You Too Can Go To College - The Stark Reality

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the You Too Can Go To College Fair.  This event was the brainchild of the brothers of MALIK Fraternity Inc. I must say that the fair was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. To see so many eager young men and women with a sincere interest in going to college was a heartwarming experience. Representatives from over seventy colleges and universities came to PS 46 in Harlem, NY to participate.

Why are events such as this one important?  Why must there be more of them?  Here are the statistics for young men and women in 2011:

• 13% of the African Americans population between the ages of 20-24 did not complete high school.  [1]
• 22% of the Hispanic population between the ages of 20-24 did not complete high school.  [1]
• This translates to approximately 1,326,000 African American and Hispanic children without a high school diploma.  [1]
• This is in contrast to 6% for Whites and 5% for Asians.  [1]

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We can’t get our youth into college if we can’t keep them in high school.  I am of the opinion that we need more grass roots programs that appeal to our youth and that share “real life” stories on the importance of education.  I believe that we should work to impart a culture that a college education is something that is not only attainable but necessary.

Below are a few more statistics to consider:

• 32% of the African Americans population between the ages of 20-24 graduate high school but did not pursue secondary education.  [1]
• 34% of the Hispanic population between the ages of 20-24 graduate high school but did not pursue secondary education.  [1]
• This translates to approximately 2,381,000 African American and Hispanic children that did not pursue a college education.  [1]
• This is in contrast to 28% for Whites and 15% for Asians.  [1]

It is important now more than ever to ensure that we provide our youth with every possible option to attend college.  I think that one reason for these results could be access to and availability of information.  I’m sure that there are a lot of students who would embrace college with open arms if they knew about all of the programs that are available to assist them.  Access to information is important.

More statistics worth review:

• Although 42% of the African Americans population between the ages of 20-24 enrolled in college, 7% attained an Associate’s degree and 7% attained a Bachelor’s degree.  [1]
• Although 32% of the Hispanic population between the ages of 20-24 enrolled in college, 6% attained an Associate’s degree and 5% attained a Bachelor’s degree.  [1]
• This means that there are approximately 1,897,000 African American and Hispanic students that were unable to complete their studies.  [1]
• This is in contrast to 42% of the White population between the ages of 20-24 enrolled in college, 8% attained an Associate’s degree and 15% attained a Bachelor’s degree.  48% of the Asian population between the ages of 20-24 enrolled in college, 7% attained an Associate’s degree and 20% attained a Bachelor’s degree.  [1]

Not only do we need to focus on ensuring that our young men and women get to college, we have to make sure that they can stay there.  

Programs like the You Too Can Go To College Fair bring joy to my heart.  I’m sure that there’s many more similar programs going on all over the country.  I applaud all of you for your efforts.  We must do everything that we can to get and keep our youth in school.

[1] National Center for Education Statistics (http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/2011menu_tables.asp) Digest of Educational Statistics: Table # 9