{"id":30398,"date":"2018-05-21T08:56:28","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T12:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/?p=30398"},"modified":"2019-04-25T13:39:55","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:39:55","slug":"better-deal-for-black-college-students-make-schools-meet-minimum-graduation-rates-stop-tuition-inflation-and-end-campus-segregation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/ncppr\/2018\/05\/21\/better-deal-for-black-college-students-make-schools-meet-minimum-graduation-rates-stop-tuition-inflation-and-end-campus-segregation\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Deal for Black College Students: Make Schools Meet Minimum Graduation Rates, Stop Tuition Inflation and End Campus Segregation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Black Leaders Suggest Linking Federal Student Aid to Policies That Help Black Students Succeed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Washington, D.C.<\/em> \u2013 Failures by K-12 school systems to prepare black students for college are compounded by inadequate college admissions policies and support programs, according to the black leadership network Project 21<\/a>. This, the group says, can make black students\u2019 completion of a college education a difficult prospect. As part of its \u201cBlueprint for a Better Deal for Black America<\/a>,\u201d Project 21 recommends tying federal student financial aid eligibility to minimum graduation rates as a means of incentivizing colleges to provide black students with the support they need to succeed. It also recommends, as a means of making college more affordable, setting tuition maximums in order for colleges to be eligible for federal financial aid.<\/p>\n

Colleges are admitting black students who are sometimes unprepared for rigorous college environments. Blacks are sometimes accepted with lower SAT and ACT scores, fewer AP course credits and lower high school GPAs than their counterparts. The situation is worsened by colleges that do not provide black students with individualized support to overcome the deficiencies of their K-12 educations.<\/p>\n

This failure is reflected in the statistics for six-year graduation rates<\/a>. Just 38 percent of blacks earn their four-year college degree after six years. By comparison, 62 percent of whites, 63.2 percent of Asians and 45.8 percent of Hispanics receive their degrees within six years.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Stacy Washington<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cStatistics show that too many families send their kids off to college but never get to attend a graduation ceremony despite investing tens of thousands of dollars.\u00a0The six-year graduation rate for black students is just 38 percent. That\u2019s abysmal! Colleges and universities receiving federal aid dollars should be held accountable for their graduation rates and their return on investment,\u201d said Project 21 Co-Chairman Stacy Washington<\/a>, a nationally-syndicated talk radio host whose oldest child enters college this fall.\u00a0\u201cProject 21\u2019s Blueprint outlines steps to require minimum graduation rate standards in order for a school to be eligible for federal student financial aid. A requirement like this would go a long way toward students and taxpayers getting what they pay for in a secondary education.”<\/p>\n

Half of black college students report accumulating more than $25,000 in college debt<\/a> after four years in college. That compares to just 34% of whites who accumulate such debt. It\u2019s estimated that every dollar of financial aid raises the \u201csticker price\u201d of tuition<\/a> by between 55 and 65 cents. Project 21\u2019s Blueprint proposes reform of tuition inflation.<\/p>\n

\"Jerome<\/a>

Jerome Danner<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cBlack students are paying more and getting less these days. We need colleges and universities to appreciate their black student bodies throughout a full collegiate career, and not just for admissions statistics,\u201d said Project 21 member Jerome Danner<\/a>, who recently worked at a small college in the South. \u201cColleges take chances on black students who may initially need more help in keeping up with the curriculum. The combination of linking federal financial aid eligibility to graduation rates and keeping tuition manageable puts the priority not just on admitting students, but also retaining them. This not only helps them succeed, but also protects them from the depression and debt related to being forced to drop out.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are four specific Project 21 proposals<\/a> in the Blueprint to give black college students a better deal, promoting their success rather than setting them up to fail:<\/p>\n