Some College, No Degree: Why So Many Americans Drop Out of College, and What to Do About It
Series: American RadioWorks: Focus on Education
From: American Public Media
Length: 00:54:00
Everyone knows there’s a high school dropout problem in the United States, but the college dropout rate is worse. Nearly a quarter of American adults started college but didn’t finish – about 37 million people. Now they’re being left behind in an economy increasingly focused on workers with degrees. American RadioWorks producer Emily Hanford examines why so many people start college but don’t graduate, what’s being done to bring them back, and whether a college degree is the answer for everyone.
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Piece Description
Everyone knows there’s a high school dropout problem in the United States, but the college dropout rate is worse. Nearly a quarter of American adults started college but didn’t finish – about 37 million people. Now they’re being left behind in an economy increasingly focused on workers with degrees. American RadioWorks producer Emily Hanford examines why so many people start college but don’t graduate, what’s being done to bring them back, and whether a college degree is the answer for everyone.
Transcript
Transcript
Stephen Smith: From APM, American Public Media, this is an American RadioWorks documentary. More people in the United States are going to college than ever before.
Stan Jones: We have more minorities than we ever have, more low-income, more first generation students than we ever have.
But a lot drop out - often with big debts. Thirty-seven million Americans have some college, but no degree.
Miles Jones: In today's society I mean you can't get nowhere without a degree anymore. You can have the knowledge and the hands-on, and the experience to do it, you're still gonna get just the bare minimum.
Sallie Glickman: The pathways for just working hard and moving up, that just has completely evaporated.
This hour we explore why people quit college and why it's a national dilemma. Stay tuned for "Some College, No Degree" from American RadioWorks.
First, this news.
Part One
Step...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
00:00 - 01:00 (0:59 + :01 silence) Billboard outcue = "first, this news."
01:00 - 06:00 (5:00) NPR News hole, Music Bed.
06:00 - 32:32 (26:32) Part 1; outcue = "American Public Media."
32:32 - 33:32 (0:59 + :01 silence) Music Bed.
33:32 - 59:00 (25:28) Part 2; outcue = "American Public Media."
59:00 - 60:00 (1:00) silence [no silence segment on PRX]
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Thirty-seven million Americans are college dropouts -- that's nearly a quarter of all adults. Why do so many people start college but never finish, and what will it take to get them back? Here is “Some College, No Degree” – a new documentary from American RadioWorks.
OUTRO:Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Boy Blues | Triumph | Thunder Seven. | TML Entertainment | 2004 | 01:00 |
Additional Credits
Producer: Emily Hanford; Editor: Catherine Winter; Executive Editor and Host: Stephen Smith; Assistant Producer: Suzanne Pekow; Coordinating Producer: Ellen Guettler; Audio Mixing: Craig Thorson
Support for this program comes from Lumina Foundation and the Spencer Foundation.
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