William Bedsworth, Susan Colby, and Joe Doctor

Only 60% of America’s low-income youth can expect to graduate from high school. One in three can expect to enroll in college. Only one in seven will earn a bachelor’s degree. For a country in which education is the premier means for promoting equal opportunity and social mobility, increasing college access and success for low-income students is a moral, social, and economic imperative.

While efforts to address the disparities are increasing, the question remains: What kinds of supports make the greatest difference in helping low-income youth prepare for and enroll in college? To find answers, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation engaged the Bridgespan Group to analyze data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS:88, 2000). We discovered that, not surprisingly, academic preparation is by far the most effective means of increasing the odds that students will graduate from high school and be successful in attaining a college degree. Academic preparation is necessary but not sufficient, however. Other elements are important and have varying degrees of impact. These factors include: a student’s expectation that a college degree will be essential to pursue his or her desired career; peer culture (particularly having a cohort of friends who plan to attend college); and supports that address the issue of college affordability.

“Reclaiming the American Dream” examines these levers and proposes an action agenda for achieving the goal. The paper is accompanied by six commentaries from leaders in the field, who offer their perspectives on what making significant progress on this critical issue will require.