| It's been expected and now it's finally happened. The | | | | young adults holding at least associate's degrees in |
| College Board reported last Thursday on the growing | | | | 2007, compared with only 40 percent of those in the |
| gap between the United States and other countries in | | | | United States. In 2010, the US positions improved |
| terms of their college graduation rates. Together with | | | | slightly, though the overall situation is still difficult. |
| the overall degradation of American high school | | | | While almost 70 percent of the US high school |
| education, this threatens to undermine the nation's | | | | graduates enroll in community colleges and 57 percent |
| economic competitiveness. | | | | go to the bachelor's degree program, fewer than 25 |
| The United States used to be the world's number one | | | | percent of them manage to graduate after all. Many |
| by its college graduates from 25 to 34 years. Now it | | | | drop out for multiple reasons, predominantly for their |
| ranks only 12th among 36 developed nations. | | | | tuition debts. |
| "The growing education deficit is no less a threat to | | | | The problem is even worse for low-income students |
| our nation's long-term well-being than the current fiscal | | | | and minorities: only 30 percent of African-Americans, |
| crisis," Gaston Caperton, the President of the College | | | | and less than 20 percent of Latinos succeed in getting |
| Board, warned at a meeting of education leaders and | | | | at least the associate's degree. Whereas students |
| policy makers on Capitol Hill. He also released a report | | | | from the highest income families are almost eight times |
| which recommended to "think P-16 and improve | | | | as likely as those from the lowest income families to |
| education from preschool through higher [one]" in order | | | | earn a bachelor's degree by age 24. |
| to increase the completion rates. | | | | "It's crystal clear most students drop out of colleges |
| "We led the world in the 1980s, but we didn't build from | | | | not for the poor progress, but for their inability to pay. |
| there," said William Kirwan, chancellor of the University | | | | However we keep on hullabalooing about students |
| System of Maryland, who hosted the Washington | | | | default their loans instead of following our partners' |
| discussion along with Mr. Caperton. "If you look at | | | | experience. Rise and shine: investing in schooling is |
| people 60 and over, about 39 - 40 percent have | | | | investing in our future!", - Matthew Barney, economic |
| college degrees, and if you look at young people, too, | | | | expert and a former TA said. |
| about 39 - 40 percent have college degrees. | | | | Main US competitors have quite the contrary |
| Meanwhile, other countries have passed us by." | | | | approach to higher education, with a far greater share |
| While public and media attention was mostly paid to | | | | of state financing in the education budget. |
| college accession rates in recent decades, college | | | | Consequently, the higher education costs tangibly |
| graduation rates are relatively new item on the national | | | | cheaper there. In the UK, for instance, the annual tuition |
| agenda. Everything started a year ago when President | | | | fee for studying in the high-end university like Oxford is |
| Obama announced his American Graduation Initiative | | | | slightly more than $5,000. France and Germany fund |
| that urged for five million more college graduates by | | | | their universities at the state level, with huge subsidies, |
| 2020. | | | | incentives and grants given to students, including the |
| This month, after chairing the National Governors | | | | foreign ones. |
| Association, Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia | | | | Higher education in India and China is free, with these |
| spoke on his similar initiative. | | | | countries scoring increasingly high in economic |
| While policy makers are still uncertain on how to | | | | performance lately. Many speculate that if not for the |
| exactly improve the college graduation rates, | | | | brain drain and poor living conditions in there, the US |
| underfunding is believed to be the core of the problem. | | | | would have ranked far behind in its college graduation |
| Many sponsors, funds and philanthropic organizations | | | | rates. |
| have declared on their intentions to help. | | | | The College Board's recommendations include an |
| In April, Melinda Gates spoke before the American | | | | all-embracing approach that concerns K-12 education, |
| Association of Community Colleges convention and | | | | calling for more state-financed programs at all levels, |
| called for community college heads to boost college | | | | dropout prevention and alignment with international |
| completion, promising that the Bill and Melinda Gates | | | | curricular standards. College costs were also |
| Foundation would contribute up to $110 million to fund | | | | mentioned, with recommendations for more |
| their initiatives. | | | | need-based financial aid and subsidies. |
| Canada currently holds the first place of the world's | | | | Will they succeed in it - the time can only tell. |
| educational attainment rating, with 56 percent of its | | | | |