Need

The need for LGR

Going to college is the most definitive step a young person can take toward a successful future.

But getting into college is hard, and low-income students typically apply to college at a great disadvantage. The SAT, applications, and financial aid forms are challenging even for the best-equipped students. For those who are first in their family to reach higher education, these hurdles can be final stumbling blocks.

The average ratio of students to college guidance counselors in America's urban high schools is 740:1. Harvard's Dean of Admissions, William Fitzsimmons, calls the college transition support that low-income students receive "a national scandal".

• Unless information and support gap are closed, America's performance and opportunity gaps are destined to grow: Students from low-income families lag 254 SAT points behind students from high-income families.
• Even many high performing students miss out: 1/3, 32%, of high-achieving students from low-income families never make it to a four-year college.
• College is the gateway to opportunity: Considering income, the average American worker improves his/her lifetime earnings by $1.2 million (approximately $27,000 per year) by earning a bachelor's (4-year college) degree. That is 87% more earnings per year.