Over the past few years, Texas has seen a relative decline in educational attainment by its younger population (25-34 years of age). To produce the workforce needed for this rapidly growing state, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has issued a new post-secondary education initiative called 60x30TX. They estimate that by 2030, Texas will need approximately 60 percent of its 25-to 34 year-old workforce to hold a post-secondary credential.

Centered around students, the 60x30TX higher education strategic plan is designed to achieve this goal and help Texas remain competitive and prosperous. The state’s 25-34 years old are increasingly Hispanic, and the inclusion of underrepresented student populations, such Hispanics and African Americans, in higher education will be critical to this plan’s success.

The initiative has three main goals. First, by 2030, at least 550,000 students in that year will complete a certificate, associate, bachelor, or master’s degree from a Texas public, independent, or for-profit college or university. Second, by 2030, all graduates from Texas public institutions of higher education will have completed programs with identified marketable skills. And finally, by 2030, undergraduate student loan debt will not exceed 60 percent of first-year wage for graduates of Texas public institutions.