The number of low-income students enrolled as undergraduates in U.S. colleges and universities, has grown over the past 35 years (NCES, 2007a). For example, the number of low-income students entering college immediately following high school has increased by over 60 percent since 1970 (Mortenson, 2007). Although it may appear that access to higher education for all students, including those from low-income backgrounds, is greater than ever, access and opportunity in American higher education is more complex and a lot less optimistic. Also, the majority of jobs requiring a college education doubled over the past 40 years (Carnevale, Smith, Strohl, 2010). While half of all people from high-income families have a bachelor’s degree by age 25, just …show more content…
For the purposes of this paper, student success is defined as graduation from college, transferring from a community college to a university or 4-year college, or graduation from a 4-year college or university or graduate school. This broad definition accounts for students that have more immediate goals (e.g., obtaining an associate degree in nursing and immediately entering the workforce) and for those that are interested in obtaining a 4-year degree or graduate degree and then become a part of the workforce. According to Mortenson (2007), graduation rates for students from low-income families increased doubled from 1970 to 2005. However, during the same time period students from a high-income background saw rates of graduation increase from 40 percent to 73 percent. So, even though graduation rates increased for low-income students, graduation rates had a significantly higher rate among high-income …show more content…
But many low-income students not only have a full-time course schedule, they also have jobs where they work more than 30 hours per week. Approximately one-quarter of college students’ work while attending school and have both a full course-load and a full-time job (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2015). Working helps students with the living costs as well as tuition and can help students learn skill sets that many employers prefer. However, there are problems with having full-time work while going to college. Recent research has shown that even if students work full-time they still need financial aid to pay for tuition and books (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2015). Therefore, students’ will sacrifice studying and class time and still have a great deal of debt when they graduate. Unfortunately, these students do not have any other options. They are working out of necessity. For these students to be successful they would need to have career counseling from the college of university. They would also need financial resources that help students pay for college expenses from the state. Colleges and universities could also create programs to assist with finding a job after college. Low-income students are faced with the problem of working too much which can create a cycle that pushes students further into debt without the benefits of a career that they were trying to
A majority of people believe that graduating from college will result in a well-paying job. Unfortunately, a degree will not secure a job for many graduates. In the U.S., the jobless rate for college graduates in 2012 was 7.7 percent, and has further increased in the past five years(Robinson). With such a large pool of unemployed citizens for employers to choose from, recent graduates are facing fewer opportunities for work due to little or no previous work experience(Robinson). Although many graduates are faced with unemployment, the majority do receive the opportunity to work. Sadly, many must work jobs they do not enjoy for salaries that make it difficult to make ends meet(Debate). Students are faced with mortgage-sized debts upon graduation, making it difficult for them to start businesses, buy cars or houses, or make other investments that would better the
A high school education is no longer sufficient to succeed in America’s increasingly complex economy. However, because of the high price point of a college education, far too many Americans are unable to afford education beyond high school. As shown in the graph below, the higher level of education received greatly increases the chances for employment and also dramatically increases the average salary potential of an individual.
Long ago, receiving education was once something only the rich could afford; it was a luxury. Nowadays it is open to everyone, but many students enter college only to discover that they are underprepared, and in turn they become disenchanted. David Leonhardt’s article, The College Dropout Boom, addresses the issues that are apparent in the education system and how it contributes to the gap between the upper and lower class while Access to Attainment by Abby Miller, Katherine Valle, Jennifer Engle, and Michelle Cooper calls to improve access to college education for today’s students. This is incredibly important because many students either drop out or never attended college and in today’s time, having a Bachelor’s degree has become a requirement
Vance, J.D. "The college trap: our higher-education system hurts the poor." National Review 27 Jan. 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
In “The Growing College Gap”, author Tamara Draut suggests that in spite the growth of high school graduates pushing forward with plans of higher educational goals, socioeconomic situations play a role in college access and achievement among class and race. Draut validates this claim by explaining “When student aid is focused on merit rather than need, it tends to go to students from families who can already afford college tuition…The same can’t be said for need-based aid. The availability of grant aid has a big influence on whether lower-income students will enroll in college at all” (382-383). Draut’s position is that many lower income students are not able to attend college due to the shift in funding from need-based aid to merit-based aid.
With tuition rising every year, students face the challenge paying the debt achieving a college degree comes with. “Student debt surpassed credit-card debt in June 2010 for the first time in history, rising to about $830 billion — or nearly 6 percent of the nation 's annual economic output”(Clemmitt, Marcia). Not everyone has a ton of money just laying around. Being that financial trouble is the biggest problem for students, they begin to question whether college is worth it or not. In recent years, students have taken out loans to help with expenses. Most students choose to attend a community and junior college to help minimize the debt. Even after graduating with a degree, students still face the struggle of finding a job in this economic time. For higher class families this may not be a problem to them. But for the middle class and low income families, they face tougher times being that they don 't have the financial help like higher class families do. For the middle class and low income families, it makes more sense attending a community and junior college rather than a four year university.
Over the past decade, it has become evident to the students of the United States that in order to attain a well paying job they must seek a higher education. The higher education, usually a college or university, is practically required in order to succeed. To be able to attend these schools and receive a degree in a specific field it means money, and often a lot of it. For students, the need for a degree is strong, but the cost of going to college may stand in the way of a successful future. Each year the expense of college rises, resulting in the need for students to take out loans. Many students expect to immediately get a job after graduation, however, in more recent years the chances for college graduates to get a well paying job isn’t nearly as high as it used to be. Because students can no longer depend on getting a job fresh out of college, it has become harder to repay the loans. Without a steady income, these individuals have gone into debt and frequently default loans. If nothing is done to stop colleges and universities from increasing the cost of attending their school, the amount of time it takes for students to pay off their loans will become longer and longer. The extreme expenses to attend a college or university may leave a student in financial distress: which may ultimately lead to hardship in creating a living for them and affect the country’s economy.
When is comes to money, saving for long terms goals is harder than acceptings loans when you need the money. However, is sure beats having to pay back loans years down the road. If one were to work throughout high school and save $6 per hour, he could have a savings of up to $24,960 by the time he finishes high school (Steinberg 1). This is an acceptable solution because it does not affect the student’s academic performance adversely. In fact, “students who were employed actually had a slightly higher average GPA (2.72) than those who weren’t working (2.69) (Steinberg 1).
Employers are wanting more educated people in their workforce, this in turn is raising the numbers of college students being sought out and pulled into good jobs. Conversely dropping the percentage of people being picked up with only high school diplomas, “Americans with only high school diplomas represent a shrinking share of the workforce. This year, for the first time, college grads made up a larger slice of the labor market than those without higher education, by 36% to 34%, respectively. Until the early 80s, more than 70% of Americans entered the workforce right out of high school. ”(Cohen)
While having a job teaches students to be professional and to work hard, it takes away precious time and energy from students’ studies. Additionally, working and attending college can be overwhelming to students and can result in high stress levels, anxiety, and even depression (Dunkel-Schetter, Lobel 17). Despite this, the rising cost of higher education has risen along with the percentage of students that are employed (Riggert 64). In 2000, 77% of students enrolled in four-year colleges also had jobs on the side, working an average of 27 hours per week. Studies have found that longer work hours were correlated with poorer study skills, longer time to graduate, and poorer academic performance (Butler 500). This is because not only does working while in school take away important time from studying, but it takes an immense toll on the mental health of students. The stress of numerous responsibilities and the need to over-achieve in all of them can lead to mental breakdowns and may cause students to perform poorly. Overexertion causes students to feel exhausted, both physically and emotionally, contributing to poor academic performance, and, more importantly, overall health (Polson, Nida 95). Additional studies have found that students who work are more likely to engage in binge drinking (Butler, Dodge, Faurote 291). Although having a job
Because of the connection between a person’s income and race, “any increase in income gaps ought to be reflected in a widening of the racial gap” (Neckerman 321). Neckerman shows that there were racial gaps in postsecondary education success from 1972 to 1998. As shown in Figure 1, the percentage of students enrolled from eighteen to twenty-four years olds varied significantly by race. There was a gap between the percentages of white students enrolled and their black and Hispanic peers. These racial income gaps help illustrate how the postsecondary disparity in America is a result of income
It seems as though the majority of college students these days aren’t looking to further their education because it’s what they really want, they do it to please their parents, to be accepted by society, or because there’s nothing else for them to do (Bird, 372). These expectations have led to students being unhappy and stressed, and have pushed them into a school or a job that they don’t particularly care for.
The ability to gain a degree in any field of study is highly important in American society, possessing skills and knowledge over your job emphasizes the significance of higher education. Especially, for job promotions that would cause someone to make more than their fellow colleagues. In our increasingly competitive economic society, having the minimal of a high school diploma is not enough to provide financial stability nor will it help to compete in a workforce in which the best-educated are the ones that are rewarded the most. Therefore, higher education is a crucial necessity in order to move up the socioeconomic ladder and qualify for higher paying jobs. The rising costs of college, however, is making it harder for Americans to obtain
Currently, relatively few urban poor students go past the ninth grade. The graduation rates in large comprehensive inner-city schools are abysmally low. In fourteen such New York City Schools, for example, only 10 percent to 20 percent of ninth graders in 1996 graduated four years later. Despite the fact that low-income individuals desperately need a college degree to find decent employment, only 7 percent obtain a bachelors degree by age twenty-six. So, in relation to ...
College life for many new graduates can be a turn off, especially after years of public education, and the thought of spending more time in class is too much to bear. Still, others may decide it is too early to join the workforce, and choose to enroll in a college instead. The workload for college students can be difficult due to the expense of attending, increased complexity of coursework, and self-governing responsibility needed to succeed. Nonetheless, those who enter the real world can expect rigid work schedules, usually less than adequate pay, and uncertain economic job markets. One noticeable aspect of the real world is the demands employers may place upon his or her employees. Some employers maintain stiff attendance policies and fixed performance quotas. Staying the entire du...