ASAD AYUB
RDG-071-03
10/22/2018
Why do college students drop out of school?
Attending a community college or 2-year institution first does not increase one’s chances of getting a degree either. According to a study by the National Center for Education Studies (NCES) between 2003-2009, only 14.3% of students from the lowest income quartile who began at a two-year institution earned an associate degree and 12.7% received a bachelor degree. In another NCES study, a student from a low income family who scored top marks in math had the same chance of graduating from college as a student from a high income family with below average mathematical abilities. If education is a meritocracy, the best students should be the ones to succeed. There are different kind of reasons of why students drop out of school are (low-income, poor/less source of preparation and in their daily routine.
First of all my parents can’t afford college, and the competition is too high for someone like me anyways.” I sputtered to respond, but I knew that anything I said would be naive and undeniably from a place of privilege. I had never questioned if I would go to college, it was always assumed I would - just like my friends, and just like my parents had before me. But because he has less money, the odds are not in his favor. Of the high school sophomore class in 2002, only 14% of students with low incomes graduated with a bachelor’s degree by 2012. But 60% of high income student’s did. In 2009, only one in four students with scarce financial resources who entered a university graduated within 6 years. Again, 60% of high income students did.
Moreover higher education remains one of the best personal investments a person can make. The U.S. Census Bureau reported the median gap between a college graduate and high school graduate to be $19,550. Over a lifetime, individuals with a college degree are likely to make $1,000,000 more than high school graduates. Further, longevity, health, child outcomes, and life satisfaction are all associated with a higher education degree. Even though there are clear benefits, most students with low incomes don’t apply to college. After all, every investor must assess risk, which in this case is the chance of dropping out. And if you’re a low income student and you don’t make it to graduation? You still have to pay back all the loans. But every year, 45% students with scarce resources apply to university. They take the risk anyways.
Why Do Students With Low Incomes Drop Out of College at Higher Rates?
Like any social issue, the graduation rate is multifaceted and student identities are intersectional. It is impossible to separate the influence of race, first generation status, gender, ability, and other factors from the equation. For the individual experience, all these factors combine to def...
