The Enrollment Crisis for Men Continues to Worsen

Article here. Excerpt:

'In October 2021, researchers at the Brookings Institution declared that the gender gap in higher education has widened to the point of becoming a “male college crisis,” with many men lacking the support necessary to achieve a postsecondary degree.

While women have outpaced men in college enrollment and completion rates for decades, the pandemic appears to have worsened this disparity, especially for men of color and those from underserved backgrounds in both urban and rural areas.

In fall 2021, the gender gap hit its peak, with men representing only 4 in 10 college students. Now, more advocates and education experts are joining in the call for policymakers to pay heed to this problem as growing numbers of young men — primarily those who are already low-income and disadvantaged — find themselves left behind academically and financially.

“We had a problem before the pandemic hit, but the pandemic has exacerbated problems profoundly,” Donald Guy Generals, president of the Community College of Philadelphia, said during a national webinar on Black male students hosted by the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges in July 2021. He listed “finances, preparedness, and community support” as three factors preventing this demographic from enrolling and finishing degree programs.'