University cited as Example of Exemplary School in DOE Report
The University of La Verne Participates in Meeting with U.S. Department of Education Officials on Increasing Access and Supporting Strong Outcomes for Low-Income Students
On March 24, 2016, President Devorah Lieberman attended a meeting hosted by the U.S. Department of Education focused on highlighting institutions across the country that are making significant strides in increasing graduation rates among Pell-eligible students.
“At the University of La Verne, close to half of our students – traditional age as well as working adults – are eligible for federal financial assistance,” said Lieberman. “These students are also often the first in their family to attend college. Federal support is critical to realizing the dream of college for students, for their families and ultimately for their communities, as they share new skills and abilities after graduation.”
U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. echoed President Lieberman’s remarks, “For students from low- and moderate-income families, a college degree is the surest path to the middle class in our country. I applaud the colleges and universities that have taken measurable steps to open up this pathway and make it a successful one for students from all backgrounds. But we need these types of efforts to become the rule and not the exception.”
Since the beginning of his Administration, President Obama has worked to ensure more Americans have the opportunity to get a quality, affordable higher education, with promising results—more students are graduating college than ever before. But many American families still feel that college may be out of reach.
Colleges and universities have a responsibility to expand access to all students and offer targeted supports for low-income students. The report is also a call to action for institutions with significant gaps between completion rates for Pell recipients and overall completion rates, as well as institutions that have positive outcomes but enroll too few low-income students.
The University of La Verne is highlighted in a new report released by the Department of Education showing schools that: “have a student population with more than 40 percent Pell Grant recipients, and graduate more than half of those students within six years.”
“For us to thrive as a diverse democracy and for individuals to achieve their dreams of success, higher education must fulfill its promise of providing opportunity to all students, regardless of their race, gender, or income level. That opportunity means access, but getting into college is not enough. It’s getting in and getting through that matters. There are remarkable institutions around the country succeeding at making access and success a reality for low income students. We need to learn from their leadership and spread the word about practices that work,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell.
The Department held a conference Thursday with college presidents, trustees and campus leaders from across the nation to discuss ongoing work, including several who are included in the report. The event spotlighted the promising and proven practices developed by these institutions to advance success for low-income students, and encourage broader conversations among the field to accelerate this work.
