ACCESS: EXAMINING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN PAYING FOR COLLEGE
Research has shown that student aid is one of the best social investments we can make. It makes a tremendous difference in the lives of individuals. It also gives society a great return on capital in increased tax revenues alone, not to mention increased economic productivity.
OPE Agenda Project Dialogue Session Participant
Rising Expectations
During the 19th century the "common school movement" pushed for an elementary school education for white children. Reformers argued that school was necessary for economic prosperity and the civic health of the nation. This led to the establishment of state boards of education and public financing for education. It was expected that children go to elementary school. By the turn of the century, the push was on for high school attendance. From 1890 to 1930, the percent of teenagers aged fourteen to seventeen enrolled in high school rose from 4 percent to 47 percent. In time, this expectation became mandatory. Now, all states have some sort of law mandating school attendance to a certain age, and the schooling is paid for by the state.
Today, in the information age, postsecondary education is not yet mandatory, but it certainly is viewed as more and more of a necessity by American families. They see noticeably higher earnings and much lower unemployment rates for individuals who have gone on to college. In fact, on average, a bachelor’s degree is worth an estimated $600,000 more over a lifetime than a high school diploma.31 Americans want the opportunities provided by college for their children and themselves.
College-going rates are at an all-time high; unfortunately, while all groups have shown increased college attendance, significant gaps still exist between the haves and have-nots. Low-income individuals and minorities are still much less likely to go on to college than their higher income counterparts. If they do enroll, they are less likely to succeed. In 1997, 67 percent of high school graduates entered college immediately after high school—57 percent of low-income high school graduates compared to 82 percent of high-income high school graduates.32 Inadequate academic preparation and a complex system of financing postsecondary education contribute to this college opportunity gap.
