CUNNINGHAM BILL TO REQUIRE STUDY OF NJ HIGH SCHOOL GRADS’ OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGE MIGRATION ADVANCES

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Sandra B. Cunningham that would direct the State Secretary of Higher Education to conduct a study to determine the extent and cause of outmigration of high school graduates to out-of-state colleges was today approved by the Senate Higher Education Committee.

“Because of the strength of our state education system, New Jersey high school students are prime targets for proactive outreach by out-of-state college and university admissions offices across the country,” said Senator Cunningham (D-Hudson.)  “Many of our stellar school districts are considered prime feeder schools and recruiters divert thousands of our high school graduates away from our state colleges and universities, many of which are among the best in the nation.

“This bill would help New Jersey come to grips with the situation so that we can keep our students here and help the industries and economy in our own state.”

The bill would require the study to include but not be limited to:

• a survey of high school seniors enrolled in public and nonpublic schools in the State to determine the reasons why a student might choose an out-of-State institution;
• a review of the academic characteristics of students who choose an in-State institution and students who choose an out-of-State institution;
• a review of the socio-economic characteristics of the families of students who choose an in-State institution and the families who choose an out-of-State institution;
• a review of the academic quality of the out-of-State institutions in which New Jersey high school graduates choose to enroll and a comparison of the academic ranking of those institutions with New Jersey’s public and independent institutions of higher education;
• a survey of and consultation with public and nonpublic high school guidance counselors on the reasons for the outmigration of high school graduates;
• an analysis of the extent to which the outmigration of high school graduates is impacted by the small geographic size of the State and the desire of college students to experience independent living at a distance from their families; and
• a review of available literature and data on the outmigration of high school graduates in New Jersey and other states.

The bill, S-518, requires the Secretary to prepare and submit a report of the study’s findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature within 18 months of the bill’s effective date. The report would include, an overview of the extent of the outmigration of New Jersey high school graduates, the secretary’s findings on the reasons for the outmigration, and the secretary’s analysis of what, if any, actions the State might take to reverse the flow of students to out-of-state institutions.

With a vote of 5-0 the bill now advances to the full Senate for further consideration.