Black students have lower six-year completion rates for any kind of degree or certificate program than students in any other racial or ethnic group, a new study has found.
According to the study by Gallup and Lumina Foundation, which was released on Thursday, Black students must contend with various challenges to completing post-secondary programs including high costs and racial discrimination.
Black students in the least racially diverse programs are more likely to feel discriminated against or physically or psychologically unsafe, the study found. Among all post-secondary institutions, 21% of currently enrolled Black students said they “frequently” or “occasionally” felt discriminated against.
Black students’ perceptions of discrimination varied depending on the type of credential they were pursuing, the survey found. Among students in short-term credential programs, 32% said they felt discriminated against at least occasionally. In contrast, 16% of Black students in associate degree programs and 14% of Black students in bachelor’s programs said they experienced discrimination at least occasionally.
According to the study, the experiences of Black students depend on the type of institution they attend. Among Black students at private for-profit schools, 34% say they experience discrimination frequently or occasionally, compared to 23% in private not-for-profit institutions and 17% at public institutions.
Researchers said this was especially concerning because Black students make up a larger share of the student population in private for-profit institutions than in public or private not-for-profit universities.
The survey also found that Black students in four-year bachelor’s degree programs are more likely to stop coursework than students from other racial and ethnic groups. Black bachelor’s students are twice as likely – 36% to 18% – as students from other groups to have additional responsibilities such as caregiving or full-time work.
The survey found that 15% of Black students were caregivers for adult family members or friends, compared to 8% of other students. Eleven per cent of Black students were parents or guardians of children younger than 18, compared with 7% of other students. Twenty per cent of Black students were employed full-time, compared to 11% of other students.
As a result, Black bachelor’s students with multiple responsibilities were more likely – 46% v 34% – to say they had considered stopping coursework in the past six months compared to those without multiple responsibilities.
According to the survey, Black bachelor’s students are also more likely than others to cite the importance of flexibility in schedules and course delivery in their ability to stay enrolled. Fifty-nine per cent said greater flexibility in their work or personal schedule was very important to remaining enrolled, compared with 37% of other students.
Moreover, 47% of Black students said flexibility in course delivery such as remote learning options was very important, compared to 29% of other students.
In order to help Black bachelor’s students remain enrolled, the study recommends institutions “continue developing best practices in integrating in-person and online course options” and offer clear access to counseling services.
The survey also suggests the need for greater regulatory oversight and more accountability measures to stop for-profit colleges targeting minority groups with “inferior program qualities and predatory lending practices”.
Courtney Brown, Lumina Foundation’s vice-president of strategic impact and planning, told CNN: “If Black individuals aren’t able to access these programs because they’re being discriminated against, that’s not good for the individual and it’s not good for our society.”