Effects Of Higher Education Position Paper

Position Paper Unequal access to education needs to change. Poverty, racism, and family values are the leading effects of unequal access to post secondary education. With racism there are clear disadvantages for certain races, poverty affects people who can not afford post-secondary and the values parents place on education influence young students. These three things all relate back to unequal access. Post-secondary education opens opportunities for everyone and nowadays you need to have a degree or at least a high-school diploma so not attaining that limits a lot of people. Racial discrimination plays a part in whether or not you can get access to higher education. Studies show that out of the percentage of kindergarteners who graduate from high school only a small percent of 54% is Native Americans and 62% Hispanic. Where in contrast 91% is White and 87% is African American. Students of colour are also less likely be accepted into advanced classes even with the same test scores as White students. African Americans, Latino and Native Americans have been educated in wholly segregated schools as late as the 1960's funded at rates many time lower than those serving whites. Students from poor families are also less likely to graduate from high school and therefor stopping them from going onward to post-secondary. Educational successes of dependant students are classified into quartiles. In 2012 the bottom quartile had income less than $34,160. The second quartile had incomes between $34,160-$63,600 while the third had incomes between $63,600 and $108,650. The top quartile had incomes over $108,650. 54% of students do not finish a degree. For many students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds the challenge is not getting into college but getting out with a degree. The value parents put on education influences their children. If parents encourage education then a child is more likely to pursue post-secondary education rather than a child whose