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Official poverty rates are on the rise in the United States. But does this necessarily mean that more people can’t meet their basic needs? This article examines how poverty is calculated and looks at the criticisms of these measures.
In many ways, black men were still worse off than white men in 2000, more than three decades after passage of the Civil Rights Act. A decline in manufacturing and relatively low levels of education were contributing factors.
Most studies estimate that the return to each year of education is about 10 percent. But calculating the financial gain is not a cut-and-dried process. Even more difficult is calculating the nonmonetary return.
Those who start out at a community college and go on to get a four-year or better degree usually face a rougher road than those who start out at a four-year college. The paycheck at the end of the road is often less for those in the former group.
Originally, their goal was to prepare students to transfer to a four-year college. Today, they also offer work force training, certification in professions, adult continuing education-and even bachelor's degrees.
