LOS ANGELES (WSVN) — The Los Angeles school district hosted a free SAT day in an effort to boost high-school graduation rates and send more students to college.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the district offered a free SAT day where the test is offered during a school day at no cost to 11th graders.
“Recent news has reminded us just how inequitable access to higher education has been in our country for low-income students and children of color,” school board member Kelly Gonez told the newspaper.
Gonez said that by integrating the SAT into a school day “we are opening the door to higher education wider so that more students have the chance to pursue their dreams.”
According to the LA Times, about four in five students in the district are minorities from low-income families. Many would be the first in their families to attend or graduate from college.
However, colleges typically require prospective students to take either the SAT or the ACT. Many can’t afford the cost of the exam, or reaching unfamiliar testing sites on Saturdays pose a challenge.
Now, the district is hoping to give students a push.
The district negotiated a reduced rate of $1.2 million for all the students with the College Board, the organization that oversees the test.
The deal also allows low-income students to take the test twice more for free and send eight score reports to colleges at no cost.
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