At the start of the Congressional Black Caucus’ annual legislative conference, a panel, Access to Opportunity: Propelling Black Students, explored the disparity in college degree attainment between Black students and students of other races.
The panel, which was moderated by Autumn Arnett (a senior staff writer at Diverse), identified a number of the key issues that are preventing Black students from earning postsecondary degrees. An NCES survey found that, in 2013, overall 40 percent of 25 to 29 year olds had a college degree, but only 20 percent of Black 25 to 29 years olds did.
Black students have a slew of barriers to overcome on their path to and during college, panelists said. At a very fundamental level, the cost of education is a major barrier for Black families. As the cost of higher education rises, the economic outlook for Black families has not improved commensurately. A Pew Research Center analysis of Federal Reserve data found that the median wealth of White households was 13 times that of Black households in 2013.
Moreover, many Black students are attending high schools that do not offer academically rigorous classes, leaving them underprepared for postsecondary education. Panelist Wendell Hall, senior director of policy advocacy at The College Board, said a large percentage of Black students attend high schools that do not offer AP or honors classes. He referenced the 2014 Dear Colleague letter from the Office for Civil Rights that said that 1 in 5 Black students attend a high school that does not offer any AP class.
The college admissions process itself can also be daunting for students, panelists said. Some may have parents who did not attend college, meaning that they cannot rely on their family for help during the admissions process. For families in difficult financial circumstances, the college application fee can also deter students from applying to a lot of schools, preventing them from casting a wide net.
Finally, once they do get to college, Black students may find that there are new barriers to their success. The specific college environment may not be welcoming or attuned to their needs, or their success may be constrained by financial issues, such as the need to balance work and study.
Although the challenges to Black student success are vast and complex, panelists had a range of recommendations.
