The Education Trust on Thursday amplified the longstanding calls among some in higher education for a greater emphasis on federal-state partnerships that focus on lowering college costs and boosting completion rates for low-income students.
The latest call — which comes as some in Congress already have put forth proposals for a more meaningful federal role in fostering better completion rates — comes by way of a new Education Trust report titled “FIXING AMERICA’S COLLEGE ATTAINMENT PROBLEMS: IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN AFFORDABILITY: Critical Considerations for Any New Federal-State Partnership.”
The costs have led to gaps in attainment rates between rich and poor, with students from high-income families being about three times as likely as students from low-income families to obtain a bachelor’s degree by age 24, the report states.
José Luis Santos, a co-author of the report and vice president of higher education policy and practice at the Education Trust, says the report is meant as a framework for policymakers and advocates as America continues to falter globally in its college degree attainment rates.
“America’s college attainment problem has many roots,” Santos said.
“Yes, new resources are key to fixing it. But resources alone aren’t enough,” he continued. “We have to change incentives up and down the line — from students and schools to colleges and states.”
