“…However, the most concerning aspect of CFA, according to its critics, is that despite success in expanding college enrollment, college graduation rates have remained stubbornly low for at-risk student populations (Newman & Winston, 2016; Rosenbaum et al, 2017; Symonds et al, 2011). Due to the financial, academic, and institutional barriers they disproportionately face (Allensworth & Clark, 2020; Belasco, 2013; Bound et al, 2009; Carnevale et al, 2018; Ciocca Eller & DiPrete, 2018; Dynarski et al, 2018; Dynarski & Scott-Clayton, 2013; Hoxby & Avery, 2012; Roderick et al, 2011; Rosenbaum et al, 2017), fewer than half of low-income students who enroll in 4-year colleges go on to complete their degrees within 8 years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). These low graduation rates indicate that the most economically vulnerable students are the least likely to see a return on any investments they make in higher education.…”