Final answer:
The statement likely reads '41% of high school students apply to multiple colleges', reflecting a trend of more students seeking higher education. However, although more students are attending college than before, not everyone finishes with a degree within the usual four-year span.
Step-by-step explanation:
The completion of the statement from the association can be deduced based on the theme of the context. Given the focus on the trend in high school graduates applying to colleges, it’s possible that the statement was originally '41% of high school students apply to multiple colleges'. This interpretation aligns with a growing trend seen in the data, wherein the number of high school graduates enrolling in college right after graduation has been rising, with about 69% considered immediate enrollers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and NCES data.
However, even though more students are going to college, not all of them manage to graduate with a four-year degree in a timely manner. Data shows that 40% of full-time students graduate in four years, but 30% take five years, 20% take six years, and 10% take seven years. Furthermore, while college attendance rates have increased, it's interesting to observe that only 33.6% of 25-65 year olds in 2014 had a bachelor's degree, and only 7.4% of that population had a master's.
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