Guest Bloggers
Op Ed College Graduation: A Binary Destination
It's not easy to know what you don't know. It's difficult to drill-down on an issue when the questions don't bubble up. Here are the answers to questions that haven't been asked.
Do all students who go to college graduate? What happens to the students who go to college but don't graduate? What is the impact on the larger society of an increasing number of college dropouts carrying increasingly larger loans?
This Op Ed by Marci Koblenz looks at the underbelly of our college access success.
College Graduation by Zip Code
by Marci Koblenz, President, Center for Companies That Care
Today, December 13, 2014 is a proud day! After an 8 year investment that began when he was in 9th grade, the first AIM High student graduated from college!! Congratulations to Anthony Hubbard!! More AIM High students will graduate from college this spring and more will continue to graduate every year from now on. We ARE making a difference.
Still, I fall asleep each night asking myself what more can we do, because the need is greater than our efforts can meet.
Here are the facts. Seventy three percent (73%) of students growing up in the top 25% of family income will graduate from college. The national college graduation rate among our students, and others like them growing up in the bottom quartile of family income, is a mere 8%.
Who Graduates from College?
73% |
vs |
8% |
Students from Wealthy Families |
|
Students from Poor Families |
You might be thinking that the disparity is due to the quality of schools in different neighborhoods, but in fact, it isn’t. Low income students are NOT FLUNKING out of college, they are being forced out of college because they are poor. When my college student daughter receives notification about additional fees, she forwards the invoice home and forgets about it. She (correctly) assumes that we, her parents, will pay for it. Most AIM High students don’t have anyone at home who can pay their fees. Then what happens? For poor students, this means college is over. Did you know for example that a student cannot return to college “next” semester if they owe money to the school? Even if the amount they owe is less than $100? Even if they didn’t know their financial aid didn’t cover the fee?
Two years ago, a friend asked how Center for Companies That Care would use a donation that was solely for the purpose of preventing students from not finishing college. I immediately said “we would pay the small expenses the students didn’t know about and are preventing them from enrolling for the next semester.” That kind, generous friend, gave us $20,000 just for this purpose. And it’s working so well that other nonprofits have adopted the same practice. But the money is running out.
We are working toward systemic change in the financial aid system, but in the meantime, your donation can cover college fees and prevent another unnecessary dropout.
Printing fees at a public printer (because AIM High students don’t have their own printer) |
$50 |
Lab fees |
$250 |
Health insurance |
$900 |
Required tuition payment before financial aid is distributed, plus interest |
$12,874 |
Some folks say “college isn’t for everyone.” I agree. But, whether one follows a college path should NOT be determined by zip code. One of my favorite quotes is “we make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” I know your life is already filled with giving, but I’m asking you to enhance your life a little more by donating here . Thank you in advance for sharing your resources in order to enable ALL students, regardless of family income, to pursue a college degree.
With warm wishes for happy holidays and a better 2015,
Marci
Super Heroes, Super Powers and Super Strategies..Inspiring You to Action!
Super Heroes, Super Powers, and Super Strategies. . . Inspiring You To Action is brought to you by Center for Companies That Care. Scheduled for July 12 in Chicago at the Palmer House Hilton. The event is focused around the principle that caring and socially responsible employers are both more effective and profitable than others. Center for Companies That Care encourages businesses to live by its 10 Characteristics of Socially Responsible Employers.
Center for Companies That Care’s Symposium will feature a keynote address from author and CEO of Tasty Catering, Thomas Walter, a celebration of Companies that Care’s 10th Anniversary Honor Roll Employers, as well as an Executive Leadership Forum.