Changing Faces of Tomorrow's Graduates.

• Position: Minorities in higher education - Brief Article

The U.S. will experience greater demand for higher education as the number of high school graduates reaches a record 3,200,000 early in the 21st century, according to a demographic study published by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), Boulder, Colo., and the College Board, N.Y. It forecasts a 20% rise in high school graduates by 2008, with 45 states experiencing increases ranging from two percent in Mississippi to as high as 134% in Nevada.

The study also predicts the face of American education will change significantly as white non-Latinos decline as a percentage of all high school graduates. This will be most pronounced in the West, where white non-Latino students will comprise less than half of high school graduates by 2012.

According to Richard W. Jonsen, WICHE's executive director, "In the beginning of the 21 st century, America will serve more students and a more diverse student clientele with more graduates looking for postsecondary training and education than ever before. These changes are occurring at a time when the economy is in need of a highly skilled workforce. As a result, some states will face considerable pressure to provide access to higher education."

"Many schools are already over-crowded, and colleges and universities that are already operating at capacity will soon see a new wave of students knocking...