Low-Income Students Need Equitable Experiences, Not Just Free Tuition
One in five undergraduates now comes from a poor family, compared to just 12% a decade ago, and more than 45 million Americans are wrestling with an estimated $1.6 trillion in student debt. It’s not surprising, then, that free college proposals have become a hallmark of the Democratic presidential primary, and that student debt is an ongoing national conversation on both sides of the aisle.
But reducing — or even eliminating — the cost of college may do little to close seemingly endemic equity gaps that affect the odds for low-income students once they arrive on campus. While low-income students are going to college in higher numbers, they are graduating at far lower rates and their experience in college is very different than that of their wealthier peers. With less time or funds to draw from, many of them are unable to accrue the college experiences, assets, and social capital that can lead to professional success after graduation. While institutions are working to widen access to all students, they must also ensure they are also providing low-income students with equitable opportunities.
The number of students studying abroad has tripled over the last two decades, for example, but low-income students and students of color rarely take part in such programs. With three-quarters of companies saying they prefer candidates with a global perspective, this puts low-income students at yet another disadvantage compared to their wealthier peers.
Studying abroad can have a profound impact on low-income students. One recent survey of more than 1,400 students who received scholarships through the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship — a federal study abroad program targeted toward low-income students — found that 35% of those students reported choosing a major or minor with an international or cross-cultural focus after returning from their study abroad trip. More than 30% embarked on similarly focused research projects.
The effects extended beyond their undergraduate careers. Of the students who went to graduate school, 36% had studied abroad again or had decided to pursue international field research. Nearly half of all survey respondents said studying abroad had clarified their career path, three-quarters said it broadened the geographic locations in which they were willing to work, and 67% said it promoted a desire to work in a cross-cultural or international field. More than one-third changed their career direction to reflect a more international focus.
Despite these known benefits, low-income students and students of color remain vastly underrepresented in study abroad programs. While Black students now account for 13% of all students, they make up just 6.1% of Americans who study abroad.
Low-income students are also too often shut out of internship opportunities — an important stepping stone to finding a career after college. Students who had internships while in college are twice as likely to find a good job after graduation, having gained important experience and contacts within the field they hope to start a career in. But whereas internships are great gateways to career opportunities for wealthier students, they can serve as unfair barriers for low-income students. The average cost of living during an internship in major American cities is about $6,200, and that’s not factoring in tuition costs of for-credit internships. Low-income students can rarely afford to participate in unpaid programs, which still account for 43% of all internships.
For students who work, it is a struggle to find the time to attend an internship — unpaid or otherwise — leaving them without the experiences they need to turn their degrees into a good job. That means even those low-income students who do earn a degree are often left with large amounts of student debt while lacking the experience they need to start a career that will help them pay off their loans and make their time at college worth the expense. According to the Brookings Institution, students from low-income backgrounds who earn a bachelor’s degree begin their careers only earning two-thirds as much as graduates from higher-income backgrounds.
More low-income students than ever before are now attending college — and that’s a good thing. Their experiences, however, are still far from equitable. Too few receive the support they need to build the social capital necessary to succeed alongside wealthier peers, who stand on the shoulders of college-educated parents and family members.
College has long been seen as the best pathway to social mobility in the United States. But a college education represents more than a collection of courses culminating in a major and a piece of parchment. We must ensure students are afforded not just the academic support required to succeed, but the full richness of the college experience.
