College success can be the key to financial stability. Every year, millions of women seeking a better future for themselves and their families make the decision to go to college. But far too many are stopped short by institutional racial, ethnic, and gender biases. For example, they are often required to complete onerous developmental or remedial coursework that eats up time and financial aid dollars. Often, they are never able to progress to college-level classes, keeping them from the success they deserve, or their progress is impeded before they can complete a degree.

In Illinois, Black and Latinx students are woefully under-represented in public higher education. The state has completion gaps between Black and Latinx students compared to White students of as much as 30 points in some cases. National studies have graded Illinois at Ds and Fs in relation to representative completion. And Illinois public institutions are among the most expensive for in-state residents, and those that receive most of the state appropriations enroll lower numbers of Black and Latinx students.

Traditional ways of testing and placing students into developmental education are flawed. Though remedial education is valuable for those who need it, research shows that many students trapped in these courses would only have needed a refresher or extra tutoring to succeed in college. Black, brown, and low-income students are disproportionately placed in developmental courses. That, paired with significant barriers to enrollment, completion, and affordability for students of color contributes to damaging racial achievement gaps in higher education.

We need a better way to determine who is ready for college, and to support those who are not, so that more students can succeed in their pursuit of a degree.