SEATTLE (AP) — For many years, diversity in higher education has been measured by how many low-income students and students of color enroll in college. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation wants to make a dramatic change in that definition, by focusing instead on college graduation rates.
The foundation, along with the National League of Cities, announced Monday that New York City; San Francisco; Mesa, Ariz.; and Riverside, Calif.; will each receive $3 million over the next three years for work designed to boost college graduation.
The foundation says its long-term goal is to double the number of low-income adults who earn a college degree or credential that meets job-market demands by age 26.