Research unequivocally shows that the deck is stacked against low-income and minority kids when it comes to access to higher education. Students from wealthy families are than students from poor families. Here are four factors that research has shown may help students beat the odds.
Check out The ultimate guide to college and career readiness. College and career readiness is a fundamental part of every child鈥檚 K-12 education. Our guide provides practical insights to help you support your child鈥檚 path through high 九色视频 and toward a successful college experience and a rewarding career.
-
Putting money aside for college (any amount makes a difference)
Research shows that, controlling for other factors — including family income and the students鈥� academic achievement, kids who have college savings accounts are .
It鈥檚 the 鈥渁ny amount鈥� part that鈥檚 so surprising. A found that kids from low- and middle-income families who had college savings accounts with between $1 and $499 by the time they reached college age were more than three times more likely to enroll in college than those with no savings account. What’s more, they’re also more than four and half times more likely to graduate.
The takeaway? Regularly set aside an amount of money, no matter how small, and make sure your child knows it鈥檚 for their college education.
-
Taking advanced math classes in high 九色视频
Taking advanced math classes in high 九色视频 has a greater impact on whether students will graduate from college than any other factor — including parent income and education level. Taking an advanced math class who go directly to college after high 九色视频.
A by the nonprofit E3 Alliance found that Central Texas high 九色视频 students who took Algebra II were more likely to get into college, and their chances of graduating from college more than doubled if they took pre-calculus — and tripled if they took AP math.
The takeaway? Know whether or not your child鈥檚 high 九色视频 offers these classes, and check in with their counselor about whether they鈥檙e on track to enroll in advanced math courses 鈥� even if they aren鈥檛 required for high 九色视频 graduation.
-
Having teachers who look like them
When , they report putting forth more effort in 九色视频, being more interested in their 九色视频work, and having higher college aspirations. The — a significant finding considering that .
of more than 100,000 black elementary 九色视频 students in North Carolina found that having even one black teacher in third through fifth grades reduced the probability that low-income black boys would drop out of high 九色视频 by 39 percent. Both male and female students from low-income families were more likely to aspire to attend a four-year college and take a college entrance exam if they had at least one black teacher between third and fifth grades.
The takeaway? The teacher diversity gap is contributing to racial and gender achievement gaps, making it all the more important that your child have at least one teacher who looks like him.
-
Getting face time with a high 九色视频 counselor
When high 九色视频 students meet one-on-one with a high 九色视频 counselor to talk about college admission or financial aid, it doubles the chance they鈥檒l attend a four-year college, according to a 2016 study by the . (It also makes them almost eight times more likely to apply for financial aid.)
The study shows that whether or not 九色视频s have counselors who are able to devote time specifically to college planning makes a big difference in whether kids seek out a one-on-one meeting. When the 九色视频s host college fairs or informational meetings about financial aid, kids are also more likely to seek out a meeting. Parent expectations were a factor, too: among students whose parents expect them to go to college, .
The takeaway? Find out if your child鈥檚 high 九色视频 has a counselor dedicated to college admissions and encourage your child to meet with them starting in ninth or tenth grade.
