closing the Gaps by 2015 strategic plan.

3. Texas Successes Since 2000
2.6 million undergraduate credentials awarded
60.5% six-year public university graduation rate, up from 49.6%
Nearly met Texas’ ambitious goal of 630,000 enrollments; preliminary data indicate Texas is 96% of goal (606,688)
Texas has much to be proud of as Closing the Gaps came to a conclusion at the end of Final results will be compiled and announced next spring.

4. Texas Successes Since 2000
Doubled Hispanic and African-American enrollment
In 2014, 80,000 bachelor’s degrees were awarded to Hispanic students, surpassing the target by 13,000

5. Texas Successes Since 2000
Hispanic enrollments have increased by more than 300,000 since fall 2000 – an increase of 125 percent
The challenge is to grow Hispanic enrollments fast enough to keep up with the growing Hispanic share of the state’s population

6. Race/ethnicity distribution of projected Texas population, ages 25-34
As illustrated by these two pie charts, Texas has a diverse workforce. The question is, by 2030 will Texas have a diverse and educated workforce? The 60x30TX plan is intended to answer that question with a bold and resounding YES!

7. The Texas Higher Education Strategic Plan
60x30TX – founded on the critical need for an educated Texas workforce that is able to adapt to change and successfully compete in the global economy
Four goals, with the overarching goal that 60% of year olds will have a postsecondary credential or degree by 2030
Success rests heavily on collaboration and creativity among higher education, K-12 education, and the workforce
The new plan – 60x30TX – is firmly founded on the critical need that Texas produces an educated workforce that is able to adapt to change and compete at the highest levels, nationally and internationally. The world’s most competitive workforces have younger populations with more education compared to the U.S., and compared to Texas.
60x30TX emphasizes all forms of post high school education, from undergraduate certificates to associate and bachelor’s degrees, to graduate and professional education. The plan also highlights the overarching goal that 60 percent of year olds will have a postsecondary credential or degree by 2030.
Success of achieving the goals of the plan is going to rest heavily on collaboration among higher education, K-12 education, and the workforce.
60x30TX provides latitude for two- and four-year institutions and encourages local creativity in pursuing the plan’s goals as institutions continue to pursue their own unique missions.

8. 60x30 By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages will have a postsecondary credential or degree.
Achieving the 60x30 goal is critical for Texas to remain globally competitive and for its people and communities to prosper.
The first and overarching goal states that – By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages will have a postsecondary credential or degree.
This is a big percentage to shoot for, because right now only about 38 percent of Texans in this age group have any kind of *postsecondary* degree or certificate.
The best-educated societies in the world have already reached 60 percent – or close to it – in this age group. We need to move the level of attainment up dramatically among young Texans.
As mentioned, this goal is focused on the fraction of the Texas population actually holding a degree or undergraduate certificate. Those degrees and certificates could have been earned anywhere in the world…at private, public, or for-profit institutions.
Achieving the 60x30 goal is critical for Texas to remain globally competitive and for its people and communities to prosper.
The new plan calls for *ambitious, yet* realistic interim targets and strategies that will get us to our final goal, if we stay on course through 2030.
Critical to achievement is the focus on and success in improving the education level of young Hispanic Texans who will make up a majority of the students in school between now and 2030.

9. Strategies to achieve this goal include: Promote college attainment
60x30 By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages will have a postsecondary credential or degree.
Strategies to achieve this goal include:
Promote college attainment
Develop college/career readiness standards
Focus on teacher preparation and professional development
Encourage stop-outs to return, complete degree (Texas Affordable Baccalaureate)
The first and overarching goal states that – By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages will have a postsecondary credential or degree.
This is a big percentage to shoot for, because right now only about 38 percent of Texans in this age group have any kind of *postsecondary* degree or certificate.
The best-educated societies in the world have already reached 60 percent – or close to it – in this age group. We need to move the level of attainment up dramatically among young Texans.
As mentioned, this goal is focused on the fraction of the Texas population actually holding a degree or undergraduate certificate. Those degrees and certificates could have been earned anywhere in the world…at private, public, or for-profit institutions.
Achieving the 60x30 goal is critical for Texas to remain globally competitive and for its people and communities to prosper.
The new plan calls for *ambitious, yet* realistic interim targets and strategies that will get us to our final goal, if we stay on course through 2030.
Critical to achievement is the focus on and success in improving the education level of young Hispanic Texans who will make up a majority of the students in school between now and 2030.

10. COMPLETION Goal: By 2030, at least 550,000 students in that year will complete a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s from an institution of higher education in Texas.
Increase the number of Hispanic students completing a certificate or degree to at least 285,000 by 2030
Texas will award a total of 6.4 million certificates or degrees during the 15 years of this plan
The next goal states – By 2030, at least 550,000 students in that year will complete a certificate, associate, bachelor’s or master’s from an institution of higher education in Texas.
This goal includes public, independent, and for-profit colleges and universities.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics make clear that students don’t get much of an economic lift from college attendance unless they complete a degree or undergraduate certificate. We can do better at this than we are doing now.
We need to continue the Closing the Gaps record of generating impressive growth in degree and undergraduate certificate production.
The plan includes targets for Hispanic Texans *to earn* 285,000 degrees or undergraduate certificates in It also includes targets for African American, male, and economically disadvantaged completers.
Another important target is to increase the percentage of students who enroll in higher education directly after high school, from the current 54 percent to 65 percent.
If reached, Texas will award a total of 6.4 million certificates or degrees during the 15 years of this plan.

11. Strategies to achieve this goal include:
COMPLETION Goal: By 2030, at least 550,000 students in that year will complete a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s from an institution of higher education in Texas.
Strategies to achieve this goal include:
Develop innovative approaches for content delivery (block scheduling)
Encourage High-Impact Practices (evidence-based teaching and learning)
Increase use of predictive analytics to identify and assist at-risk students
The next goal states – By 2030, at least 550,000 students in that year will complete a certificate, associate, bachelor’s or master’s from an institution of higher education in Texas.
This goal includes public, independent, and for-profit colleges and universities.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics make clear that students don’t get much of an economic lift from college attendance unless they complete a degree or undergraduate certificate. We can do better at this than we are doing now.
We need to continue the Closing the Gaps record of generating impressive growth in degree and undergraduate certificate production.
The plan includes targets for Hispanic Texans *to earn* 285,000 degrees or undergraduate certificates in It also includes targets for African American, male, and economically disadvantaged completers.
Another important target is to increase the percentage of students who enroll in higher education directly after high school, from the current 54 percent to 65 percent.
If reached, Texas will award a total of 6.4 million certificates or degrees during the 15 years of this plan.

12. What is a marketable skill?
MARKETABLE SKILLS Goal: By 2030, all graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills.
What is a marketable skill?
Students exit from any degree program with a variety of skills.
Marketable skills include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas, are valued by employers, and are primary or complementary to a major.
The third goal reads – By 2030, all graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills.
Marketable skills are those valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.

13. MARKETABLE SKILLS Goal: By 2030, all graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills.
In a 2012 national study, 88 percent of surveyed college freshmen identified “getting a better job” as the most important reason for attending college.
All programs develop skills of value in the marketplace.
The plan requires institutions to formally identify those skills for each of its degree programs so that students are aware of and can communicate these skills to future employers.
The goal calls for every institution in Texas to articulate the identified skills to students. 
In a 2012 national study by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 88 percent of surveyed students identified “getting a better job” as the most important reason for attending college.
Students who can articulate their marketable skills are better positioned to get a better job.

14. Strategies to achieve this goal include:
MARKETABLE SKILLS Goal: By 2030, all graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills.
Strategies to achieve this goal include:
Integrate marketable skills into curricula so that students can demonstrate and communicate those skills to future employers
Enhance academic and career advising to help students with higher education to workforce transition
All programs develop skills of value in the marketplace.
The plan requires institutions to formally identify those skills for each of its degree programs so that students are aware of and can communicate these skills to future employers.
The goal calls for every institution in Texas to articulate the identified skills to students. 
In a 2012 national study by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 88 percent of surveyed students identified “getting a better job” as the most important reason for attending college.
Students who can articulate their marketable skills are better positioned to get a better job.

15. STUDENT DEBT Goal: By 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wages for graduates of Texas public institutions.
Texas could experience greater shortages in important fields if student loan debt spikes to the point at which a majority of students choose programs based entirely on potential income.
The fourth goal is - By 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wages for graduates of Texas public institutions.
We have an opportunity to balance student loan debt and improve how higher education is financed to reduce financial barriers that students and families encounter when pursuing any level of higher education.
Texas could experience greater shortages in critical fields if student loan debt spikes to the point at which a majority of students choose programs based entirely on potential income.
We think the best way to focus on financial issues is to set the statewide goal of maintaining debt load, as measured against student earning power at graduation.
Success will require collaboration among elected officials and higher education leaders, and will probably require imaginative reinvention of paths to completion, including methods for teaching and learning.
At the state level, a statewide advisory group could determine ways to better advise students and parents on financial aid options and the impact of those options on students’ finances before, during, and after their college careers.

16. STUDENT DEBT Goal: By 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wages for graduates of Texas public institutions.
The ratio of 60 percent is a statewide maintenance goal, and is approximately the current level.
There are several facets to the Student Debt Goal: (1) the role of the state, (2) the role of institutions, and (3) the role of students. This graphic illustrates the necessity of a balanced relationship between these agents.
All undergraduates with student loan debt who complete a credential from a Texas public two-and four-year institution are included in the “60 percent ratio” calculation.
This is *not* a goal for individual undergraduates, and it is *not* a goal for institutions.
We know there will be variation by sector and by student. The goal is to keep this ratio at 60 percent for the state. 
The statewide student loan debt-to-first-year wage ratio is about 72 percent at public 4-year institutions, and about 36 percent at 2-year institutions.
In 2014, half of undergraduate students completed their degrees and certificates with student loan debt. This fourth goal includes a target to maintain this percentage, so that no more than half of undergraduates complete their credentials with student loan debt.

17. Strategies to achieve this goal include:
STUDENT DEBT Goal: By 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wages for graduates of Texas public institutions.
Strategies to achieve this goal include:
Decrease excess semester credit hours
Fully fund grants for eligible students
Support alternate degree pathways to completion
The fourth goal is - By 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wages for graduates of Texas public institutions.
We have an opportunity to balance student loan debt and improve how higher education is financed to reduce financial barriers that students and families encounter when pursuing any level of higher education.
Texas could experience greater shortages in critical fields if student loan debt spikes to the point at which a majority of students choose programs based entirely on potential income.
We think the best way to focus on financial issues is to set the statewide goal of maintaining debt load, as measured against student earning power at graduation.
Success will require collaboration among elected officials and higher education leaders, and will probably require imaginative reinvention of paths to completion, including methods for teaching and learning.
At the state level, a statewide advisory group could determine ways to better advise students and parents on financial aid options and the impact of those options on students’ finances before, during, and after their college careers.

18. Texas Association of Business
“The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has hit a home run with the 60x30TX plan. No other education plan will impact businesses in a more positive way than this one will.”
- Bill Hammond
Texas Association of Business
The 60x30TX plan is bold.
Initial reactions to the plan have been enthusiastic, as you see with this quote from the executive director of the Texas Association of Business.

19. Workforce Need Projections
Texas’ Economic Future Requires More Postsecondary Trained/Educated Workers
- In 1973, 28% of all U.S. jobs required postsecondary education/skills.
By 2020, 65% of all new jobs will require this level of education.
Currently, 35% of Texans aged have an associate degree or higher.
Source: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.
Data projections from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce show we will need substantially more Texans with postsecondary credentials to meet workforce demand, not fewer.
Given this projection for 2020, the 60x30 goal is necessary to Texas’ economic success. Otherwise, some sectors of the Texas economy could not hire enough workers with the required skillsets to meet workforce demand.

21. "The strength of Texas' economy is our workforce, and a skilled and educated workforce gives Texas a competitive advantage … Texas will be better because of our new focus on 60x30TX and our brightest years are yet to come."
- Gov. Greg Abbott
In mid-November, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of the 60x30TX plan. He stressed that for Texas to continue growing and to be a leader in the global economy, we need more students graduating with a 2- or 4-year degree. With 60x30TX, the state’s brightest years are yet to come.
Texas strives to be the best, enabling Texans to enjoy a future with increased incomes, opportunities and resources.
In closing, Texas will continue to have a diverse population.
The ultimate goal of the 60x30TX plan is to have a diverse and educated workforce by 2030.