#AccessMeans Opportunity for All Students

A national social media campaign is showing that, while sometimes tagged as lazy, this generation of millennials — especially those of color — are breaking down barriers and dispelling myths that have plagued their communities for years. In the past decade, the percentage of black students going to college has gone up 63 percent; for Latinos, it’s up 38 percent. (And did you hear about Kwasi Enin, the first-generation American who got into all eight Ivys this year?)

Some of these students are involved in the #AccessMeans campaign, launched by I AM NOT A LOAN, which seeks to better understand what access to higher education means to students across the country. In the last few weeks, as students got acceptance letters and emails, they’ve shown that, for them, #AccessMeans new opportunities.

(You can join the campaign by posting your photos and statements with the #AccessMeans hashtag, using Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.)

While very exciting, admission into one’s top colleges is only the first step. Real #AccessMeans not only getting to college, but affording it and succeeding. Real #AccessMeans support, and we hope institutions are up to the task of providing it.