UNC Charlotte was one of three public universities cited by the Chronicle of Higher Education for making substantial progress in narrowing graduation gaps between students in underrepresented minority groups and white students.
The article focused on a report released Tuesday, Sept. 9, by the Center for American Progress. In the article, the report found first-generation and minority students borrow far more for college and are much less likely to graduate, a problem that will worsen with demographic shifts. But it also said three public universities, including UNC Charlotte, have shown how, even in an era of declining state support for higher education, colleges can reverse those trends.
The other universities mentioned in the study are the University of California at Riverside and the University of South Florida at Tampa. According to the study, all three offer generous need-based scholarships as well as robust support services, including summer bridge programs and learning communities that allow freshmen to work in groups. All three have increased their percentages of enrollees with Pell Grants and all but eliminated graduation gaps between white and black or Latino students.