loans. Nearly half of JA alumni, 47 percent, paid off their student loans
93%
Have a High School Diploma or GED
30%
67%
More likely to have an More likely to have a Bachelor’s Degree Advanced Degree
General Population General Population
General Population
Image courtesy of Junior Achievement USA
ated to educational attainment, 93 percent ofmark. JA within ten years, with most of those occurring by the five-year mni graduated high school or have a GED. This is Entrepreneurship In terms of perception of the US economic 75 percent of of JA mpared to a high school/GED rate ofsystem, 88 percent alumni have a favorable view, compared to only 30 percent of the according to the Pew Research Center. When it generalgeneral U.S. population, population, using 2015 U.S. Census comes to business ownership, 55 percent of JA alumni say that the a. Whengreatest it comes higher impact to JA had on theireducation, lives was helping42 thempercent understand how business works. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor reports A Alumni a four-year to thathave 14 percent of Americans degree, are involved compared in business ownership, compared to 34 percent of JA alumni, meaning JA Alumni are 2.5 percent times of the general U.S. population. This means more likely to be involved in starting a business. Alumni are nearly 30 percent more likely to have a Income r-year degree. At the same time, percent JA Of the US population, 75 percent report a20 median householdof income of $51,939, according to the Federal Reserve. In comparison, the memni havedian anhousehold advanced degree, income for JA alumni iscompared $62,500, meaningto JA 12 alumni make nearly 20 percent more than the general population. In terms of cent of the U.S. population, meaning JA Alumni are social mobility, 38 percent of JA alumni describe their standard of livgrowing up as “lower income” to low-middle income) while1 percent ing more likely to have an(lowadvanced degree.
23 percent describe it as “upper income” (upper- to upper-middle inThe results of this research indicate that JA alumni, when compopulation, US Census 2016 come). In comparison, 28 percent of alumni describe their standard pared to the general public, achieve higher*Compared levelstoofgeneral education, greater of living today as “lower income”—a ten point drop—and 31 percent career satisfaction, increased financial capability, entrepreneurial acdescribe it as “upper income”—an eight point increase. tivity, and household income. At the same time, a considerable porAlum Insight When asked how JA impacted their lives, 36 percent of JA alumni tion of JA alumni credit Junior Achievement for promoting business say JA “increased my self-confidence/belief in myself.” It was the sec- literacy, influencing their career goals, fostering a sense of self-belief, ond highest choice behind “gave me an idea of how business works” and enhancing their understanding of how money works. Given a 10th grader, Evan For was make JAoverall that gains would significantly affect thecompared to the at 55 percent. JA able alumnito who reportaJAconnection increased their through sense of the demonstrated by JA alumni when self-belief, the comparison of “lower income” between growing up general public, plus the benefits many JA alumni attribute to their ction of his JAfrom connection turned intofourteen a HSpoint internship, connections, scholarship, and life. today “A drops 36 percent to 22 percent—a de- JA experience, it is reasonable to concludefour-year that participation in JA cline—and “upper rises from 27 percent to 39 percent to- programs contributes to positive knowledge, attitude, and behavioral ree and my first job outincome” of college.” day—a twelve point increase. outcomes for a significant portion of JA students. R
Evan Frazier, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs for Highmark Health
ps://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p20-578.pdf
www.akbizmag.com
January 2018 | Alaska Business
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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SPECIAL SECTION | ALUMNI SURVEY
US News & World Report notes that it takes an average of twenty-one JA Alumni Educational Attainment UCATION years for college graduates with four-year degrees to pay off their student