For more and more students in the U.S., getting accepted into college isn’t the most difficult part. Even though more students are attending college than in the past, the graduation rate is alarming. According to the College Board, “ The four-year graduation rate for the University of Iowa is 44 percent. William Penn University has the lowest graduation rate in Iowa at 13 percent.”
Why are students struggling to graduate on time? The answer may lie in the cost of completing an education. Policymakers need to understand the plight of low-income students. These students struggle with costs so they take on part-time jobs to mitigate costs. This may help to eliminate economic stress but distracts students from academic responsibilities. They may also take fewer credits in order to help raise younger siblings and attend to other personal obligations. Many students from low-income households may not feel worthy of scholarships and instead feel that these awards should be given to traditionally achieved applicants from more advantaged backgrounds.
The New York Times states, “Even many of the students selected for prestigious Cooke Scholarships … feel unworthy.”
Poverty does not go away when a student goes to college, and as a result, students may feel as if they do not fit in with other peers of more privileged socioeconomic standing. Policymakers must understand that universities should be an equalizer, when instead low-income students are faced with more barriers than their peers. Support needs to be given to students to help manage daily lives and financial requirements in order to make sure they graduate on time. In addition to receiving a support system from their college or university, low-income students should be given tools to create systems for themselves.
Yet in certain parts of the U.S., there has been a renewed focus in helping lowincome college students. Arkansas has found an amazing way to use federal money to help struggling students.
The Career Pathways program helps low-income parents balance difficult aspects of daily lives. They get money for books, childcare, and transportation. These students in the program are assigned a case manager who tracks progress and mentors. These students can get help with career services. According to Career Pathways website, “Each step on a career pathways is designed explicitly to prepare workers and students for the next level of employment and education.”
This system has helped thousands of students in Arkansas and should be implemented in universities all over the country. It gives students from low-income background the support needed to be successful, because while it is easy to throw money at students that in itself is not enough to guarantee success.