A Silent Epidemic
Every year, an estimated 1 in 4 girls drops out of high school — and the rates are even worse for girls of color. Female dropouts face particularly steep economic consequences, as compared to their male peers, female dropouts have higher rates of unemployment, earn significantly lower wages, and are more likely to need to rely on public support programs to provide for their families.
Why is it important to address the nation’s high school dropout crisis?
Dropouts cost tax payers $8 billion annually in public assistance programs and earn less than $10,000 a year versus workers with diplomas; that is $355 billion in lost lifetime earnings. Recent reports indicate that dropouts are more likely to be unemployed and almost 60% of federal inmates are high school droupouts.
