Even when disadvantaged students do overcome barriers and graduate from high school they find it difficult to navigate the path to college. Parents living in lower socioeconomic conditions may not have the time, knowledge or money to help their children with college applications, SAT prep classes or FAFSA forms. O’Brien asserts, “It 's a totally different game for high-achieving, low-income students, because nobody tells them how to play it… they mostly don 't have parents or teachers or counselors with much experience applying to selective colleges” (O’Brien). Unfortunately, some of the next generation’s innovators or scholars may be left out due to lack of help in navigating an intimidating system of fees, applications and tests. Students …show more content…
People who drop out of high school will earn less and experience higher risks of becoming unemployed. “In 2012, young adults with a bachelor 's degree earned more than twice as much as those without a high school credential ($46,900 vs. $22,900) and 57 percent more than young adult high school completers ($46,900 vs. $30,000)” (U.S.Dept. of Education). Those are startling numbers that truly prove that education and poverty are forever linked. What makes the numbers so disheartening is that those are an average which means many are still farther from the median. Furthermore, we must not forget those who are unable to find gainful employment. Getting a job without educational credentials not only pays less but is more difficult to locate. “While the national unemployment rate stood at 8.1 percent in 2012, joblessness among those without a high school degree measured 12 percent. Among college graduates, it was 4.1 percent” (Employment Situation Summary). In other words dropouts face three times more chances of not being able to find work. “High school graduation becomes a mechanism of sorting and contributes to a wide array of economic and political divisions within the current social structure. [It also] exacerbates inequalities between high-income and low-income children” (Campbell). Jobs for poorly educated workers are being squeezed out and many minimum wage jobs require a diploma. There are not as many labor jobs available as there was twenty years ago. This leaves dropouts in dire circumstances and often leads to problems. Criminal activity and lack of education are closely
The documentary, First Generation, follows four first generation college students who try and balance the hardships of working, sports, being part of a lower socioeconomic status and handling the challenges of learning how to apply and cover the cost of hefty college tuitions. In this paper, I will discuss barriers that some students experienced, the benefits of attainting a college education as a first generation student and some of the challenges individuals faced once they were accepted into college.
While first-generation college students are over half of all students in postsecondary education, exclusionary practices block their admittance into elite institutions. The outliers who receive admittance to the Ivory Tower may think they have made it—that their American Dream and long-held belief in the meritocratic ethos has finally paid off. Instead, they are confronted with educational stratification and social reproduction that was stacked against them long before they received the piece of parchment granting them access. The onerous task of navigating through unfamiliar academic and social situations often results in leaving. Can first-generation college students learn how to activate, manage, and accumulate social and cultural capital to navigate elite universities?
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.
The author, Julia Brookshire Everett commenced the article, “Public Community Colleges: Creating Access and Opportunities for First Generation College Students”, by first characterizing first- generation college students and also expounding on the difficulties first-generation students encountered when acquiring post-secondary degrees. According to Everett (2015), the term ‘first- generation college student’ was first coined in the 1960s in order to regulate student eligibility for federally financed programs to aid students from low-income households.
However, my dedication to my education and my diverse experiences in my youth are what have allowed me to overcome systematic barriers and get accepted to UCLA. The world I come from has not only propelled me get to college, but has shaped my understanding of the inequities and injustices of America’s educational system. I realize how socioeconomic status can hinder the capabilities of people because knowledge, opportunities, support, resources, and guidance are not always available to those who come from underserved communities.
How does being the first in one’s family to graduate from college impact one’s desire to finish college? Some of the major barriers first generation college students face include lack of motivation, lack of support, and low income finances. Some freshman students might lack the motivation to do well in school because of the lack of appropriate role models or mentors in the academic environment. These difficulties can be tied to lack of support at home; the parents might not be concerned about their child's education, maybe the parent lacks the ability to guide them through college, the parent might not have the process of having not navigated it themselves. Parents might feel embarrassed that they don’t have any knowledge to help them through college.
First generation college students are students who comprise a distinct minority within most institutions of higher learning. These groups of students are the first generation of students in their family lineage to attend a college or university (Allwood, 1966). Due to the lack of family guidance in navigating through the college experience, first generation students face an array of obstacles upon entering the realm of higher education. These students are less likely to obtain their bachelor degree due to finance, family support and retention, all which ultimately limit their college experience. Not only do these students experience issues migrating through high school into college, they also lack the necessary resources some students need to achieve higher standards. For instance financial assistance, mentorship, and other motivating factors that can help a student grow into a professional.
Most first generation college students are significantly older than the average, approximately 24 year of age (Pascarella et. al 2004). The surrounding low-income environments that many of these students are raised around can explain this late age. This financial pressure can also explain another category of first generation students, preparation (Chen & Carroll, 2005). These students are often less prepared to enter the college life. They have not been exposed to the necessary preparation needed to succeed on college admissions tests and furthermore don’t meet the performance requirements that universities and institutions require. Analyzing the prefaces that surround the environment of first generation college students aids in understanding current problems faced in college as well as assist in proposing solutions for this subset of
Education can help Americans receive a well paying job and lead to less low income families. A quality education allows people to feel accomplished and empowered to get a job that could help their family and their financial needs. According to an article by the Global Partnership, education reduces economic inequality and “If each [employee] from poor and rich backgrounds receive the same education, the disparity between poverty would decrease by 39 percent” (“5 Ways Education Can Help End Extreme Poverty”). In an article by William Bennett, states that American companies estimate that currently there are 3 million jobs available. The downside is that the children are poor and lack the education to fulfill those jobs. The government needs to provide more affordable schooling so that young adults can obtain a higher education to earn a higher salary. Currently, The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2014 the poverty rate of people twenty-five and older was 12 percent. Figure 1 demonstrates the statistic provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. It clearly displays that Americans who obtain more years of schooling and further their education, display a lower poverty rate. In 2014, those who have obtained no high school diploma show a greater poverty rate in relation to those who do have a bachelor degree. For example, Americans who have no high school diploma have the highest poverty rate at 29 percent. In contrast, Americans who have Bachelor’s degrees or higher, have the lowest poverty rate at 5 percent (“How does level of Education Relate to
According to Leonhardt, many people who drop out usually plan to go back eventually to get their degrees, but very few actually do. According to “Access to Attainment”, approximately 65% of all job openings will require postsecondary education by the year 2020 and “many of the long-standing programs and policies designed to foster access no longer supports the needs of today’s students” (Miller, et al. 5). The availability of higher education to the public has greatly changed over time, and thus the system and the programs must adapt as well to continue providing the best access and opportunities possible to individuals. “….a college education matters much more now than it once did” (Leonhardt). Lower-class students coming from low-income high schools might not have the same opportunities for learning as their upper-class counterparts, and as a result they are less likely to be accepted to elite universities. The education system is beneficial for many but it is flawed as well, especially in preparing high schoolers for college, which has the potential to greatly impact their
Steve Cohen shows the disparity between the rising cost of college and a family’s capability to afford it. Cohen explains “Tuition has risen almost 1,200 percent in the last 35 years, and the sticker price for many four-year private colleges and out-of-state public universities exceeds $250,000.” Moreover, he goes on to say that even at public universities, it is about $80,000 for four years for tuition and other college related expenses. Later in his article, Cohen explains how this leaves middle-class families in a very uncomfortable situation. The parents or other money-making entities in the household want their student to go to college and earn a degree, but now there can be an element of stress in figuring out how the fees will be paid for. Furth...
Not attending an institution post high schools seems to show a plethora of negative side effects. In a 2014 research paper by Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz, published in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Economics and Finance section, titled “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs?” Abel and Deitz found that the benefits do in fact outweigh the cost because the “Average wages for those with a college degree are far greater than average wages for those with only a high school diploma” (Abel, Deitz, 2). Economically speaking, those who obtain a college degree will earn far more than those with only a high school diploma. As shown and explained in a series of charts in Abel’s and Richard’s paper, “The period between 1970 and 2013 shows those with a bachelor’s degree earned about $64,500 per year while those with a high school diploma earned only $41,000 per year” (Abel, Dietz, 3). That data shows that those with a bachelor’s degree, or a college education, will earn 56 percent more than those with only a high school diploma. Not attending college also makes it harder to buy a home for the student. It makes parents pay extra money to care for their child that can not afford a home of their own, money that would
How does dropping out of high school affects students’ lives in the future? Students’ dropping out has become a crisis, President Obama said, “It’s time for all of us to come together parents and students, principals, and teachers, business leaders and elected officials to end America’s dropout crisis” (“ President Obama”). There are 7 thousand students’ that drop out of high school that adds up to about 1.2 million each year, wouldn’t it be nice to drop that number and help kids stay in school instead of dropping out of high school(“ President Obama”). Students’ shouldn’t drop out of high school because they couldn’t go to college, couldn’t hold down a job, and would struggle making minimum wage for the rest of their life.
While college is a lofty goal for many, escalating tuition costs threaten the enrollment of lower income students. Obtaining a college degree is a major accomplishment, but can be quite hard to achieve. Jennifer Washburn, a fellow at the New America Foundation, confirms, “In 1979 students from the richest 25 percent of American homes were four times as likely to attend college as those from the poorest 25 percent; by 1994 they were ten times as likely” (140). If college costs become too expensive, students will just circumvent college altogether. High school graduates will opt to pursue employment opportunities instead of obtaining a higher education. Consequently, the United States becomes less technologically competitive when higher education is minimized. Therefore, the rise in college tuition is hurting the country just as much as the individual. Moreover, students who fail to acquire a college degree may find themselves with less promising futures because of the growing demand to hire college graduates. For example, the most enthusiastic applicant, who may otherwise meet all the other employment qualifications,
Teens today face a lot of pressure. Many students deal with difficult life situations that hinder them from focusing on their futures. This can lead to a loss of interest in school and school events, such as a sports, clubs, or after school programs. Teens start to prioritize other things over their education. Every year, over 1.2 million students will leave school without earning a high school diploma in the United States alone (“11”). That’s a student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day (“11”). The United States, which used to have the highest graduation rates of any country, now ranks 22nd out of 27 developed countries (“11”). Students may not realize that by dropping out of high school they are more likely to commit crimes, become parents at a young age, use and abuse alcohol and drugs, and live in poverty (“Drop”). Dropouts make up the majority of those