A new report from the advocacy group Education Reform Now reveals that nearly half the college students enrolled in remedial classes nationwide are from middle- and high-income families. The report also found that, altogether, students are borrowing an extra $380 million a year to take high-school level courses in the first year of college.
“Remedial” courses cover high-school level material and are intended for students who do not meet their college’s academic standards or do not pass their placement exams. Students pay tuition for these classes but often do not get credit for them.
According to Education Reform Now, the findings show that families across income strata are “suffering the consequences for mediocre high schools.”