“[College] is such a good investment. You can’t afford not to go to college”
With this statement, Alfreda Norman, the Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, emphasizes the importance of acquiring a post-high school degree. Her data-packed presentation drives home the point that educational attainment is key to economic mobility: nationally, the median income for a Bachelor’s degree is nearly twice that of a high school graduate. Despite the earnings power of a Bachelor’s degree, only 1 in 5 African American adults and only 1 in 10 Latino/Hispanic adults in our region have attained this level of education.
Our community is responding to this data in pursuit of a goal of 60% postsecondary attainment– including Bachelors, Associates and high quality certificates – for working age adults by 2025. Some of these efforts include:
- A community-wide financial aid campaign, student workshops, and quality training for counselors and college advisors. In total, 100+ partners participated in this effort this past year
- A partnership between four school districts and eleven colleges that provides targeted text message reminders and personalized supports to college-intending high school seniors
- Providing comprehensive non-academic student supports- such as financial literacy and coaching, benefits screening, and legal counseling- for currently enrolled community college students
As the work continues to grow, so will the opportunities to engage. Please reach out to Sagar Desai, Director of Higher Education and Workforce, or Sarah Jensen, Deputy Director of College Access and Success, to learn more about the Commit! Partnership’s effort to increase college attainment.
