Study finds students are motivated to succeed but face financial pressures, confusing systems and gaps in support
Duval County students have strong career ambitions and believe education can improve their lives, but financial pressures and difficult-to-navigate systems often stand between them and a college degree or workforce credential, according to a new research brief released by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF).
The study, commissioned by the Scheidel Foundation, examined the factors affecting postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among Duval County students. The research included a survey of 261 students at different points in their educational journeys, interviews with students and higher education professionals, institutional perspectives, and community stakeholder discussions.
“This research challenges the assumption that students struggle because they lack motivation,” said Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, JPEF president. “Duval County students want to succeed and have meaningful careers. Our responsibility as a community is to make sure they can find, afford and complete the education and training they need to reach those goals.”
The research identified five key findings:
- Students are motivated, but financial pressure, emotional strain, competing responsibilities, and complex systems make success more difficult.
- Financial challenges, including tuition, educational debt, transportation, housing, and the need to balance work and school, remain the greatest threats to enrollment and completion.
- The transition from high school to postsecondary education is one of the weakest points in the system.
- Students increasingly want education and training that provide clear connections to employment.
- Postsecondary success requires better collaboration among schools, colleges and universities, employers, workforce organizations, community partners, and local government.
The study recommends establishing a regional postsecondary success collaborative, expanding proactive advising beginning as early as middle school, making student supports easier to access, improving communication about career-connected pathways, strengthening mental health and basic-needs assistance, and developing a regional system for sharing data and tracking progress.
“Duval County already has strong educational institutions, workforce programs, employers and community organizations committed to helping students succeed,” Fortune said. “The challenge is connecting those resources so students experience them as one coordinated and supportive system, rather than a maze they must navigate on their own.”
The research also found growing interest in technical education, industry certifications, apprenticeships, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degree programs tied directly to career opportunities. However, many students remain unaware of available Career and Technical Education programs, apprenticeships, and credentials that can build upon one another over time.
JPEF will use the findings to help inform its Future-Ready Duval County strategy and bring education, business, government, and community partners together around a shared goal: ensuring students graduate prepared to succeed in college, a career and life.
Read the executive summary.
Read the full report.
Watch a video as JPEF leaders and researchers discuss key findings of the report and what’s next for JPEF: https://youtu.be/YwK0be5A2Lk
About the Jacksonville Public Education Fund
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent think-and-do tank that believes every student should graduate high school inspired and prepared for success in college or a career and life. JPEF serves as a bridge in support of public education, activating community support, connecting partners, and advancing effective ideas for the success of all students. For more information: www.jaxpef.org.