The College Completion Crisis: Why it’s time to take bold steps to meet students’ post-secondary needs

Presented by Distinguished Visiting Urbanist Richard Buery and NYU Wagner

April
16
8:30am - 10:30am EDT
Private
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Date:
April 16, 2019
Time:
8:30am - 10:30am
Location:
The Puck Building - 295 Lafayette Street, The Rudin Family Forum for Civic Dialogue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10012

Far too many young people face a vast array of unfair and unnecessary barriers on the road to college and workforce success. For students of color, those whose parents did not attend college, and youth from low-income families, the odds of making it to and through college are particularly low and those who earn a college degree are more likely to experience challenging labor market outcomes.

The numbers lay bare the challenge of realizing these freedoms. Nationally, 36 percent of Americans age 25 to 29 have earned a bachelor’s degree; among black Americans, that number drops to 23 percent and for Latinx Americans, 19 percent. What’s more, 70 percent of wealthy students graduate college, while only 12 percent of low-income students graduate. Stated another way, nearly 90 percent of low-income students in our country start their adult lives with substantially limited opportunities. This is simply unacceptable.

It is time that we think more holistically about the challenges, and the necessary response, to every student having the opportunity to obtain a college degree and flourish in the whatever career they choose.

There is no one solution to these persistent problems, but a collective effort from preK-12, institutions of higher education, employers, financial institutions and policymakers can drive change. Join us for a special presentation and panel that will investigate ways we can drive positive change and create more equitable pathways to success through education.

Richard Buery, Chief of Policy and Public Affairs at the KIPP Foundation and Distinguished Visiting Urbanist at NYU Wagner, will preview new recommendations on how to improve access to and attainment of a college degree for communities of color. A panel discussion will follow to investigate the role that data transparency and accountability at higher education institutions can—and should—play a role in achieving this goal.

This event is only open to the NYU community and invited guests.

NYU Wagner provides reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Requests for accommodations for events and services should be submitted at least two weeks before the date of the accommodation need. Please email wagner.events@nyu.edu or call 212.998.7400 for assistance.
The College Completion Crisis: Why it’s time to take bold steps to meet students’ post-secondary needs