Colorado has big gaps in who finishes college. Can a post-pandemic push turn the tide?
In The News Piece in PBS Rocky Mountain
Sept. 15, 2022
Iris Palmer was quoted in an article by PBS Rocky Mountains about the gap on college competition in Colorado.
Colorado’s low college-going rates have deep roots and complicated causes. Only half of all high school graduates enroll in college at all. Black and Latino high school graduates, who often attend under-resourced schools and have less support, go at much lower rates. When they get to college, many never finish. And the state has underfunded higher education for years, which means schools have less money to support students to graduation.
Census data released this year shows that in 2020, 48% of white residents held a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s 21 percentage points higher than the portion of Black adults and 31 percentage points higher than Latinos.
State data shows those disparities grow when comparing other types college training, such as industry certificates and associate degrees.
Colorado is aiming to get some of the 700,000 residents who have some college but no degree back on campus.
The pandemic still poses challenges. Nationally, college enrollment has dipped by nearly 1 million students since COVID hit.
The state will need to persuade more residents that college matters, even though entry-level jobs now offer wages that are higher than ever.
More people question the value of college and the risk of high debt for it, said Iris Palmer, New America’s deputy director of community colleges. The research institute advocates for equitable access to education.
“That’s starting to erode how people think of higher education,” she said.
The state aims to equip 66% of residents with a college certificate or higher by 2025, but the compounding issues make the goal seem more elusive than ever.
Without access to higher-paying jobs, the majority of Black, Hispanic, and Native American Colorado residents are getting left behind, said Courtney Brown, Lumina Foundation vice president of impact and planning. The foundation pushes for more equitable access to higher education and has helped states set goals.
Read the full article here