A “Race to the Top” in Public Higher Education to Improve Education and Employment Among the Poor

Although many disadvantaged students now attend college, their completion rates are low—especially at community colleges—and many receive associate’s degrees in fields with little labor market value, such as liberal or general studies. To address this problem, I propose a federal “Race to the Top” competitive grants program for states. Community colleges would get a well-targeted infusion of resources in return for greater accountability in state funding, based on the subsequent earnings of their minority or disadvantaged students. Funds could only be used to expand teaching capacity in high-demand fields, support services such as career counseling, and work-based learning like apprenticeships. Although the grants would begin as one-time efforts for selected states, ongoing funding to sustain any reforms implemented would be important as well.