Press Releases

College Board Rallies Members to Help Low-Income Students Get College Degrees

10/24/07

NEW YORK—In one of its boldest advocacy programs ever, the College Board is launching a campaign to support middle and high school students from low-income families as they work toward preparing for, getting into and succeeding in college.  The program will mobilize the College Board’s more than 5,200 member schools, colleges and universities to join in an effort to improve opportunities for these students.

Known as the CollegeKeys Compact™, the effort is a result of a report by a College Board trustees task force, which found that nearly one-half of all college-qualified low- and moderate-income high school graduates do not enroll in a four-year college program because of a combination of poor preparation, low expectations and financial barriers. The report makes clear the need for a focused effort to ensure more opportunities for low-income students to attend and then succeed in college.

“In this globalized world, a college education is increasingly important for individuals and, collectively, for the future of this country,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, about the initiative.  “The report from the task force will help the College Board execute a national strategy for this important effort.”

The report, which is based on a two-year review of independent research, policy and practices in academic preparation and planning, admissions, financial aid and retention, found the following:

• While the United States continues to lead the world in the proportion of adults with four-year degrees, the lead is slipping, and several other advanced nations now have higher proportions of young people enrolled in higher education than the United States.
• The “degree gap” between young Americans and those abroad calls for increasing by 25 percent the number of community college degrees awarded annually and by 19 percent the number of four-year degrees, all between now and 2025. These increases would produce an additional 15.6 million college degrees in that time period.
• The degree gap between high-achieving students of low income and high income has reached nearly 20 percent.
• Nine of 10 of the fastest growing jobs in the United States require some postsecondary education—a two- or four-year college degree or certificate training.

“The task force fully understands that we created a big agenda, but education must not be considered an option only for the financially advantaged,” said Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, a College Board trustee and co-chair of the Task Force on College Access for Students from Low-Income Backgrounds. “The days when a few people could go to college and a manufacturing economy could take care of everyone else are over.  As a nation, we need to get serious about providing the basic employment tool that everyone needs in this day and age—a college degree.”

Citing evidence that high-achieving students from low-income families have about the same chance of attending college as low achievers from wealthier families, the report points to an array of obstacles blocking these students from access to campus and then success once they’re enrolled.  In addition to poor preparation for the emotional and academic rigors of higher education, students face challenges in getting the aid necessary to fund their education.  The admissions and financial aid processes present “a lot of hoops to jump through,” processes that can intimidate and confuse the inexperienced, the task force reported.  Once on campus, culture shock and difficulties transferring from two- to four-year campuses often present more obstacles.

Former trustee and task force co-chair Steven E. Brooks said that the Compact will use strengths and programs from all its members to give schools in less-affluent communities the support they need.

“Colleges and universities are set up to work well with schools and students and families in communities with college-going cultures,” Brooks said.  “However, they are less successful with schools and students in communities that lack experience in college admissions and attendance. Solutions exist, and as a nation, we should be focused on solving the problems.”

The Compact is driven by member commitment to the belief that all underserved students have a right to an affordable, accessible and successful college experience. The Compact will enlist the participation of all schools, colleges and universities accepting the call to action. The initiative proposes a number of possible activities, including the creation of partnerships to provide more mentors for young people, ensuring the availability of rigorous high school curricula; the waiving of fees for college applications for these target students; educating administrators, counselors and teachers to help understand the reality of financial aid needs; providing additional tutoring and supplemental instruction, as well as culturally relevant programming; and improving course alignment and acceptance agreements between two- and four-year campuses.

The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT^®, the PSAT/NMSQT^®, and the Advanced Placement Program^® (AP^®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

For more information, please contact Sheila Jamison at sjamison@collegeboard.org   or by phone at (212) 713-8052.