The National Urban League posed this question in the 2012 State of Black America, and debates on the value of a college degree continue to gain momentum in households, businesses and institutions across the country.
Although education has not surfaced as a primary topic in the 2012 election, access to funding and improvement of our educational programs remains an important topic for voters, especially for parents and business leaders. Americans have grown particularly concerned about rising tuition costs which have not been matched by greater student aid. As a result, many students and families have taken on unmanageable student loan debt to access college, and the economic crisis has only exacerbated this issue.
To address these issues and continue the dialogue begun in the 2012 State of Black America, the National Urban League Policy Institute held an event in August. The “Should I Go to College?” discussion featured panelists from District of Columbia Public Schools, Howard University, the University of the District of Columbia Community College, and a student representative from the Northern Virginia Urban League. The Resource Roundtable that followed the discussion included representatives from the Education Trust, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid and other organizations.
The resources from that event are available below:
- The College Landscape: A Compilation of Recent News, Research, Stats and Analysis
- Resource Roundtable Tools: Links to tools and resources discussed by the U.S. Department of Education and Education Trust.
- College Research Blueprint: A set of worksheets to help high school students prepare college applications and research colleges they may want to attend. These documents were developed by the Thursday Network, the Greater Washington Urban League’s Young Professionals group.
To learn more about education programs offered by the Northern Virginia Urban League please click here or contact Tiarsha Jarrett, Director of Youth Services at 703-398-7678.
To learn about the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals’ annual College Survival 101 program please click here or contact Volita Russell.
For additional information on how the National Urban League supports education and youth development, read more about our programs.
