ByJohn Sandman
A highlight of the Great Recession was the flight of the unemployed to the far-flung precincts of higher ed. Many of those people left school for the job market in recent years, but higher ed experts viewed this as an opportunity for lower income groups to become better acclimated to the idea of going to college.
Foundations bank-rolled this effort, including new organizations like Complete College America, while money was poured into college prep programs. Between the 2008-09 academic years, government grant aid increased by about 40%, from $82 billion to $123 billion in 2013-14.
But a contrarian trend has emerged, one that higher ed honchos find troubling. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of students from low-income families enrolling in higher education immediately after graduating from high school has dropped by over 10% since 2008, from 56% of graduates then to 46% today. As a result, the percentage of low-income students attending college today is only about 3% higher than it was two decades ago.
College is worth it ,just a matter of what you major in and some people should go to a vocational school.The world will always need a plumber or electrician not a bean counter.
Dthe article doesn’t actually provide evidence that college is not worth it. The upshot is that Students are afraid of college debt and not going to college.
The unemployment and long term income numbers show that a college degree is needed for most middle class jobs.
That 2011 graduation on the hill can never be topped….
Middle class jobs?
Who the hell wants a middle class job?
I don’t know I took the money and open a bagel store, talk about making dough. 400 grand and u come out of school and no job. it’s who u know any way.