How to Improve College Graduation Rates Essay Example

the strain on the budget.

To improve college graduation rates students need to be given better financial aid packages, schools need to have a more personal relationship with their students and first-generation students need to be mentored to compensate for the luck of instructional resources from their parents.

Why is improving college graduation rates so important and what are some of the causes of low graduation rates?

From the state’s point of view, the less the number of graduates, the more costly it is to a state. The state finds itself with a less educated workforce which can be a blow to the economic development of a state. On top of that, non-graduates have lower income levels meaning the state has to provide them with some services such as medical cover and to some extremes even housing. These funds could be used for other budgetary needs such as security and infrastructure development. The state also misses out on higher taxes from the high income levels of graduates. This is a double-edged problem because the state is receiving fewer taxes and these less taxes have to take care of our low-income and unemployed non-graduates.

An individual who has no college degree is more likely to be unemployed and when they are employed, their income levels are low. This individual has little to no disposable income meaning their health insurance is poor and they do not save for retirement. This individual is less likely to live as long as a college graduate and their children will find themselves in this cycle of poverty.

Student loans are meant to assist students from low-income families cover their college expenses. Students who take on these

loans and dropout before they graduate find themselves in quite a fix. They now have high student loans to pay and because they did not graduate, their income levels are relatively low. Part of the little they earn if they find employment has to cover for their student loans worsening already bad decisions. These students end up living an unhappy life buried in debt.

Research shows first-generation students are three times more likely to drop out of school. Therefore the less graduates there are today, the more likely even the next generation will have few graduates. This is because low graduation rates in a generation means that generation will have few parents who are graduates thus perpetuating the first-generation students problem. This creates a negative feedback loop where the situation does not get any better but only worse. The alarmingly low graduation rate of first-generation students is caused by their parent’s low income levels, the students lacking the instructional resources college graduate-parents give their parents and a lack of ambition to graduate, as they have no parent or sibling to look up to academically.

How can we improve college graduation levels?

Money is a major factor in college graduation rates. Some students from low-income households choose not to join college because of the high cost involved. Even after factoring financial aid and government grants many students still find themselves dropping out when it becomes unaffordable to be in school. If these students received better financial aid packages, they would stay in school and graduate. Some organizations take it upon themselves to sponsor students from needy homes through college. Some students are forced to work while studying to make

ends meet. Giving these students more funding would ensure they focus on their studies and make it to graduation.
Colleges can for one have a more personal relationship with their students. This can be done by having more available academic advisors meet more frequently with students. This way the college will be able to keep track of its students, how they are performing and their general welfare. To add to that, the school can be sending communication to students more often through any platform Facebook, Twitter or even text messages. This communication can include reminding students of filling their financial aid documents. These efforts would result in the school being more involved. For example, a student who is losing track of his studies can be more easily noticed and assisted. The college can also ensure its resources per student are adequate to enable a student to graduate successfully. A college can be tempted to be expansionist and take in more students than it can comfortably cater for. This would only be an improvement in student numbers but a decrement to a school’s quality of education.

First-generation students lack a person to look up to in academics which contributes to their high college dropout rate. Starting programs that connect freshmen especially first generation student with academic achievers as mentors could be just what some first-generation students need. This would give them someone to consult when making academic decisions, someone they can look up to and someone they can share their goals with. Such a program can start as early as high school where graduates from a particular high school can go back to that school get someone they

can mentor.

Colleges with high student-retention rates have been shown to have higher graduation rates. Therefore improving student-retention rates is another way schools can improve their graduation rates. Colleges need to undertake surveys and research to understand why students decide to transfer or dropout of their school. Findings from such a research can be used to reduce the number of transfers and dropouts from a school leading to higher graduation rates.

A study by Webber and Ehrenberg showed that student service expenditures influence graduation and persistence rates and their marginal effects are higher for students at institutions with lower entrance test scores and higher Pell Grant expenditures per student (Webber & Ehrenberg, 2010). Their simulations suggested reallocating some funds from instructions budget to student service would actually improve the persistence and graduation levels in these schools whose rates are currently below the median. These student services include research, housing and campus transport (Webber & Ehrenberg, 2010).

Conclusion

In summary, every education stakeholder needs to put in their effort to improve the college graduation rates. More funds need to be channeled towards better financial aid packages and even scholarships for students. Colleges also need to have relationships that are more personal with their students. They should be able to identify high dropout-risk students and take the necessary measures such having them talk it over with their advisors, or having them take extra credit classes to ensure they stay in school. As the Vice President Joe Bidden notes; the dreams and skills of college graduates will pave the way to a bright economic future of America ("Vice President Biden Issues Call to Action to Boost College Graduation Rates Nationwide | U.S.

Department of Education", 2016). By applying these solutions to improve college graduation rates, we will be securing the economy of our country.

References

1. The High Cost of Low Graduation Rates: How Much Does Dropping Out of College Really Cost? | American Institute of College. (2011). www.air.org Retrieved 20 June 2016, from http://www.air.org/resource/high-cost-low-graduation-rate
2. Vice President Biden Issues Call to Action to Boost College Graduation Rates Nationwide | U.S. Department of Education. (2016). Ed.gov. Retrieved 20 June 2016, from http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/vice-president-biden-issues-call-action-boost-college-graduation-rates-nationwide
3. Toward a New Focus on Outcomes in Higher Education | U.S. Department of Education. (2016). Ed.gov. Retrieved 22 June 2016 from http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/toward-new-focus-outcomes-higher-education
4. Webber, D. & Ehrenberg, R. (2010). Do expenditures other than instructional expenditures affect graduation and persistence rates in American higher education? Economics of Education
5. Review, 29(6), 947-958. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2010.04.006
6. Fast Facts. (2016). Nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 20 June 2016, from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=40