Why Not Go To College Essay

The first determinant of one’s fate is their family’s background. Almost none of the children from low-income families made it through college. With the expenses of college today, I’m actually not surprised by that statistic. Of the children from low-income families, only 4 percent had a college degree at age 28, compared to 45 percent of the children from higher-income backgrounds. "That 's a shocking tenfold

In the article, “For the Poor, the Graduation Gap Is Even Wider Than the Enrollment Gap” by Susan Dynarski explains how the lower and upper class enroll in college at different rates, as well as graduate. A program was started known as the Educational Longitudinal Study. A study of dividing quartiles based on their parent’s educational background showed that parents with lower incomes were more likely to contain unskilled jobs compared to the higher income family containing manager positions. However, after 13 years, studies showed that only 14 percent of the less fortunate students and 60 percent of the fortunate students achieved their bachelors. By their late 20s tests also showed that 74 percent of wealthy students achieved their four-year

Also, with most low income students coming from backgrounds of working parents, they are not given the privilege to see all the benefits of obtaining their education to build their life in a great career. As wonderfully stated by Bellin, “At a time when social mobility has stalled and the poorest are still suffering the effects of the last recession, investing in college access for students from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds should be a priority.” (134). When students are shown the importance of education, instead of just hearing about it, they are more likely to understand the benefits and continue on that path and pass their knowledge down to their children. All the lowest socioeconomic class needs is a boost in that positive direction to start the domino effect, so why do we choose to unethically give the cold shoulder to the class that currently has the most need for help and would benefit from it the

In order to get a decent paying job, you have to have a college degree. Many people will not be able to go to college full time because they have to work part-time or full-time to be able to afford college and can not move on to a higher paying job with out it. Low income students have always struggled with college bills. Financial and political forces are making it harder than ever to get a college degree, which is crucial to getting a high paying job (Philadelphia Inquirer, 1). It is extremely difficult to get a job and go to college full or part time, just to have a higher paying job. Many students hope to avoid a soaring loan debt. They work long hours; take courses part-time and are commuting to college rather than living on campus. These compromises greatly reduce chances of earning a college degree in a timely manner if at all (Philadelphia Inquirer, 1). As a result, students must rely on even larger loan debt to get through school. Many students have to put off getting their degree and some never go back to get it.

Low-income students are up to 30 percent less likely to attend college than their higher income peers (Goodman, 2010). With some states increasing the amount of merit-based aid while decreasing the amount of need-based aid, additional research is needed to determine the effects on low-income student enrollment in those states (Zhang & Ness, 2010). Effective strategies for increasing the number of college-educated individuals must improve academic preparation, access to higher education, and persistence in college among the population least likely to attain that education, i.e., low-income students (Alon, 2011).

Many middle to lower class families cannot afford to send their kids to school and with Ivy League schools like Harvard and Princeton giving out generous financial packages to their student, who mostly come from wealthy background. The poorer students are on the losing end because they are not given the opportunity for aid. As Terry Hartle, the senior vice president of the American Council of Education, says, "Smart poor kids go to college at the same rate as stupid rich kids." What this is saying is that the wealthy families have vastly more opportunity to succeed in the college system even though they have equal or lesser smarts. Well respected schools such as NYU are now admitting students based on the financial fit not by merit.

One of the key components in higher education enrollment management in a public, four-year university is the admissions process. With encouragement from many sources such as friends, family, and college marketing materials, high school juniors and seniors apply and enroll in college by the thousands each year (McDonough, 1994). College choice is greater now than twenty years ago, but finding the right fit for each potential student is harder due to increased college entrance standards and intense competition between institutions. Applicants now are more likely to apply to many more institutions than previous generations, yet still only attend

A leading reason on why middle and low income students tend to drop out of college before getting their college degree is that they could be unknowingly be following the example of their own parents who may not have gotten a degree of their own as young adults. In many instances the parents of middle and low income students did not have the opportunity to attend college ,or had too drop out of school because of the demands of a growing family. Sometimes life gets in the way and

The issue that surrounds low-income students and college success is that the rich kids are holding them back. The students who have low income are not graduating at the rate of the rich kids who can afford school. The rich kids tend to get a better knowledge in school because of their money. The poor students are not given the equal education as the rich, so the poor is really not prepared for the next step. Some of these low income students who work hard and do well in high school sometimes make it in college. Low- income students should be given the right to graduate at a higher rate, it will give the poor a boost to continue to work hard and make it to college.

One of the wonderful aspects about college is that students are able to choose what college they want to go to, as opposed to being districted to a specific school, as many students are for high school. Potential students have the opportunity to browse schools based on options such as their major, what type of school they want to go to, and location. Now, however, more students are increasingly choosing their schools because of price. Because of this, some students may not get the most out of their education. Many students forego going to a school specialized or focused on their program due to the high costs associated with it. Students fear becoming burdened with debts and not receiving enough financial aid, and choose to go to affordable schools over their “dream school.” (Medrano,

The personal factors that affect the college decision process were grouped into three main categories: family or self-influences, psychological or social barriers,

As adolescents begin their senior year, the topic of college often runs without hindrance, often causing extreme stress. As the monetary value, as well as the time spent, begins to accumulate in their minds, students often find themselves bound at the wrists figuring out a way to balance as well as afford college living. In many cases, the upcoming graduates are unsure about their career path, almost enhancing their stress in choosing a school that would cater to their needs. It is almost then they begin to ponder whether or not University/college life is for them, which is could be an extremely advantageous shot in a, for example, high achieving family. Whilst college does allow for a plethora of doors to be opened, the lack of time, effort, and money can hinder one 's ability to properly choose a university. Though school can help with the stepping stones of life, they do not entirely ensure a proper future, therefore many may opt out of school; however, with the correct actions, they may turn out extremely successful, which may not have even happened without the release of the burden of school.

Nowadays its said that a student from a low/working class have the same opportunities in obtaining a degree or even graduating from university just like a student from a higher class. Low/ working class is used to define a person who works to sustain themselves and don’t have luxurious objects. While a person from a higher class is classified as being financially stable and having a life more free of stress. However some people might argue that the opportunities don’t always favored those who need it the most and in some cases they’re restricted. During the last decade education have been advancing and innovating by creating different programs. These programs such as financial aid and students’ loans were made with the purpose of helping those with financial problems and scarcity of resources; which are a great helper in walking a student on their way through college. I personally believe that the working class have to face multiple phases in order to graduate, obtain a bachelors, master or a doctorate degree, and in becoming a more independent student, however feeling like an outsider in their learning environment should not be considered.

College tuition has skyrocketed over the past decades making the pathway to college less accessible to low-income families. According to the

In William Elliot’s article,”Are We Getting Our Money's Worth?”, he talks more about the lower income students struggling to get into college because of the fear of debt. Those who use loans to pay their way into college usually end up in debt because of the interest on the loans and the high college costs, which then causes them to wanna drop out. “As the debt load of matriculated poor and minority students rises, so do their dropout rates”(Elliot p26). The fact is middle and upper income student are able to use student aid to join more expensive colleges, while low income students are only able to be accepted in less expensive home state colleges. “The American promise is that those who work equally hard will recieve equal rewards. But the student loan programs may compromise the ability to graduate because of high loans” (Elliot p28). The people of low and high income are not treated equally even if they both work equally hard in life to succeed and have an education.