Facts About Education
and Poverty in America
Engage Educate Inspire
Our National GOAL 2025
THE BIG GOAL
To increase the proportion of Americans with
high-quality degrees, certificates and other
credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025.
THE NEED
The percentage of Americans between the
ages of 25 and 64 with a two- or four-year
degree is 38.7 percent. Yet we know that 65
percent of U.S. jobs will require some form of
postsecondary education by 2020. To reach
Goal 2025, the nation must produce 62
million high-quality degrees and credentials
over the next 12 years.
At current rates, the U.S. will produce around
39 million two- and four-year college degrees
by 2025, leaving a gap of 23 million.
To close that gap, we must join forces to
expand access and success in education
beyond high school, particularly among lowincome and first-generation students, racial
and ethnic minorities, immigrants, veterans
and adults who have some college but lack a
credential.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-12 American Community Survey
PUMS File
Degree Attainment Rates Among
Adults ages 25-64 in Kansas
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Nativ
Hispa
e
White Black
Asian
nic
Ameri
can
Series1 44.25% 30.32% 16.41% 55.57% 31.01%
Children in Poverty have
Poor School Attendance
Rates
Children living in poverty have a
higher number of absenteeism or
leave school all together because they
are more likely to have to work or
care for family members.
Dropout rates of 16 to 24-years-old
students who come from low income
families are seven times more likely to
drop out than those from families
with higher incomes
Education is a Pathway
Out of Poverty
A higher percentage of young adults
(31%) without a high school diploma
live in poverty, compared to the 24%
of young people who finished high
school.
One pathway, in particular, that can
make a difference between a lifetime
of poverty and a secure economic
future is higher education.
Obtaining a college degree or other
advanced credential has proven to be
a critical factor in producing both
individual and societal benefits. It is
often education that breaks
generational cycles of poverty.
-
Adult Education Helps
Children & Families Thrive
Studies have concluded that programs
designed to boost the academic
achievement of children from low
income neighborhoods would be more
successful if they simultaneously
provided education to parents.
A Mother’s Education Level is
a Factor in her Children’s
Future Academic Success
A mother's education level is the
greatest determinant of her children’s
future academic success, outweighing
other factors, such as neighborhood
and family income.
Higher levels of education correlate to
lower rates of chronic disease, such as
asthma and diabetes, and fewer
hospital visits for children and their
caregivers.
Most Adult Learners are
Parents and have School
Age children
Most adult learners are parents and
primary caregivers of school-age
children.
Many are motivated to return to
school by wanting to serve as better
role models for their children and help
their children succeed in school
Many Parents do not have
a High School Diploma!
Need:
In the US, over 30 million adults do
not have a high school diploma and
20% of US adults with a high school
diploma have only beginning literacy
skills.
The US ranked 21st in numeracy and
16th in literacy out of 24 countries in a
recent assessment of adults' skills.
Good Job, Living Wage and
Path to Social Stability
A good job, a living wage, a path to
social stability – education gives us
choices.
Education Programs focuses on
expanding student access to higher
education and opening avenues to
academic success, particularly for
those historically left out of the
picture: low-income, first-generation,
African American, Latino, Asian
American and Pacific Islander, and
Native American students. –
TRIO Programs
Located in Wichita, Kansas
Call to Action
Pathways to and through college.
Just getting in the door isn’t enough.
Some persons will need tutoring,
academic assistance, financial aid
counseling, financial literacy training and
career counseling.
We need to propel more low-income,
first-generation, underrepresented
students, including adult learners, into
two- and four-year institutions and
ensure they have the skills and support
to stay and graduate.
TRIO Programs provide hope and
opportunity for limited income-first
generation students.
Pass this information forward.
Education can help alleviate poverty.
Thank you.
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Educational Opportunity Centers
Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate
Achievement
Student Support Services
Talent Search
Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs
Staff
Upward Bound
Upward Bound Math-Science
Veterans Upward Bound
Sources
1 Shields, Molly. "Let’s Drop Everything and Address Poverty in Education." Technoliteracyorg. Accessed March 1, 2014,
http://technoliteracy.org/2013/11/16/lets-drop-everything-and-address-poverty-in-education/.
2 Addy, Sophia, William Engelhardt, and Curtis Skinner. "Basic Facts About Low-income Children, Children Under 18 Years, 2011." 2013
3 Tavernise, Sabrina. "Poverty Rate Soars to Highest Level Since 1993." The New York Times. Accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/us/14census.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.
4 Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "POVERTY'S IMPACT ON EDUCATION." American Graduate. Accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.americangraduate.org/dropout-factors/poverty.
5 KewalRamani, Angelina, Jennifer Laird, Nicole Ifill, and Chris Chapman. "Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the
United States: 1972–2009." National Center for Educational Statics. Accessed March 1, 2014, http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012006.pdf.
6 Aud, Susan, Angelina KewalRamani, and Lauren Frohlich. "America’s Youth: Transitions to Adulthood." National Center for Educational
Statistics. Accessed March 14, 2001, http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012026.pdf.
7 Save Our Schools, Inc. "Poverty; The Effect on the Whole Child." Save Our Schools March. Accessed March 1, 2014,
http://saveourschoolsmarch.org/issues/poverty-and-the-effect-on-education/poverty-the-effect-on-the-whole-child/.
8 Currie, Janet. "Poverty Among Inner-City Children." Princeton Publications. Accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.princeton.edu/~jcurrie/publications/inman_june07.pdf.
9 US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress (p. 107) Washington, DC:
US Department of Education, Accessed March 1, 2014.
10 Alliance for an Excellent Education. "High School Dropouts in America." Corporation for National & Community Service. Accessed March
1, 2014, https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/files/sample-forms/hs-dropouts-in-america.pdf.
11 Deparle, Jason. "For Poor, Leap to College Often Ends in a Hard Fall." The New York Times. Accessed March 1, 2014,
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/education/poor-students-struggle-as-class-plays-a-greater-role-in-success.html?pagewanted=all
.