Seventy-two percent of all jobs over the next decade will require a college credential, and nearly half of those will require a four-year degree. For 85 percent of “good jobs” that provide higher salaries, benefits, and protection from economic downturns, that credential is even more important. Yet, overall college enrollment is down from its 2010 high, and public confidence in the importance of higher education continues to erode.
The data tells a clear story. A college credential remains the closest thing our society has to a reliable pathway toward economic mobility, improved health outcomes, and greater civic engagement, particularly for low-income students, adult learners, and students of color.
This reality is not theoretical to me. In nearly 30 years as a higher education leader and philanthropist, I have seen how access to college can lift individuals, families, and even multiple generations toward a better life. It is the constant that has fueled my work promoting collegiate success for underserved students.
Higher Education Matters
The current attacks on higher education – ones that say its worth is less today, it’s not affordable, it’s ideologically tainted – are shibboleths we must counter. They ignore the data. Yes, Harvard is expensive, but only a sliver of students will attend or need these types of colleges. In Illinois, the combined impact of federal PELL grants, the more than $700M state need-based aid programs, and institutional grants makes Illinois colleges affordable for the low-income students who need college.
And while public colleges provide most degrees nationally, the independent non-profit sector accounts for more than 30 percent of four-year graduates. They do this with higher graduation rates and more intimate educational experiences that serve many students best. They educate large numbers of low-income students who are most in need of college. In my home state of Illinois, the combined enrollment of these colleges is greater than that of our largest public institution.
Supporting Higher Education Institutions Under Stress
As important as these colleges are to the health of our economy and democracy, many are under great stress today due to recent federal policy changes reducing support for students, political attacks, demographic shifts, and increasing costs. That is why non-profits like the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) that support independent colleges are so important, and why I, along with other higher education and corporate leaders, serve on their Board.
ACI provided more than $369,000 last academic year in scholarship support and another $100,000 in emergency financial aid to first-gen, low-to-moderate income students. This support greatly increases their likelihood of graduation.
The students themselves remind us why this work matters. Sophomore Business Major Caleb Garcia stated, “Your support has made a significant impact on my life. This will not only benefit me but also those who wish for me to succeed, such as my younger siblings who look up to me. I am providing inspiration to them along with fulfilling the dreams of my mother, who wanted me to graduate.”
Eureka College 2025 graduate Katie Jo Jackson shared in her commencement speech, “We’re not impostors, we’re survivors, achievers, learners, leaders. We’ve earned every bit of this moment. Not by being perfect, but by being persistent.”
Beyond student support, organizations like ACI convene its member colleges to identify effective student success and cost-saving strategies, build corporate partnerships, and amplify the narrative about the importance of these colleges and college credentials generally.
As I continue teaching a doctoral seminar on the history of higher education, I know U.S. colleges have never been under such political and economic strain since their inception. At the same time, income inequality has never been greater, and the need of low-income students to obtain the “silver bullet’ that will lift them into a better middle-class life has never been greater. Lives and the fate of future generations are at stake.
That is why I continue to work with non-profits like ACI. These much-needed allies and resources for colleges work to fulfill their mission and the promise of higher education for the underserved. That has been my passion for decades, and it is the passion that drives my work.
How to Help
Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) helps to make sure an instance of hardship does not halt a member school student’s education and hinder their future. It strengthens families by supporting first-generation, low-to-moderate-income students.
Donations to ACI provide wraparound support to college students at member school campuses, which include scholarship funding, emergency financial aid, professional development, and mentoring support.
This post was submitted as part of our “You Said It” program.” Your voice, ideas, and engagement are important to help us accomplish our mission. We encourage you to share your ideas and efforts to make the world a better place by submitting a “You Said It,” which can earn a nonprofit that you champion a $1,000 donation from the Make It Better Foundation and eligibility for a Philanthropy Award, grant content partnership, and greater engagement with our audience.
Dr. James L. Applegate, former executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and senior vice president/head of grantmaking for the Lumina Foundation is the current committee chair at Associated Colleges of Illinois.
