Back to School: When Students Succeed, Arizona Succeeds
Advancing Arizona’s Most Strategic Investment
As students and educators head back to school this month ready to learn, grow and prepare for the future, we continue to work diligently on advocating and acting on education improvements in Arizona. And the stakes have never been higher. Our state’s economic strength, workforce readiness, and shared prosperity all depend on the success of our students.
At Education Forward Arizona, the back-to-school season is more than just the start of another academic year—it’s our call to action.
Our north star is simple but ambitious: by 2030, 60% of Arizona adults will hold a degree or credential. To reach that goal, we must ensure every student in Arizona, regardless of background or ZIP code, has the opportunity and support to pursue education and training beyond high school.
As students head back to school this month, we are celebrating four years of advocating and acting on education improvements.
We’ve made meaningful, measurable progress toward that vision and over the past few years, our work has:
- Guided thousands of students through personalized advising and mentoring from high school to postsecondary education and career, helping students access the resources, direction, and support they need to succeed.
- Connected students to millions in financial aid, ensuring affordability is not a barrier to opportunity.
- Administered millions of dollars in scholarships to students across Arizona to pursue education and training beyond high school.
- Partnered with schools, communities, and employers to strengthen college and career readiness, so graduates are prepared for the demands of the workforce.
- Advocated for critical education funds including the U.S. Department of Education’s release of $5 billion in previously delayed Title grant funds for the 2025–26 school year. These funds will reinforce essential programs—English language learning, migrant education, and teacher professional development—that are critical to equity and excellence in education.
- And more!
Driving Prosperity, Innovation, and Workforce Readiness
The future of our state depends on ensuring every learner is prepared to prosper beyond high school. Yet Arizona continues to face educator shortages, chronic absenteeism, and the need for more affordable, high-quality postsecondary pathways.
Addressing these challenges requires a unified, cross-sector, and bi-partisan commitment—where business leaders, policymakers, educators, and communities align behind a shared vision for our state’s educational future.
In Arizona, only 48 percent of Arizona adults hold a postsecondary degree, certificate, or credential. To reach Arizona’s Achieve60AZ Attainment goal—ensuring 60 percent of adults hold a degree or certificate by 2030—we must add more than 500,000 degrees and credentials to our workforce. Falling short would mean missing out on billions in potential revenue, reduced workforce readiness, and fewer opportunities to attract the high-skill, high-wage jobs our state needs.
Increasing higher education enrollment by 20% could lead to more than $5 billion in economic gains for Arizona, stronger communities, a more robust economy, and a brighter future for all Arizonans.
As the new school year begins, our state must embrace a collective sense of urgency. The choices we make today in classrooms, boardrooms, and state policy will determine whether Arizona realizes its full potential. Without deliberate action to expand educational attainment, we risk leaving opportunity, innovation, and revenue on the table.
The work is ambitious, but the reward is unparalleled: a state where every learner has the opportunity to thrive, and our shared prosperity is the direct result of our shared investment in education.
How You Can Help Move Education Forward
We can’t do it alone. To ensure every student in Arizona has the opportunity to succeed, we need your voice, your partnership, and your commitment.
Here’s how you can stand with us this year:
- Help us expand our reach by sharing our advising resources with students and families in rural and underserved areas.
- Strengthen the pipeline to good jobs by connecting schools with employers and supporting affordable, high-quality pathways from high school to high-skill careers.
- Raise your voice for equitable funding so every school has the resources it needs to help students thrive.
- Encourage attendance and persistence in your community—because every day in school matters.
Arizona’s future depends on the progress of its students. Our state must align educational systems and equip every learner with the tools to grow and excel.
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Together, we can make a brighter future for Arizona’s students and our state.