All students should have the opportunity to get a head start on their futures. But it must be remembered that expanding resources for some should not come at the expense of others.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced the Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act on Monday, a piece of legislation that would allow federal higher education grants to create and sustain programs that give students the chance to earn college credit prior to being formally enrolled at an institution of higher education. The act aims to increase options for high school students to gain college credits through specialized courses or by being dually enrolled in two separate institutions.

This legislation and others like it are well-intentioned. The expansion of concurrent and dual enrollment programs provides high school students with the valuable opportunity to get ahead and earn college credits, minimizing student debt and exposing students to advanced coursework that fosters college readiness.

But lawmakers dealing with the distribution of federal funding into school programs must be careful to remain receptive to the best interests of all students. Refocusing this lens on the primary goals of the public education system, rather than solely on advanced programming, will allow a more balanced approach through legislation. An approach that ensures opportunities for college credit are available, but is paired with the understanding that general education deserves just as much emphasis.

And it is without question that the two sides to this scope of the education system can be improved.

In regard to pre-college programs, lawmakers should work to address the various holes in the system that legislation may fail to consider. These lapses include the lack of a uniform acceptance standard for transfer credit across institutions and the toxic competitiveness that can stem from these programs and quickly turn opportunities meant for self-improvement to ones of self-destruction among students.

This intense culture of the expectation to take advanced courses can fuel polarization between students in these programs and the general student body. It is for this reason that the proposition that legislation like the Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act can increase graduation rates is questionable, as the students taking advantage of high school programs for college credit were more likely than not college-bound regardless. 

Advanced college credit programs are an important resource that should always be made available for those who want to take advantage of them, but these programs may not help the kids who are unsure about whether or not they want to go to college or are struggling to pass general courses.

Measures like the Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act place rightful emphasis on the attainability of higher education. But when advanced education moves forward, the majority of students should not be left behind, and it is acknowledging this fact on a legislative basis that will make all the difference for education across the board.

Published on February 23, 2016 at 1:09 am

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