A bigger problem at college

It is appalling that wealthy parents willing to pay bribes allegedly used “a side door” to get their children admission into schools such as Yale, Georgetown and Stanford universities. That a legal back door exists for families who have connections or make big donations to private institutions should also be of concern. But the biggest problem in U.S. higher education are the closed doors that still prevent far too many young Americans from getting a college degree.

Progress has been made in increasing the share of students who graduate from high school and immediately enroll in college. A report by the College Board in 2016 found an increase from 51 percent in 1975 to 69 percent in 2015. But that same report also noted a persistent gap in enrollment across income and demographic groups.

College is not for everyone and never will be. But, on average, people without a college degree are likely to have lower earnings and less job satisfaction than those who successfully pursue a post-secondary education. There are also cultural and social benefits, so college needs to be more accessible to more people, particularly those without the means for prep schools or private college advisers.

That means improvements in K-12 education, fixing the failing schools that send children into the world without the skills to succeed. It means increased support for public two- and four-year colleges and universities. It means paying attention to students once they make it to campus and giving them the educational and financial supports they need to stay there and graduate.

As titillating as it might be to talk about how celebrities allegedly got their children into school, more attention needs to be paid to those who have been left out of the college conversation altogether.