At SEED, we believe that every student should be encouraged to pursue their education beyond high school and have access to the tools to earn a college degree. Unfortunately, that’s not the message every student gets. While students from higher income brackets are likely to grow up with the expectation that they will attend college after high school, that is less often the case for students from low-income backgrounds.
When Quinton Lampkin, director of College Transition and Success at The SEED Foundation hears people say college isn’t for everyone, he says, “What I hear is coded language—college is an expectation for privileged students and a luxury for everyone else.”
While low-income, first-generation students face more obstacles when it comes to achieving college completion, when they have the right supports, they are just as successful as any other student. At SEED, every student is working toward achieving college completion. From the day they set foot in their dormitory named after a college to the day they receive their college diploma, they have a team of educators and advisors who set the bar high and help every student reach their full potential.
SEED’s program model is built on three pillars: college-preparatory academics, social and emotional development, and college knowledge and advising. Through our 24-hour, five-day-a-week program, SEED students develop the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to be successful in college and beyond. We know that every child deserves access to a high quality secondary and college education. But students like ours—98 percent of whom are Black or Latino, and 90 percent of whom are low-income—don’t always have equal access to information to successfully enroll in and complete college. In fact, the statistics are quite sobering—only 11 percent of first-generation, low-income students earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.
Ashley Bargeron, a college success advisor with The SEED Foundation says, “It’s damaging when you tell low-income, first generation students that college isn’t for everyone. College is the resource for so many of the students we serve to be successful—it can be a pathway to economic stability and help to end the cycle of poverty.”
Students at SEED are encouraged to find the school that is best for their individual talents, interests, and needs. SEED’s College Matching Tier System identifies colleges and universities with a track record of high graduation rates for low-income, first-generation college students, generous financial aid packages, and strong on-campus supports. SEED’s approach, along with our students’ dedication, have produced amazing results: 66 percent of SEED students graduate from college when attending a SEED-endorsed school. The success of SEED graduates demonstrates that setting high expectations leads to successful outcomes for all students.