The Socioeconomic Benefits Generated by the Wisconsin Technical College System. Volume 1: Main Report [and] Volume 2: Detailed Results [and] Executive Summary

This document is a report on the Wisconsin Technical College System's (WTCS) benefits to community college students and the overall state economy and welfare. The report shows how the WTCS rates, using the Association for Community College Trustees' (ACCT) model for measuring the economic and social benefits of technical colleges to their surroundings. The ACCT model is based on economic theories, functional relationships among technical colleges, its students, the community, and education-related data. The model tracks four types of technical college benefits: (1) contributions to job and income formation; (2) higher earnings captured by exiting students; (3) a broad collection of social benefits (improved health, reduced crime, lower welfare and unemployment); and (4) the return to taxpayers for their support to technical colleges. Results show that the WTCS accounts for approximately 3,852 million dollars of the annual earnings in the state. Technical college students are reported as enjoying a 20% return on their investment of time and money at the community college. State statistics have shown improved health, reduced welfare, less unemployment, and lower crime, which has saved the state over 45.5 million dollars. Finally, taxpayers are shown to have a 100% return rate on their investments--on average, they recover all invested money in 2.2 years. (MKF)