This month on campuses across our region and our country, students will toss caps in the air and celebrate earning a college degree after years of hard work. To those students, we offer sincere congratulations – we are proud of you and your accomplishments.
For too many students, however, the dream of a postsecondary degree is a dream deferred.
In the St. Louis region, 41.3 percent of adults have an associate’s degree or higher, but only 26.7 percent of African Americans do. St. Louis has made steady progress increasing degree attainment overall, moving from 25th among the top 35 metropolitan areas in the country in 2007 to 21st in 2015. Yet when it comes to degree attainment for African Americans, we’ve actually dropped from 28th in 2007 to 31st in 2010, and that’s where the region remains as of 2015.
With a 14-point gap in degree completion by race, we have a systemic crisis in St. Louis. We often hear about business and industry needing workers with postsecondary credentials to meet workforce needs, but, more importantly, families need the additional income and career opportunities a degree brings. Not some families, all families.
That’s why St. Louis Graduates commissioned research to identify what is working to support students who are low-income and students of color to graduation from colleges in Missouri and Illinois. The Degrees with Less Debt report found five common themes at colleges that enroll and graduate these students at higher rates than others. These strategies include university leadership committed to equity and a systemic approach to student support, focusing on initiatives that support not just college enrollment but college completion, including summer bridge programs to smooth transition to college, just-in-time academic support, and, most critically, flexible and sufficient financial aid.
The work is now underway with higher education institutions and community partners to scale effective strategies so students are celebrating graduation, not admission. There are roles for all of us.
Business leaders can commit to increased equity in postsecondary attainment as a regional priority by signing and committing to implement the St. Louis Regional Education Commitment championed by St. Louis Regional Chamber and its Higher Education Council and Business Leaders for Education and signed by dozens of organizations. They can offer young adults summer jobs, internships, job shadowing days and other opportunities to understand careers in your field and the education required to pursue them. They can provide tuition reimbursement and other programs to support employees.
K-12 school district leaders can ensure academic readiness through college prep courses, dual credit, and postsecondary planning. They can guide student planning to find the best financial, academic and cultural fit.
Policymakers can prioritize need-based aid in state-funded financial aid programs.
Philanthropists can support need-based scholarship and interest-free loan programs.
Higher education leaders can implement or strengthen policies and programs with demonstrated success, including early alert systems, academic tutoring and mentoring. They can provide guidance, class schedules and support to make on-time graduation possible. They can eliminate remedial education in favor of co-requisite models and similar proven methods. They can provide programs to support students with challenging life circumstances, including food insecurity, homelessness and mental health.
Making the commitment to equity in degree completion is just the first step and systems change takes time and hard work, much like earning a degree. It’s an investment that pays dividends for our students and our community.
Read Degrees with Less Debt at http://www.stlouisgraduates.org/degreeswithlessdebt.
Alan Byrd Jr., vice provost for Enrollment Management at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Allison Williams, senior vice president of Programs at Wyman, are co-chairs of St. Louis Graduates.
