Although many disadvantaged students now attend college, their completion rates are low—
especially at community colleges—and many receive associate's degrees in fields with little
labor market value, such as liberal or general studies. To address this problem, I propose a
federal “Race to the Top” competitive grants program for states. Community colleges would
get a well-targeted infusion of resources in return for greater accountability in state funding,
based on the subsequent earnings of their minority or disadvantaged students. Funds could …