In the modern economy, a college degree has become the gateway to the middle class. Nearly 75 percent of future jobs will require a postsecondary degree or certificate, and many of these job openings will be in middle-skill professions that require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college degree. Although the demand for greater knowledge and skills is high, U.S. college completion rates are flat. Twenty years ago, the United States was first in the world in postsecondary attainment for adults ages 25 to 34; the nation now ranks 12th. The countries that have eclipsed the United States have done so by emphasizing student attainment of degrees from two-year colleges. In 2008, Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine held a forum in Richmond, Virginia, on college and career success. Forum participants suggested four broad actions states can take to raise college attainment rates. First, states need to improve students' readiness for college and careers. Second, students need supports both to get into college and to persist in earning a degree. Third, states must remove barriers that make it hard for students to transfer from two-year to four-year programs. Finally, states need to experiment with performance-based funding. (Contains 2 figures and 55 notes.)