Promoting Upward Mobility by Increasing Post-Secondary Education
Getting a postsecondary education is among the most important factors in determining whether a person achieves the American Dream of upward economic mobility. Having a college degree quadruples the likelihood that an individual born to a family at the bottom of the income ladder will make it to the top rung of the ladder. However, low-income students are less likely to enroll in college and even less like to graduate with a degree. This report finds that many low-income students miss out on college because they don't have good information about how significantly financial aid can reduce the cost of tuition, and the process for obtaining aid is not as straightforward and timely as it could be. The authors offer up several nonpartisan policy recommendations which, if implemented, would enable all students to pursue the American Dream through a college education.
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(MAY 2009)
- Figure 1: Median Family Income of Adults Ages 30-39 with Various Levels of Educational Achievement, 1964-2006
- Figure 2: Chances of Getting Ahead for Adult Children with and without a College Degree from Families of Varying Income
- Figure 3: Growth in Fall Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions, 1959–2007
- Figure 4: Growth in Fall Minority Enrollment in Degree-Granting Undergraduate Institutions, Selected Years 1976–2007
- Figure 5: Poor Children Less Likely to Enroll in College; Even Less Likely to Graduate
- Figure 6: College Enrollment by Parents’ Income Quartile and Child Test Scores
- Figure 7: Distribution of Pell Grant Recipients by Family Income, 2006–2007
- Figure 8: Net Tuition and Fees for Various Types of Colleges, 1998-1999 and 2008-2009
- Table 1: Overview of Student Aid, 2007-2008
- Table 3: Overview of Student Loan Programs, 1997–1998 and 2007–2008
- Table 4: Overview of Federal Tax Provisions on Education
- Table 5: Summary of Recommendations to Increase College Enrollment and Graduation Rates of Students from Poor and Low-Income Families
- Table 6-1: Overview of College Preparation Programs
- Table 6-2: Overview of College Preparation Programs (...continued)
- Table 7: Four-Year Colleges and Universities with the Best, Average, and Lowest Graduation Rates for Black Students, 2006
