| In the pursuit of better rankings in "American Best | | | | access because they have shifted policies over the |
| Colleges" and U.S. News Report and numerous | | | | last fifteen years and they have success. The state |
| websites many public colleges have abandoned their | | | | legislators of these public colleges have taken a harder |
| commitment to low income and minority students. | | | | look at who they are supporting for the scarce dollars |
| Public college access for minority and low income | | | | that are available. |
| students has been devastated by a shift in college | | | | The policies seem to support giving more financial aid |
| enrollment management practices. According to a | | | | based on merit and more financial aid to middle an |
| recent Education Trust report the data regarding the | | | | upper class students who have greater chances of |
| enrollment of low income and minority college students | | | | graduating. The education gap continues to expand |
| is not encouraging. The report is titled " Promise | | | | based on the income and ethnicity of students. Many |
| Abandoned: How Policy Choices and Institutional | | | | minority students who do make it to college come with |
| Practices Resist College Opportunities." Although the | | | | insufficient funds and few experiences in advanced |
| number of African American students entering college | | | | math and science courses. They also lack the financial |
| grew from 943,000 during 1974 to 1.9 million by 2004 | | | | resources to meet the escalating cost of college. |
| and Latino enrollment increased from 353,000 to 1.7 | | | | There is no interest in providing greater access for |
| million their college enrollments could not keep pace | | | | students who may require more academic support. |
| with increases in white students. While the number of | | | | It is clear that colleges need to increase their |
| white high school graduates fell from 2.6 million during | | | | commitment to providing access for minority and low |
| 1974 to 1.8 million during 2004 there actual college | | | | income students. They are over looking the fact that |
| enrollment increased from 7.7 million during 1974 to 9.7 | | | | minorities represent the fastest growing student |
| million during 2004. | | | | population. We are risking a diminished ability to |
| Education is a key to employment in the information | | | | compete in the global economy. The publications and |
| age and thousands of minority and low income | | | | websites that rank colleges should include college |
| students have been left behind during the last 15 years. | | | | access for minorities and low income as one of the |
| Colleges are in hot pursuit of the top students and they | | | | criteria for high ranking schools. College financial aid |
| have increased financial aid for families making more | | | | and admissions policies must change and those who |
| than $100,000 by 347% compared to 91% for families | | | | establish federal and state policies must write |
| making $20,000 - $40,000. Many factors are | | | | legislation that supports low income and minority |
| contributing to this shift toward supporting those | | | | students. Dr. Stephen Jones is author of "Seven |
| already have an upper class income. Some public | | | | Secrets of How to Study" a study skills book for |
| universities no longer make a commitment to college | | | | students of all ages. |