Blog Archive for April, 2009

In March of 2008, Health Affairs published a study titled The Gap Gets Bigger: Changes in Mortality And Life Expectancy By Education. (Meara, Richards, and Cutler 2008) The study examined both white and black men and women and offered two classifications.  The first was that of “highly educated” which was made up of individuals with some college experience.  The second group was made up of “low educated” individuals with a high school diploma or less.  The authors found that highly educated individuals not only lived an average of seven years longer than that of their counterparts, but also displayed a rise in life expectancy of 2.2 years between 1988 and 2000.  While the life expectancy of highly educated individuals was rising, the life expectancy of low educated adults dropped an average of 2 years between that same time span. While few would suggest that the act of sitting in a college classroom will add days to your life (many in fact would argue such a notion), studies such as these offer insight into a variety of avenues that highly educated adults find access to for greater longevity.  From better health care to a lower risk of being involved in violent crime, the rewards of a college education are found well beyond the typical financial incentives that immediately come to mind.

In 2004, the No Excuses University model was created in an effort to promote college readiness for one small Title-One school in San Diego, California.  Today, there are over forty No Excuses Universities across the country who represent nearly 25,000 students in six states.  This endeavor, that focuses on the promotion of college the moment students begin elementary school, is shifting the cultures of some of our most challenged schools and changing the lives of some of our most needy children.  But don’t take my word for it, watch this video and hear from students, parents, and staff members who work in a No Excuses University environment everyday.