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By 2020, 76 percent of all jobs in D.C. will require some level of postsecondary education, according the a report by the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. That means, if D.C. youth want a chance at living in the city as adults, pursuing a certificate or degree after high school may be their most viable option to afford the high costs of living.

For students who want to attend college, OSSE is hosting its fourth annual DC College Application Week. The programs runs through Friday and was started to increase enrollment number of first-generation and low-income students accepted into college.

The recently released results from a new test that aligns with the Common Core standards, PARCC, demonstrates the wide achievement gap by race and ethnicity in the District. While 82 percent of white students were deemed “college and career ready” in English II, only 20 percent of black students and 25 percent of Hispanic students were.

With 42 host sites this year—including high schools and community-based organizations—the program’s goal is to ensure 100 percent of all graduating seniors apply to at least one institution. In 2014, 2,029 participants submitted more than 4,919 applications.

The program started in 2012 with just seven high schools.