A Cheaper Route to College

Sure, many poor and minority students need a boost to get to college, but at tens of thousands of dollars a head? Officials at the University of California and California State University have protested mightily the governor’s plan to ax $85 million in outreach funds -- money used to guide inner-city kids toward higher education. Bewilderingly pricey as these programs are, the schools have little evidence that they are worth their cost.

UC officials point out that 40% of their Latino and African American freshmen in fall 2002 had exposure to their outreach program. Of course, many of these youths might have gone to college anyway. But even assuming the outreach efforts were crucial to all 2,302 students, that’s close to $29,000 per freshman, based on the program’s funding at the time, just to get them to their first day of college.

In contrast, the AVID program, begun by an English teacher 12 years ago in San Diego and now operating in 1,650 schools worldwide, has a track record of getting the neediest to college at a fraction of the price. These children are the first in their families to go to college; a quarter are the first to complete high school.

AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, is offered as an elective with a set curriculum and trained teacher starting in sixth grade. Participating schools provide teachers but most avoid extra costs by offering AVID instead of, say, home economics. The program’s nonprofit group, with public dollars and private donations, provides training, curriculum and oversight.

In its classes, students review homework, hone test-taking skills, learn to take notes, study and write a high-level essay. They’re pushed to dream big and take challenging classes. They’re coached through the college application process. The program reaches 81,000 California students, with Los Angeles Unified offering AVID in half its middle and high schools.

Outside assessments praise the program. Its students far outstrip statewide averages on the high school exit exam. AVID sends 73% of its graduates straight to four-year colleges. That’s more than twice the statewide rate and far above the UC program’s 45%. AVID accomplishes this with $10.3 million from the state, which two years ago was cut from $12.3 million. The program has barely escaped more reductions.

At budget-cutting time, the $85 million for UC and CSU outreach programs is a fair target. But that shouldn’t mean giving up on inner-city kids. Some of that savings should be set aside to expand AVID, a success in helping the deserving kids who most need it.

*

For more information on AVID, or to make a donation, go to avidonline.org.