Ivory Toldson, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), will participate in a panel discussion at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) annual convention in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 20. Toldson's remarks will focus on the costs and benefits of attending HBCUs and ways to use federal resources for college. He also will address myths surrounding the academic success of black college students and his research on young men of color.
Research shows that money is the most important factor impacting African American students' ability to complete their education. According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, two-thirds of African American students who drop out of college cite a lack of finances as the main reason for their decision.
The Obama Administration's commitment to opportunity and equity in education underlies nearly every significant activity of the Department—from My Brother's Keeper Initiative to the proposed Race to the Top-Equity and Opportunity grant program, which would create incentives for states and school districts to drive comprehensive change in how they identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps.