2016-2017 College Track Annual Report 2016-17 CT Annual Report Digital Pages | Page 3

Dear
Friends,
Over the last year, our students and alumni gave
us reason to be audaciously optimistic in the face
of growing adversity. Political forces conspired to
divide us rather than unite us. The promise of the
American Dream seemed to slip even faster through
the fingers of underserved communities, particularly
for our undocumented students.
From an economic standpoint, millennials may be
the first generation in American history to be worse
off than their parents. The cost of in-state tuition at
public universities has grown 237 percent over the
last 20 years, while the income inequality in the U.S.
has intensified, leaving us in the bottom third of
countries worldwide for income equality.*
When equipped with a bachelor’s degree, our alum-
ni rise above a myriad of challenges to change the
trajectory of their lives, families, and communities. We
are proud to say that College Track alumni are secur-
ing jobs at the same rate as graduates nationwide and
earning higher salaries than their low-income peers.
Darius, a College Track alumnus (featured on page
10), is an example of the type of leader and prob-
lem solver we have the privilege to serve. Now a UC
Santa Cruz graduate, he has worked hard to secure
long-term professional and financial security.
* The World Factbook, cia.gov
To ensure our students achieve upward social mobility,
we piloted a new scholarship strategy that addresses
the growing cost of tuition while guiding students to
attend Best Fit colleges—where they are most likely
to graduate.
Because of you, we served nearly 2,400 high school
and college students during the 2016–2017 academic
year. We are grateful for your partnership in opening
the doors to a lifetime of opportunity.
Elissa Salas
Chief Executive Officer
ANNUAL R E P O RT 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7
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