What is College Access?  College Access means providing assistance to encourage and help individuals successfully complete education beyond high school.  Basically, you help more students go on to college.  College as used in ‘college access’ is any accredited educational institution beyond the high school level, including apprenticeship, certificate, associates and/or bachelors degree programs.  Using the term ‘college’ is easier than ‘postsecondary study.’  Plus, no one talks about being a postsecondary student or postsecondary graduate.

Why College Access?  In the information-driven, service economy of the 21st century, a college education is extremely helpful in achieving professional and personal success.  Did you know that those with a bachelor’s degree (or higher) earn $21,000 more per year and have almost half the unemployment rate of those with just a high school diploma? (Source: US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics for persons over 24 (2002))

Even more interesting, the rate at which students enroll and complete college is dramatically influenced by their parents’ education level, family income, course selection and high school performance.  However, after completing college, there is no difference in the success of first-generation college graduates compared to those with parents with degrees.  Just think - it would be very difficult for you to affect and change a student’s family income or his/her parents’ education level.  But you can help a student to go to college knowing that after college that student will experience success at the same rate as his/her seemingly more advantaged peers.

Click on any of the topics to the left to learn more about college access.