Connecticut four-year colleges cost more and have lower rates of completion than their national peers. That’s the finding of a report to be released Tuesday by an affiliate of a national public education advocacy organization.
The Education Reform Now Connecticut report finds that almost half of the state’s four-year colleges charge an exceptionally high net price for students from the lowest income families. Seven of the 22 colleges graduate less than 50% of their poor and minority students in six years.
Amy Dowell, with Education Reform Now Connecticut, says the problem is that K-12 public schools are failing to prepare minority students.
“We are doing a good job for our students who are well-off, and for students who are economically disadvantaged, we are not.”
Several Connecticut governors have tried to tackle this problem. The Lamont administration’s attempt involves a $300 million public private partnership with the Dalio Foundation to help some of the state’s low-income and minority students prepare for jobs and college.
