Report to the State Board of Regentson Utah Public Opinion Survey

October 14, 2009

Research Conducted by Dan Jones & AssociatesFor the Utah System of Higher Education

1

• Survey of 675 adult Utahns statewide by Dan Jones & Associates.

• Conducted July 2009 for the Commissioner of Higher Education.

• “Oversampling” of Hispanic Population.• Margin of error +/- 4.0%

2

3

State Issues

Most Important Issue for the State of Utah: The Economy

4

State Budget & Healthcare (tie)

Education

Economy & Jobs

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

6%

14%

40%

Highest Priorities for Governor Herbert

5

Protecting our environment

Building/improving roads to keep trans. moving

Reducing taxes

Setting higher standards in education

Making health care available to all Utahns

Creating jobs through econ. development

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

4%

5%

10%

15%

18%

38%

Budget Choices

6

Roads or Education? Prisons or Education?

Prisons6%

Education92%

Roads8%

Education82%

Prisons o

r Roads?

Healthca

re for u

ninsured or R

oads?

Healthca

re for u

ninsured or E

ducation?

20%

70%

46%

77%

28%

52%

Budget Choices

7

Roads

Roads

Healthcare

Healthcare

Prisons

Education

8

Higher Education

Is College Important?

• 99% of respondents feel a college education is important.

Why?80%: Career & economic opportunities17%: Societal benefits, “well-rounded”, helps in

understanding the world

9

Is a college education more important or less important than it was 10 years ago?

10

80%

7%12%

More important than 10 years ago

Less important than 10 year ago

Of the same im-portance

Is higher education accessible to all Utahns?

11

All Hispanics $20k-$35k $75k-$100k0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

63%

43%49%

70%

31%

51% 51%

30%

Yes No

“Grade” Higher Education • 80% give colleges an “A” or “B”• 81% in 2006

12

Should assisting economic development be a part of the mission of a state college or

university?

13

Should assist? Meeting Economic Need?0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% Yes78% Yes

74%

No16% No

12%

Financial Aid & Student Loans• 80% of respondents favor “increasing the availability of state-

funded student financial aid for needy students”• How much debt is reasonable?

14$5,000 + $10,000 +

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%60%

38%

66%

41%2009

2006

Strategies to Handle Growth in Higher Education

15

Increase state funding for colleges and universities

Increase the number of Community College campuses

Increase use of technology/internet in classroom

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

77%

87%

82%

19%

11%

16%

Oppose Favor

New Taxes to Expand College Access?

16

Property tax* County or regional income tax

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

46% 45%49%

53%

Favor Oppose

*Salt Lake and Utah Counties favor by small majority (51%)

17

Preparation for College

Should Utah high schools require students to take more science and math classes?

18

All respondents Hispanic0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

65%

82%

27%

16%

YesNo

Different standards to prepare for college than for the job-market?

19

75%

20%

Other5%

Same standards for students whether college-bound or job-market bound

Different standards for college-bound students

What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?

20

High schoolSkill training/certificateSome college2-year Associates4-year bachelor'sM

asters/AdvancedTotal 2-year+Total 4-year+

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

21%

5% 6%

21%

32%

7%

60%

39%

17%

5% 5%

16%

37%

12%

65%

49%

Female Male

College expectation gapMen vs. Women

21

Females Males SL County Utah County LDS0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

17%

14%

11%

26%24%

10%9%

7%

10%

13%

2006 2009

“What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?”(4-year degree+, male minus female)

Saving for child’s college education?

22

Parents & Grandparents Parents Only

No Yes0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

53%

47%

Yes

58%

51%

41%<12 years old

13-18 years old

19-25 years old

Aware of UESP?

23

Series10%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

200640%

200957%

Qualitative FindingsFocus Groups:• Three focus groups were conducted: • 2 with parents who themselves have attended or graduated from college and 1 with

grandparents

Main findings:• By default, scholarships have become many parents’ college savings plans for their children • Tax incentives the most attractive feature of 529 plans• Pivotal points in a family’s life when they might start saving for college:

– Newborn– 5 year-old beginning Kindergarten– Junior high – grades start to matter– When other financial obligations of the family free up

-Qualitative Research Analysis of UESP, Dan Jones & AssociatesJune 2009

24

Approaches to handling K-12 growth

25

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

69% 69% 70%

29% 30%26%

Favor Oppose

Conclusions—Utahns Believe:• Economy, creating jobs is top state priority.• Higher Education is linked to economic success.• Both men & women should attend college, “expectation gap” has

narrowed.• Higher education is accessible (except Hispanic Utahns don’t agree).• Support significant priority for funding education over other state

needs.

26

Report to the State Board of Regentson Utah Public Opinion Survey

October 14, 2009

Research Conducted by Dan Jones & AssociatesFor the Utah System of Higher Education

27

• Survey of 675 adult Utahns statewide by Dan Jones & Associates.

• Conducted July 2009 for the Commissioner of Higher Education.

• “Oversampling” of Hispanic Population.• Margin of error +/- 4.0%

28

29

State Issues

Most Important Issue for the State of Utah: The Economy

30

State Budget & Healthcare (tie)

Education

Economy & Jobs

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

6%

14%

40%

Highest Priorities for Governor Herbert

31

Protecting our environment

Building/improving roads to keep trans. moving

Reducing taxes

Setting higher standards in education

Making health care available to all Utahns

Creating jobs through econ. development

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

4%

5%

10%

15%

18%

38%

Budget Choices

32

Roads or Education? Prisons or Education?

Prisons6%

Education92%

Roads8%

Education82%

Prisons o

r Roads?

Healthca

re for u

ninsured or R

oads?

Healthca

re for u

ninsured or E

ducation?

20%

70%

46%

77%

28%

52%

Budget Choices

33

Roads

Roads

Healthcare

Healthcare

Prisons

Education

34

Higher Education

Is College Important?

• 99% of respondents feel a college education is important.

Why?80%: Career & economic opportunities17%: Societal benefits, “well-rounded”, helps in

understanding the world

35

Is a college education more important or less important than it was 10 years ago?

36

80%

7%12%

More important than 10 years ago

Less important than 10 year ago

Of the same im-portance

Is higher education accessible to all Utahns?

37

All Hispanics $20k-$35k $75k-$100k0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

63%

43%49%

70%

31%

51% 51%

30%

Yes No

“Grade” Higher Education • 80% give colleges an “A” or “B”• 81% in 2006

38

Should assisting economic development be a part of the mission of a state college or

university?

39

Should assist? Meeting Economic Need?0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% Yes78% Yes

74%

No16% No

12%

Financial Aid & Student Loans• 80% of respondents favor “increasing the availability of state-

funded student financial aid for needy students”• How much debt is reasonable?

40$5,000 + $10,000 +

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%60%

38%

66%

41%2009

2006

Strategies to Handle Growth in Higher Education

41

Increase state funding for colleges and universities

Increase the number of Community College campuses

Increase use of technology/internet in classroom

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

77%

87%

82%

19%

11%

16%

Oppose Favor

New Taxes to Expand College Access?

42

Property tax* County or regional income tax

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

46% 45%49%

53%

Favor Oppose

*Salt Lake and Utah Counties favor by small majority (51%)

43

Preparation for College

Should Utah high schools require students to take more science and math classes?

44

All respondents Hispanic0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

65%

82%

27%

16%

YesNo

Different standards to prepare for college than for the job-market?

45

75%

20%

Other5%

Same standards for students whether college-bound or job-market bound

Different standards for college-bound students

What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?

46

High schoolSkill training/certificateSome college2-year Associates4-year bachelor'sM

asters/AdvancedTotal 2-year+Total 4-year+

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

21%

5% 6%

21%

32%

7%

60%

39%

17%

5% 5%

16%

37%

12%

65%

49%

Female Male

College expectation gapMen vs. Women

47

Females Males SL County Utah County LDS0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

17%

14%

11%

26%24%

10%9%

7%

10%

13%

2006 2009

“What is the minimum level of education a female/male should complete?”(4-year degree+, male minus female)

Saving for child’s college education?

48

Parents & Grandparents Parents Only

No Yes0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

53%

47%

Yes

58%

51%

41%<12 years old

13-18 years old

19-25 years old

Aware of UESP?

49

Series10%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

200640%

200957%

Qualitative FindingsFocus Groups:• Three focus groups were conducted: • 2 with parents who themselves have attended or graduated from college and 1 with

grandparents

Main findings:• By default, scholarships have become many parents’ college savings plans for their children • Tax incentives the most attractive feature of 529 plans• Pivotal points in a family’s life when they might start saving for college:

– Newborn– 5 year-old beginning Kindergarten– Junior high – grades start to matter– When other financial obligations of the family free up

-Qualitative Research Analysis of UESP, Dan Jones & AssociatesJune 2009

50

Approaches to handling K-12 growth

51

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

69% 69% 70%

29% 30%26%

Favor Oppose

Conclusions—Utahns Believe:• Economy, creating jobs is top state priority.• Higher Education is linked to economic success.• Both men & women should attend college, “expectation gap” has

narrowed.• Higher education is accessible (except Hispanic Utahns don’t agree).• Support significant priority for funding education over other state

needs.

52