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Addressing the Need: A Unique Model

One can argue that the reason students don’t attend college is lack of academic preparation; however, the number of students who ARE prepared but are still unable to afford college is astounding. Of 34 valedictorians in the Boston Public School District in 2006, 11 of them did not have the necessary financial means to attend college, even after scholarships and loans were factored in. One of the most sobering and telling statistics is that high socioeconomic students at the bottom rung of the academic ladder attend college at the same rate (77%) as low socioeconomic students who are top academic achievers (78%) . In other words, the highest performing low-income students enroll in college only as much as the lowest performing wealthy students.

Unfortunately, in a report published last November by the Boston Private Industry Council and the Center for Labor Market Studies, data also strongly suggests that Massachusetts is NOT doing enough to prepare its public school students for success in college. The study focuses on Boston Public School’s graduating class of 2000. Seven years following graduation, only 675 students (35.5% of those who actually enrolled in college) had earned a one-year certificate, and associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree. This rate is almost 8% bellow the national average.

Worse, in 2007 alone, 16,000 eligible students never filled out the FAFSA in MA, leaving $59 million on the table. Overall, 45% of public college students in the Bay State did not apply for aid last year, according to a recent study by the Department of Higher Education. The rate was highest at community colleges, where 56.2% of students did not seek aid, followed by 37.4% at state colleges and 32.1% at the University of Massachusetts. These statistics expose a deeply rooted problem in society, and they vividly demonstrate the need to reach out and support low-income students as they transition from high school.

When these statistics are matched with the "Measuring Up 2008" report published this past December by the National center for Public Policy and Higher Education, the disparity is even clearer. From a cost perspective, higher education in Massachusetts is, when compared to the national average, extremely inaccessible . The report notes that the cost of colleges has climbed from 21 percent to 32 percent. When judged by percentage of personal income, the state is subsidizing its colleges and universities at the second-lowest rate in the country. For every dollar in Pell Grant aid to students, the state spends only 57 cents. After financial aid, the most affordable option, community college, still costs roughly $8,500 per year. Among the bottom 40% of earners, who make an average of $21,130 per year, this equates to almost 40% of their earnings. Four-year public institutions are even more expensive, consuming nearly 50% of the earnings for those in the bottom income bracket.

Although these statistics may seem overwhelming, and the CAC cannot solve these problems alone, the program is already tackling the immediate and pressing needs evidenced in the schools. The CAC recruits, trains and hires recent college graduates to work as advisors in low-income high schools. These advisors work directly with the guidance department of the high school in which they are placed, and liaison with local MACC member colleges. Under the supervision of an employee of the college the advisers leverage resources to supplement their advising work and build sustainable relationships in the community to strengthen college access and success services. The partner campuses have already contributed an estimated 1,000 hours of in-kind support to the program.

It is important to note that this is not a student cohort program, and high school students do not need to apply to work with an adviser. The advisers work with the guidance staff to assess the needs of the student population and identify students who require additional support. Then they work with those students on every aspect of the college application process. Because our advisers are much closer in age to their students than most professional counselors and teachers, they quickly build a unique rapport. They work in the high schools full-time, and contribute to the overall college-going culture of the school.