Through education society can formulate its own purposes, can organize its own means and resources, and thus shape itself with definiteness and economy in the direction in which it wishes to move... - John Dewey
Historically, rural low-income students have had lower rates of college enrollment and completion. The chart to the right was developed with numbers provided by the U.S. Census American Community Survey, 2005-2009.
Some additional facts from the Ohio Department of Development and the U.S. Census:
43% of jobs in Columbiana County require at least some college education, yet only 20% of Columbiana residents have completed some college.
In June 2011, the unemployment rate in Columbiana County was estimated at nearly 11%.
The National Need
Access for Low-Income Students
A 1998 National Educational Longitudinal Study noted that high achieving students from low-income backgrounds are five times less likely to attend college than high-achieving students from high-income families.
Students with the lowest socioeconomic status students have only a 13% chance of graduating within eleven years. 2003 U.S. Department of Education.
Academically Rigorous Preparation
34% of college freshman enroll in at least one remedial course. Only 17% of those required to enroll in a remedial reading course and 27% of those required to enroll in a remedial math class earn a bachelor’s degree. 2010 U.S. Department of Education
At least 1/3 of all low-income students expect to go to college but do not take coursework enabling them to pursue that path. 2006 Reclaiming the American Dream, Bridgespan Group
Academic preparation is the most effective means of increasing the odds that students will graduate from high school ready for college, matriculate, and eventually receive their degrees. 2006 Reclaiming the American Dream, Bridgespan Group
Comprehensive Community Support
Students who participate in a college access program have nearly two times the odds of enrolling in a four-year college compared to those who do not. 1998 U.S. Department of Education
College Access: The Results of a College Degree
First-generation students who complete a bachelor’s degree have the same employment prospects as non-first-generation college graduates. 1998 National Center for Educational Statistics
In 2008, a young adult with a bachelor’s degree earned 53% more than a young adult with a high school education. 2009 National Center for Educational Statistics
