The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks New Jersey twenty-third in the United States for economic well-being, based in part on the percentage of children in the state whose parents have secure employment. Against this backdrop, as yearly cohorts of high school students face the growing challenge of finding postsecondary success, “Credit Where Credit is Due” is JerseyCAN’s new, timely policy brief that calls for the state to: 1) Democratize college access and completion; and 2) Publicize viable non-college pathways that lead to good jobs. In this brief, JerseyCAN Executive Director Paula White presents six key policy recommendations, highlighting promising high school programs and partnerships across the state as a framework for a stronger economic future for every New Jerseyan.

Publish date: September 2025 Number of pages: 23