As with all aspects of our education system, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and widened inequities in postsecondary pathways, especially for the most underserved students.

According to recent data, undergraduate college enrollment rates declined by nearly 5 percent since last year across all types of postsecondary institutions. Community colleges took the brunt of this decline, with a nearly 10 percent decrease in enrollment in total and an even higher percentage of decline among Latino students (13.7 percent). Not only does this decline widen the gap between four-year and community college enrollments, it also heavily impacts low-income communities and communities of color, who have been disproportionately affected by the impacts of COVID-19.

Dual enrollment offers one opportunity to repair high school-to-college pathways and level the playing field for students coming out of the pandemic. Participation in dual enrollment programs introduces high school students to rigorous college-level material and allows them to get ahead on their postsecondary coursework. Research also shows that taking college courses in high school benefits Black, Latino and low-income students, improving college grades, college graduation rates and attainment of technical degrees.

While serving as governor of North Carolina, I launched Career and College Promise to create a comprehensive and consolidated program that provides eligible high school students — those who meet the test score and minimum grade-point average  requirements — with several pathways toward community college or a four-year college or university. The program continues to see success, with 31 percent of students in the state participating in dual enrollment coursework last year — a 4 percent increase over the previous year.

However, establishing a comprehensive dual enrollment system is not enough. It is also essential to address systematic inequities in early childhood and K-12 education for those students who are more likely to be left behind. Students of color, children from low-income families, rural students and those whose parents do not have a college education must have the foundation they need to meet eligibility requirements for dual enrollment programs when they’re in high school.

Read the full article about dual enrollment by Bev Perdue at The 74.