<p>“If you have strong grades,and you look polished,I don’t need to wish you luck.”</p>
<p>Actually, you do. D was accepted to MIT in the early round, but she’s only going if we can afford it. In this country, it’s smarts *and *cash that gets you to a good college and keeps you there.</p>
<p>I think I read something a few months ago where they mentioned that one of the causes of higher college drop-out rates among African-Americans was related to the financial burden of attending college. Some families simply can’t afford not having a wage earner for the full four years, others (who were not Pell grant eligible), cannot afford the tuition and fees. This is obviously a danger for all kids attending college, but it seems to be a particular concern in the African-American community.</p>