The health crisis has high school seniors worried about college enrollment deadlines. Other concerns rise about grades and financial aid. Colleges promise some flexibility.
The report used federal data to make the argument that schoolchildren in America are over-policed and under-supported by health and mental health professionals.
The state ranks at or near the bottom nationwide in student access to health and counseling services. But all schools could offer basic care for $90 in added annual spending per student, report finds.
Statewide award recipient Lynda McGee was praised for her efforts to get low-income students into college. She says that some students should try to attend college away from home to have a better shot at finishing in four years.
Students from low-income and immigrant families may face particularly difficult decisions in weighing colleges' financial aid offers. Some families are very resistant to loans.
A shortage of school counselors has hampered efforts to serve students. But additional funding and a growing state focus on college and career preparation – and a new push from the First Lady – are translating to additional resources and more attention to counselors' role.
