Working together to increase lifetime earnings for Native youth

The school year is well underway, and as we’ve previously shared, not all Native American youth are going to finish high school. Even fewer are going to finish college. So it’s our job to not only encourage our children to work hard in school and graduate but let them know that post-secondary education is a realistic option.

Painting the picture for this reality is even more important with the recent announcement by President Obama that, “a degree from a two-year college will earn you $10,000 more each year than someone who only finished high school,” and “that a degree from a four-year university earns you $1 million more over the course of a lifetime.”

This data comes to light with the President’s new College Scorecard. Students, families and counselors will have the chance to evaluate post-secondary schools and potential students can learn what each school’s graduates earn, debt accrued and paid back by its students and more. Now, not only will our children — including our Native youth — feel more confident about pursuing a post-secondary degree, they’ll have greater resources to make the right decisions.

The President summarized it well in his message, a message we can – and should – all get on board with: “Together, we can make sure that every student has the chance to get a great education and achieve their full potential.”