EDITORIAL – Staying in college takes more than grades

Graduation isn’t until Sunday, but let’s just say this now: Congratulations to all the newly… Graduation isn’t until Sunday, but let’s just say this now: Congratulations to all the newly diploma’d graduates. Whether it has been a relatively normal four years or a prolonged, weird episode in super-senior-dom, congratulations on your degrees. It seems absurd almost — working for four-plus years to get a piece of paper attesting to how smart you are.

But to those of you who will be donning caps and gowns soon, you’ve beaten bad odds. The New York Times reported that the national average for freshmen who stay at school until graduation is a measly 54 percent. Pitt’s graduation rate is slightly better — 64.7 percent, according to collegeresults.com, a Web site using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education — but that’s still nothing to brag about.

And our minority retention rate is downright shameful. While the white population graduates at 67.2 percent, minorities graduate at 47.9 percent. So, if you’re any sort of minority, a hearty congratulations for beating odds that were set against you — especially considering that, had you gone to a more diverse school, your odds of graduating might have been much better.

Howard University, for instance — an urban, historically black university, about one-third Pitt’s size — has an average retention rate of 64.8 percent for its minority students. This statistic shows that minority retention relates to environmental factors, and Pitt should try harder to turn our University into a hospitable environment for its non-white undergraduates.

Furthermore, all these statistics are for students graduating within six years of enrollment. For those seniors who actually aren’t extending their stay in higher education and are escaping after a mere four short years, we commend you on your accomplishment.

While some of us have legit reasons for re-upping for multiple senior years — dual degrees, study abroad, a genuine interest in academics — many of us are just stuck in a holding pattern, unsure of what to do besides being students. The brave souls who venture into the job market after the traditional eight semesters are escaping expensive bills and having to explain to nosy relatives what a super-senior is.

Taking more than four years to graduate is quickly becoming the norm. The hyper-competitive job market demands more and more education for entry-level positions. Yet, much like Port Authority, many of us don’t have dedicated sources of funding, like those necessary to pay for college having become High School Version 2.0.

Congress will be reassessing the Higher Education Act later this year, and providing money for students should be priority No. 1 for our esteemed legislators.

While other countries make higher education available for all those that can pass entry exams — which is a covert socioeconomic divide, considering these exams can require tutoring and prep school — we in the States have a much clearer boundary when it comes to college.

Those who can afford to go and stay at college do, and those who can’t, don’t. This year’s graduating class has watched Pitt’s tuition balloon during their tenure here. Many of them have had friends leave school because of this cost increase. Let’s hope that between our administrators and our elected officials, future classes will not have to abandon their educations because of pocketbook issues.

So, to the Pitt class of ’05, in case we haven’t said it enough: Congratulations and good luck.