There is a common misconception in higher education that when college acceptance letters arrive, the biggest hurdle to a bright future has been successfully overcome.
However, the greater challenge, which will only be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is keeping college students enrolled after their freshman year.
In fact, National Student Clearinghouse reported that of the 2.6 million first-time undergraduate students who enrolled in fall 2018, almost 25 percent did not persist into their second year.
And among students of color, almost 30 percent of Hispanic students and 33 percent of Black students did not stay in school after their freshman year according to that same report.