The Impact of Poverty on College Education

African-American students matriculate into college every year and a large percentage come up from low-income environments. In 2013, 19.2% of the residents of College Park lived below the poverty level. This number outnumbered the states average of 13.0% by more than 6%. Living under the poverty line not only affects students but their schools are effected tremendously. Schools have to scrape up the minimum to keep their buildings open while in an attempt to provide adequate educational programs to its students. With property tax nearly half of the revenue used for public elementary and secondary education, it is the deciding factor on whether a school flourishes or declines. Depending on property wealth of a community, its schools might have

As a part of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title I funding was created as a federal grant program designed to give educational assistance to students living in areas of high poverty. Over 90% of school systems in the United States receive some sort of Title I funding. These funds can be used for children from preschool age to high school. The requirements for Title I are based on school rankings of students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch. The challenges Title I schools face can range from a lack of adequate instructional materials, to a lack of planning time for teachers, to concerns over school safety and climate, or a lack of parental and community engagement. Title I funds are used to hire additional staff, purchase instructional material and provide professional development to support students labeled as low achieving in reading and math. Title I funding has provided the largest amount of federal funding aimed at improving the academic achievement of poor children. This program helps ensure school systems across the country that students at risk of failure and living in poverty have the same opportunity to meet the challenging state academic standards and go on to attend college with the fundamental knowledge students in suburban areas

But yet, GPAs of African American students are higher at HBCUs than PWIs. African American students would rather go to HBCUs because they know they will be accepted, and their abilities as students will never be questioned based on the color of their skin or background. Students at HBCUs are more capable of themselves and not have someone to approve it. HBCUs are well-known for being proactive to African American needs due to their efforts to provide environments that give students a sense of community, belonging, and encouragement. African American students may not approach white faculty and students for help not only because they do not feel they know how, or because they do not know how they will be viewed or reacted to. The loving environment of an HBCU will allow Black students to make great connections much easier than at a