Submitted by bostonglobe t3_11zkcvi in boston
From Globe.com:
Boston’s 15-year effort to get more of its high school graduates to attend and complete college is veering off course as the number of those pursuing higher education has declined sharply, according to a report being released Thursday.
Just 52.6 percent of the city’s high school classes of 2021, the most recent year available, enrolled in college within one year after graduation. That’s 17 percentage points lower than the classes of 2017, which hit a record high of nearly 70 percent.
The downward trend, beginning before the pandemic, is erasing one of the more impressive accomplishments for Boston Public Schools, which had relatively high college enrollment rates. The drop comes as college enrollment has declined nationwide.
A variety of factors are likely making a college education less appealing or creating stumbling blocks for those on college campuses. Many BPS high school graduates are likely experiencing learning fatigue from school closures during the pandemic. The shift to online learning also led to other problems for students who graduated from high school in 2020 and 2021, making it more difficult for them to work with guidance counselors on college applications and financial aid.
More broadly, the high cost of college is likely deterring students from going, especially at a time when entry level jobs are plentiful and offer a quick way to make cash.
But many other better-paying jobs that require a post-secondary certificate or degree are going unfilled, even though they hold greater potential of providing BPS graduates with the financial means to continue living here, experts say.