Causes Of High Dropout Rate Among Low Income College Students

What exactly is a dropout? Although difficult to define, a dropout is considered a student who leaves school for any reason and does not continue on into any other type of schooling (United States Department of

Tuition and finances are among the most commonly inquired topics regarding college. Socioeconomic status, one’s social and economic position within society, directly and indirectly influences the ability to attend college. It directly relates to the financial aspect of higher education. One explanation for this is the human capital theory, which suggests a negative correlation exists between parents’ income and educational level and the amount of student loan debt their

The college dropout rate has risen since the late 1960's from one in five students, to one in three according to David Leonhardt, in "The College Dropout Boom" (88). I am a college dropout, as a freshman, I entered Florida Atlantic University, with great aspiration to be first person in my family to graduate college, but after one year of as full time student, working two jobs to pay rent, utilities and hoping that whatever was left over from my meager paycheck, would cover my mounting college debt. I decided not to return

Students abilities strongly correlate with the family’s socioeconomic status i.e. it depends on a combination of variables, including occupation, education, income, wealth, and place of residence. The statement mentions that children whose parents have the good educational qualification and income, can have the good impact on child's performance. Above average

High school dropout rate is a significant indicator of future success in life. For high school dropouts, it is harder to find jobs and earn as much money as their graduated peers. On the outside looking in, not being able to graduate is usually associated with school performance, socioeconomic status, parents’ education level and/or lack of motivation. Moreover, there are also underlying factors of race and gender and they both affect performance in high school immensely. In order to study dropout rates, focus should be put on the group of students at risk of dropping out.

The web page "College Dropout Statistics" lists many reasons for drop outs and how many including that, "30% of college and university students drop out after their first year" (Beckstead). Expectations are set for students including; having great attendance in their classes, finishing their assignments on time, being a part of an organization, or going out with other students. Keeping up with all that goes in school, and having maintaining a social life can be difficult. Another statistic states, "Being unable to balance school, jobs and family is one of the top reasons for dropping out" (Beckstead). Everyone is trying their best to enjoy college, but also get the degree they are striving for. All of this causes many students to drop out because they can not handle all of

To break down the above scores, Hispanics had the highest dropout rate at 12.7 percent. Blacks had the second highest dropout rate at 7.5 percent. Whites had the lowest dropout rate at 12.7 percent. A big reason as to why minorities have higher dropout rates comes down to poverty quite often. ”Almost 1/2 of the difference in the dropout probability between Hispanic and white students stems from the greater prevalence of being economically disadvantaged among Hispanic students. More than 1/3 of the African-American and white student difference in the dropout probability is linked to our simple measure of student poverty” (Lofstrom,). As you can see money plays a huge factor in dropout rates. Numerous issues can result in student drop outs. The

Today in society the determination for a college degree lies beyond education towards future financial security. While college debt seems to be ever increasing, students from low-income families are less likely to attend college due to the financial hardship. The social class that a student’s family falls into shows correlation on whether that student will or not attend college (Peske & Haycock, 2006). However, looking at this issue from my own prospective it seems as though no matter the social class students are attending college. What more so seems to have an affect on outcomes for individuals is how there family’s social economic status effects how well a student performs in college. For a student from a low-income family nothing can seem more daunting than the overwhelming amount of debt we have to pay after college.

In a family, it is the relations between children and parents as well as siblings. A child’s success depends on both the physical presence of adults and attention given to the child by adults. The High School and Beyond sample shows that students who have two parents, one sibling, and a mother who expects college education have the lowest percentage of dropping out of school at 8.1%. On the other hand, students who have one parent, four siblings, and no college expectation have a whopping 30.6% of dropping out. This is caused by the absence of the single-parent as he or she is most likely working. In addition, having more siblings means that the parent’s attention is split and each child receive less consideration. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the second category has a higher dropout rate because they have less social capital.

College graduation and dropout rates have long been used as a central indicator of education system productivity and effectiveness and of social and economic well-being. Today, interest in the accuracy and usefulness of these statistics is particularly acute owing to a confluence of circumstances, including changing demographics, new legislative mandates, and heightened political pressures to reduce the incidence of dropping out. Students who are unable to pass the assessments may simply leave school before graduating. Not everyone drops out because they lack the determination to finish, instead they run into another obstacle while equipped with the motivation. Those of which are trying to regulate the balance of work and school, unexpected family problems, and financial problems.

Thesis Statement: More and more students drop out each year. Those who dropped out have various reasons. The alarming rates of drop outs have led them to a bleak future wherein such incident requires the attention and immediate action of various school authorities.

Life is believed to be easier for people with higher degrees than for those without higher degrees. Hence, it is the joy of parents to see their children admitted into a higher institution. With the high cost attached to attending a four year university, most students prefer to attend community colleges. Community colleges provide the same quality of education offered by universities for the first two years at a lower cost which help students reduce debts toward getting their higher degree. However, compared to the number of students who started their first year in community colleges, a large percentage dropped out. This is common to both freshly graduated high school students and adults who came back to college to obtain a degree. Students drop out of colleges because of financial issues and the need to take remedial courses. As a result, they have self esteem issues and may remain poor.

Many people drop out because they struggle to pay for their education. Erin Shankie wrote in her article, “At the forefront of reasons for college dropout is the cost—and not just the cost of tuition, but the costs of books, materials, transportation, and housing” (Shankie). Students drop out because it’s tough try to focus on school and pass classes when you have to worry about how to get to school, what are they going to eat for dinner, and trying to find a way to pay for living

While there are many problems college students’ face while attempting to obtain a degree, the largest hindrance from completion is that of financial ability. One of the largest contributors to college dropout rates is the lack of financial support. Many college students must work either full or part time to support themselves or their families. With the declining economy and increasing costs of college tuition, funds are being scarcely distributed and many college students find that they are unable to continue their education due of this.

Will negatively affect a student's future. Bob Keeshan once said,”Children don't drop out of High School when they are 16 they do so in the first grade and wait 10 years to make it official.” Throughout the years studies have shown that in a year 1.2 million students drop out. Which leads that only 25% of High School students during their freshman year fail to graduate. Dropouts in the United States have became a very trending thing we must get to the bottom of this problem. Young adults should not be making these decisions it's time to step in.