Edufacts™
February 2007
Texas' economic future depends on the education of its non-white population
As has been widely reported, Texas will be a minority-majority state by the year 2040, with a significant portion of the population being older as well.
The implication of these demographic shifts is clear. Increasingly, the economic future of Texas will depend on the education and training of its non-white population, which historically has had lower incomes, higher poverty rates, and a less likelihood of attending and completing college than whites.
In 2040, there will about 2 million more children and 1 million more adults ages 18 to 24 — the traditional college-age population — in the state. Despite the increase in the number of children and young adults, people age 24 and under will actually drop from 39 percent of the population to 31 percent, while people age 65 and older will increase from 10 percent to 18 percent.
At a time when college costs are escalating and financial barriers are increasing for many academically-prepared students, the expected boom in the non-white population in the coming decades will further burden political and education leaders who are trying to prepare Texas for the future. One measure that will help is the "Closing the Gaps" initiative that calls for college enrollment to increase by 630,000 additional students by 2015.
The state also will need to increase funding for grant programs that focus on the most academically prepared, but needy, students, and consider measures to mitigate the adverse effects of borrowing and to give college graduates repayment assistance.
For tips on how to establish high expectations for students as early as middle school and for assistance in planning for higher education academically and financially, visit www.AIE.org. TG provides this website as a public service to help all families and students achieve their educational goals and career dreams.
Source: State of Student Aid and Higher Education in Texas 2006.
About TG
TG is a public, nonprofit corporation that helps create access to higher education for millions of families and students through its role as an administrator of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). As a public service, TG provides Edufacts, a publication containing current information about education issues, on a monthly basis. Edufacts is one of the many ways in which TG promotes awareness of education issues, advising the public on national and state trends in education and student aid, and serving as a premier source of information.
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