RI Alliance for College & Career Readiness E-News: April 2020
The Impact of COVID-19 on High School Seniors
A report published by Art & Science Group, studentPOLL presents the results from a series of national surveys that measure the opinions, perceptions and behaviors of college-bound high school students and their parents.

Their newest study reports on the impact of the Coronavirus on college-going high school seniors. According to studentPOLL , one in six 4-year college-bound students appear to be near the point of giving up on the idea of attending a 4-year college or university as a full-time student in the fall. Please see the full poll here .
FAFSA Completion and COVID-19
Seniors who complete a FAFSA by May and have been accepted to a four-year college are 50% more likely to enroll than students who have not completed their FAFSA. Counseling to assist students in accessing financial aid can help address barriers to the college enrollment process for low-income and first generation students.  Please click here to find FAFSA completion rates for each Rhode Island high school.

The College Crusade of Rhode Island recently announced it is expanding its role to help more graduating high school seniors apply for federal financial aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Starting April 27, College Crusade staff will begin assisting seniors who are not enrolled in its program but who attend its partner high schools in Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket and Woonsocket, as well as Cranston High School East and William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School.
  • In mid-May, the organization will open its FAFSA completion assistance to any high school senior in the state.
  • All appointments will take place virtually.
  • Please click here for more information.
Data & Research
The Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook
The 2020 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook charts improvements and declines in the well-being of children and youth across the state and in each of Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns. The publication provides the latest available statistics on different aspects of children’s lives, from birth through young adulthood, with a core focus on equity. Key highlights for college and career readiness include:

This year’s publication includes new data on college completion by remedial coursework participation . Please see the bottom of page 164 here for this new data .
Sixty-seven percent of Rhode Island students who graduated from high school in the Class of 2018 immediately enrolled in college. However, there are large gaps in college access, particularly four-year college enrollment, between low- and higher-income students as well as by race and ethnicity.

Compared to the class of 2016, before the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship was available, the overall college enrollment rate has increased from 59% to 67%, the two-year college enrollment rate has increased from 16% to 25%, and the four-year college enrollment rate has decreased from 43% to 42%. For more information, please see the full indicator in the KIDS COUNT Factbook .
The Rhode Island Alliance for College and Career Readiness was developed to raise awareness about the connection between college and career readiness, the success of individual students, and the economic stability of our state. The Alliance identifies and advocates for legislative and regulatory changes and budgetary investments needed to increase college and career readiness and to address racial, ethnic, and income disparities.

Founding members include Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, The College Crusade of Rhode Island, Young Voices, College Visions, The College Advising Corps at Brown University's Swearer Center, The NAACP - Providence Branch, and the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University.