When College Isn't an Option

On the North Shore of Chicago, it's common knowledge that you'll be going to college. We live in an area of highly concentrated wealth and a heavily-funded school district that provides us with a quality high school education...so why wouldn't you go to college?

This past weekend, my dad's best friend from high school visited us. His two children attended community college for two years in a small town in Kansas called Ark City so that he could barely scrape enough money together to send them to two years at Oklahoma State University to finish off their education. His son is in the Navy reserves and receives a stipend that also helps pay some bills.

I live comfortably knowing that my family will never have to make the same sacrifices so that each of my five siblings can attend a four-year college.

My dad and his friend came from the same town. And yet, their children are leading polar opposite lives.

According to Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan think tank that conducts research and analysis on the economic status of working America, a low income can keep even the highest achieving students from attending college.

A longitudinal study (conducted over a period of 12 years) followed a group of students from their 8th grade years, charting their performance based on math scores from standardized tests and, of that group, who attained a college degree.

The article featuring the study said that, based on the figure, there are "great disparities in college completion based on socioeconomic status". I don't know if such a broad, sweeping claim can be made just on the figure alone - but it is clear that there is a correlation between college completion and socioeconomic status. This is evident even in our own neighborhood.

I don't have the answer, but I wonder: what can be done to help even the most low-income families receive a strong education?