Back to school: college enrollment for African Americans holding steady. (Facts & Figures).August and September are back-to-school months, and though the overall percentage of students (black, white, Hispanic, 6 ages 18-24 entering college decreased in 2000 to 35.5% from 35.6% in 1999, a U.S. Census Bureau Noun 1. Census Bureau - the bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census; provides demographic information and analyses about the population of the United StatesBureau of the Census report issued in June 2001 states that college enrollment for Americans increased 0.1% from 30.4% to 30.5% in 2000. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the study, Hispanic college enrollment gained 3% from 18.7% in 1999 to 21.7% in 2000, and Asian and Pacific Islander Pacific Islander n. 1. A native or inhabitant of any of the Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian islands of Oceania. 2. A person of Polynesian, Micronesian, or Melanesian descent. See Usage Note at Asian. college enrollment rose 0.5% from 55.4% in 1999 to 55.9% in 2000. African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. college enrollment has increased a total of 6% from 24.5% in 1993, the first year this data was collected, to 30.5% in 2000. Despite the increases in minority college enrollment, William B. Harvey, vice president of the Office of Minorities in Higher Education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. for the American Council on Education Established in 1918, the American Council on Education (ACE) is a United States organization comprising over 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations. , warns that minority groups should not become overly optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op , calling it a half-full vs. a half-empty situation. "We should be happy that there are more minority enrolled in college than there were before," says Harvey. "But the rate of increase [for minority enrollment] is not proportionate pro·por·tion·ate adj. Being in due proportion; proportional. tr.v. pro·por·tion·at·ed, pro·por·tion·at·ing, pro·por·tion·ates To make proportionate. to the rate of increase for the total population." In fact, the increase in black college enrollment is attributed to the decrease in Caucasian college enrollment rates, as they consistently represent a smaller segment of the overall population. Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., author of the DayStar Guide to Colleges for African American Students (Kaplan, $20), adds, "A college education is the primary force for black achievement." LaVeist helped BLACK ENTERPRISE compile its list of top schools for African Americans in the January 1999 and 2001 issues. He advocates a three-step approach to increasing enrollment rates among minorities, "We need to first strengthen the K-12 schools, especially in the urban areas of our big cities. We need to have leaders continue to talk about the importance of education ... and we need to get younger children to understand that college is possible."
Percentage of American High School Graduates Age 18-24
1999 2000
African American 77.1 77.5
Asian & Pacific Islander 90.2 90.8
Caucasian 81.7 82.4
Hispanic 58.8 59.6
All Races 81.1 81.9
Percentage of American Population Age 18-24 Enrolled in College
1999 2000
African American 30.4 30.5
Asian & Pacific Islander 55.4 55.9
Caucasian 35.7 35.6
Hispanic 18.7 21.7
All Races 35.6 35.5
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 2001
Note: Table made from bar graph.
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