Dive Brief:
- Postsecondary opportunities for previously underserved populations will help students elevate into the middle class in spite of decreased economic mobility and stagnating wages, according to a new policy paper from Jobs for the Future.
- The report argues that the conversation regarding postsecondary education has been concerned too exclusively with rises in the rate of enrollment as opposed to the rate of results, and that there has been a superficial examination of the total rates of completion without acknowledging whether certain populations are faring better or worse in the process of achieving a degree.
- The policy report recommends a variety of actions, including approaches for governments and educational institutions, while also stressing the need for stronger connections between organizations that work with underserved populations and postsecondary institutions. The organization calls for postsecondary education equity to be a bigger priority for state legislators and for data on enrollment and degree attainment to be more easily accessible.
Dive Insight:
There has been gradual progress in narrowing the race gap in college enrollment over the years, but the gap in educational attainment has been stubbornly difficult to close. A FiveThirtyEight analysis found that in 2013, about 40% of white individuals between the ages of 25 and 29 had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 20% of black individuals and 15% for Hispanics. As the Jobs for the Future policy paper makes clear, the challenges are equally stark for immigrant students and for students involved in the criminal justice system.
Some colleges are beginning to focus attention on retention as opposed to a sole concentration on enrollment, while other institutions are also rethinking how to approach reaching potential students through unconventional approaches (i.e., if a student is not able to visit a campus prior to applying). Jobs for the Future asserts more focus needs to be directed at legislators. While many states have started to set completion targets for minorities and low-income students, the paper argues most states have not drilled down into how specific populations, like justice-involved students, are being shortchanged while trying to attain degrees.