With a new year upon us, the college process for high school seniors is suddenly getting real.
Whether they are scrambling to meet application deadlines or eagerly awaiting a decision from a dream school, this is the time of year when the college process tends to monopolize our attention. Yet, as critical as this moment may feel, for so many young people it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what it will take to pay for college, persist through barriers and graduate with a degree.
I know from experience that getting into college isn’t the hardest part of the journey, especially for students of color. As a Black woman who graduated with my degree in 2020, the odds were not in my favor. For students like me, a college degree is a pathway to upward mobility and a more stable life. But the path to that degree is often piled high with barriers and costs. And I do mean “costs” literally — the average cost of tuition and fees has risen 124.2% nationally over the last 20 years.
One way to make college a realistic option is to make a meaningful dent in the massive cost. It’s not easy, but I know of at least one public high school on Chicago’s West Side that’s creating a pathway for students to graduate debt-free: North Lawndale College Prep founded an entire scholarship program, The Phoenix Pact. Since 2015, the Pact has helped send more than 500 NLCP students to college, with zero out-of-pocket costs. Students are exempt from paying tuition while in school and receive financial support to cover living expenses.
This program changed my life. While there are plenty of schools preparing students academically to get into college, that preparation doesn’t matter if the financial barriers remain too big. We must do more than acknowledge that Black students have one of the steepest hills to climb when earning a college degree. It often comes down to a question of dollars and cents.
How to support students
Here’s how more schools can provide meaningful support, making college accessible for students of all backgrounds:
- Break down college costs. Most people understand the cost of tuition, but that’s an oversimplification. Hidden financial costs — from textbooks to general living expenses — can pile up. Financial aid packages and scholarships are helpful when available, but we must have programs that teach students and families how to apply. In the Pact program, students are assigned a personal adviser who provides support throughout their college education to help them overcome any obstacles.
- Offer consistent support. College prep shouldn’t be limited to a class; it should be part of a school’s DNA. My interest in attending college was planted early, and the pathway to get there was made clear. I received an affordable college education and had the support of my school community. While this is an investment of time and resources, it’s a necessary step to level the playing field for Black students.
- Invest in resources for a comprehensive scholarship program. We must invest in local scholarships for scholars like me. National financial aid is important, but partnerships between colleges, high schools, community organizations and philanthropic partners can establish more opportunities to make college affordable and accessible.
- Provide early visits to colleges. Access to collegiate resources ignites what’s possible. Schools must offer students from low-income families the same access to opportunities as their more affluent peers. These are opportunities students may not have access to otherwise, such as attending college seminars or arranging campus visits.
Getting students to college matters, but getting them through college is even more essential. We must invest in programs that enable both enrollment and persistence. And we need to give schools the knowledge and resources to sustain them. But it shouldn’t be up to high schools to take on the burdens of the cost of college. It will take a more thoughtful approach. By replicating programs like The Pact, we can ensure that all students, regardless of background, are empowered and equipped to excel in their next chapter.
Keanna Greer graduated from North Lawndale College Prep in 2016 and attended the University of Illinois Chicago as a Phoenix Pact Scholar. She is the office assistant and community outreach specialist for the NLCP Network.
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