10/23/2016
Graduation Rates of Minority Students
A college education has become an important gateway to the middle class, defined as the middle four deciles of income. In previous generations, a high school diploma alone was often sufficient to reach the middle class. Obtaining a college education is particularly challenging for low-income students: poor students are less likely to attend college in the first place, and those who do attend are less likely to graduate. Although for many decades, policymakers focused on college enrollment, they are increasingly setting their sights on college completion. This is a direct result of research and study done showing the gap between minorities and whites in regards to graduation rates. …show more content…
This is a fact of the past especially now in the 21st century where everything revolves around what level of education you have attained. One fact that was caught my eye in the National Progress on Improving High School Graduation Rates was that poverty rates are at least seven percent lower when one has a high school diploma in contrast to a person who doesn’t. This is a huge disparity between the two people that cannot be ignored. The importance of a degree, whether it be from a high school or college cannot be overlooked. Not only does it impact a person economically, but socially as well. Graduation rates are not only correlated to how much a person struggles with their academics but also how much they struggle in the social aspect. If a student struggles to make friends, creating support groups, or even communicating with professors, they are bound to struggle in school. Now when one throws in athletics and balancing that with the academic and social aspects of school, there is no wonder why so many students of color …show more content…
To improve graduation rates, the Ohio State University and Florida State University have created programs to improve the rate of minority graduation at their institutions. Both programs, although different have showed great progress and improvement for graduation rates of underrepresented students. “At Florida State, the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (C.A.R.E.) has been credited with helping improve graduation rates among minority students.” Founded in 2002, C.A.R.E. supports minority students all along the pipeline to college. Its programs reach out to high school students seeking help in the admissions and financial aid processes and include orientation, advising, and tutoring for those who enroll. Although they still lag behind their peers, minority students at Ohio State University have improved their graduation rates by 10.1 percentage points since 2002. The university’s Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male is considered an important part of the institution’s strategy to improve minority graduation rates, particularly among males. The center sponsors programs aimed at better connecting African-American males with the campus, including early arrival freshman orientation, faculty and peer mentoring, and “intrusive” advising. Officials credit the