COMMENTARY: With support, students can soar

On May 22, in Camden and at an Oklahoma prison two months later, President Barack Obama asked Americans to reconsider public policies on policing and sentencing in order to help stabilize communities. He lamented that gun violence is a leading cause of death among young people, and incarceration is more likely for far too many young Americans than graduating from high school or college. Too many young Americans live in poverty and the income gap between rich and poor is widening.

Universities need to step up to help address these challenges. For more than 35 years, the nation’s universities and colleges have largely focused on academic rankings defined by U.S. News and World Report rather than access and student success, especially for young people from underrepresented communities.

It is time to re-evaluate these priorities. Kids from low-income families that qualify for the federal school-lunch program make up almost half of all K-12 public school students. At the same time, students from low-income families constitute only 20 percent of all college students and are a meager 13 percent of those attending public research universities. Even with financial aid, students from low-income households must still find a way to finance an average of $10,000 per year in remaining college costs. That gap is an insurmountable hurdle for many, even with private student loans.

For those that overcome the financial hurdle, cost is not the only problem. Universities need to also provide students with the holistic support necessary to earn a degree and have a successful career. This commitment needs to be made for all students, especially first-generation and those from families with very limited resources.

When students from disadvantaged circumstances — especially first-generation students — arrive on a college campus, they typically have more difficulty navigating the unfamiliar academic terrain than students with friends and family who have graduated from college. Consequently, the first time things don’t go as planned – a failed test or a bad grade on an assignment – such students are flooded with doubt and arrive at the false assumption, “Oh well, I don’t belong here anyway.” Without the support of parents, siblings, or peers who attended college, first-generation students often fail to understand that all new students feel anxious and face unexpected challenges. Too often, they give up and drop out without asking for help.

Only blocks away from where Obama made his impassioned plea in May, Rutgers University–Camden is focusing on a commitment to student success for all students. For example, the university recently earned a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education TRiO Student Support Services program. Through TRiO, 160 high school graduates from low-income families — most of whom are the first in their families to attend college — have the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from a high-quality, public university close to home. The TRiO program at Rutgers University–Camden provides holistic support that helps fill the gaps for vulnerable students. In addition to financial aid, TRiO students receive personalized counseling, academic tutoring, and professional development, helping them navigate the unfamiliar college environment to successful graduation and a career.

Salima Mostafa, an aspiring physician and health care advocate, received an educational grant through TRiO and became the first Rutgers–Camden undergraduate to earn a White House internship.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Edily Santos arrived in the U.S. when she was 9. Hoping for a better life, Edily’s mother made the difficult decision to send her daughter to the U.S. to live with relatives. Growing up in Camden, Edily set her sights on earning a college degree. As a TRiO student at Rutgers–Camden, Edily graduated this summer with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Nyuma Waggeh grew up in East Orange and Kadeem Pratt in Camden. Both were Rutgers–Camden TRiO students determined to be successful and help others achieve college success. Nyuma and Kadeem recently were named to the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.

The academic success of these students and others like them encouraged Rutgers University–Camden to establish other programs supporting success for all students. The university has prioritized student success strategies, but needs the collaboration of the public, government, and private philanthropy.

At Rutgers University–Camden, we believe student success, even for our most vulnerable students, should be the top priority for a public university working to change lives and stabilize communities for the nation’s future.

Kriste Lindenmeyer is the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University–Camden.