Educational access takes much more than studying harder,poor youth say

Increasingly concerned about poor college entry rates of high school students from low income backgrounds, policymakers have introduced programs aimed at increasing students’ motivation and decision making skills. Through classroom visits and interviews with over 170 high school students, Stephanie Drotos and Sebnem Cilesiz find that students from low income households face unique challenges to enrolling in college, such as a lack of family support and information about college in general. These challenges often require additional efforts, such as holding one or more part-time job, which in turn means greater time pressure on students. The researchers argue that interventions which focus on ‘hard work’ as a path out of poverty, but ignore the challenges faced by students from low income backgrounds, are unlikely to be successful.