How Cost Stands as the Greatest Challenge to College Access

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Photo by Trung Pham Quoc on Unsplash

Seasoned educator Morgan Barth served Achievement First Amistad High School from 2016 to 2018 as principal. During Morgan Barth’s tenure at Amistad, the school placed a strong focus on academic preparations to ensure that its students, the majority of which are from low-income families, can get college access.

College access is a particular challenge to many students representing the minority and low-income sectors. While researches proved that social disadvantage and the lack of academic readiness are challenges to hurdle, cost still stands as the greatest challenge to postsecondary education.

In a report done by Education Week, in 2010, 70 percent of high school graduates were enrolling in either a two or four-year postsecondary course. However, the vast majority of these students dropped out within two years. By the time these students reach the age of 27, only 40 percent of them have earned either an associate degree or a baccalaureate degree.

In 2010, the tuition and other fees for in-state students in public four-year colleges reached $7,605 annually. This is a huge leap from the cost in 2002 which only stands at $4,115. In the same year, the tuition and other fees in private not-for-profit four-year colleges reached $27,293, while the tuition and other fees in public two-year colleges reached $2,713.

While education costs continue to rise, the number of academically qualified low-income high school graduates enrolled in four-year college degree dropped from 54 percent in 1992 to 40 percent in 2004, while students belonging in moderate-income families fell from 59 percent to 53 percent in the same period.