The education gap that exists between white and minority students in the United States is a byproduct of both economic disparity and inequity. Lack of resources and fewer qualified teachers are just two factors that contribute to the problem. Currently, only about 70 percent of all American high school students graduate in the expected four years, but the figures are even bleaker for minority populations. Only 52 percent of Hispanic, 56 percent of African-American, and 57 percent of Native-American students graduate on time, compared to 78 percent of white students. As minority populations become larger as a percentage of the population, and if their low graduation rates remain the same, the national graduation rate will soon begin to fall as a growing number of minority students are left behind. Because the country's economic strength is inextricably tied to the level of education of its citizens, American high schools must significantly increase the percentage of minority students who receive a high school diploma or risk weakening the nation's economic condition. If the nation's high schools and colleges raise the graduation rates of Hispanic, African-American, and Native-American students to the levels of white students by 2020, the potential increase in personal income across the nation would add, conservatively, more than $310 billion to the U.S. economy. (Contains 1 footnote.)