The Effects Of Economic Inequality In Higher Education

1478 Words6 Pages
1. Introduction

Economic inequality has shaped the structure of our society. This designates the disparities in the wealth distribution among individuals. More than a monetary issue, this economic inequality brings along a number side effects. This paper focuses on the unequal chance for children from diverse economic backgrounds to gain access to higher education, which has been a growing social concern. The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between income inequality and the unequal access to college among students. To investigate this disparity, this paper will firstly assess the barriers that prevent low-income students from attending higher education and graduating. Secondly, it will look into solutions that can be undertaken to ensure the accessibly of higher education to students from all backgrounds and that way narrowing the educational opportunity gap.

2. The Opportunity Gap

It is well known that students coming from less financially privileged families face significant boundaries when it comes to accessing higher education. Likewise, there is little doubt concerning the fact that college education is one of the most decisive factors influencing the success in the future labor market, and consequently one of the most critical avenues for reducing economic inequality. Indeed, the work of researcher Card on the relationship between education and earnings suggests that every year of additional education causes an average of 10 percent increase in