Getting into college is easy; the hard part is getting out! The research has identified several factors that contribute significantly to student success in higher education: • High expectations – Students who believe they will succeed in college are more likely to do well than those who don’t. Parents, teachers and peers can encourage that belief. • Academically prepared; algebra and calculus – The probabilities of earning a college degree go up by 40% if students take Algebra II and Trigonometry in high school—and do well. This increases to 93% with pre-calculus and calculus.

The national debate over student loan debt has almost obscured a more basic question; will people need college degrees in the future?  The research is clear.  College graduates earn significantly more money during their careers, are more likely to be employed and quicker to find new jobs than those without degrees.  Graduates are also more likely to have pensions and health insurance, and less likely to draw on public assistance. College graduates, the studies show, not only have higher levels of general knowledge than non-graduates, but also greater ability to think critically, higher levels of verbal and quantitative skills, more self-confidence and more highly developed leadership skills. They’re also more likely to exercise, vote, participate in the political process, give

Angry debates over state and national budgets have placed higher education in the political crosshairs. The painful cuts facing our public universities and the public support for students attending independent institutions have been well documented. So have abuses by for-profit colleges and individuals who treat financial aid like welfare, collecting money for degrees they have no intention of earning. In tough economic times, these problems have led some to call for wholesale cuts to federal and state grants and programs that enable hundreds of thousands of students from families with limited means to attend college. Clearly these abuses must be stopped and the system made more accountable. But simply slashing funds will only keep the hardworking majority of students—many the