It hit her. The cost of books, the work-study job, the inability to ask family for help. The piling list came barreling in on Jessica Jordan. She had received a full scholarship to Wesleyan University in the fall of 2009. So why was she struggling?
“I was, for most of the [first] year, living out of poverty. Financial emergencies occurred, and I had no one to turn to. Neither of my parents could afford to send me money if an unexpected charge came up on my student account. In fact, when I could, I sent money I earned from my work-study job home.”
The fight is only beginning when a low-income student is accepted into college.
Only 9 percent of low-income students, those whose family’s income does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level, graduate with a bachelor’s degree by age 24. Of …show more content…
“Therefore, they do not have that support system to go back to, or to ask how do they navigate through this particular period.”
Another organization, the nonprofit Posse Foundation, supports disadvantaged students by forming “posses,” groups of students who meet weekly to discuss issues and solutions to college life with a faculty adviser.
“What sets us apart is that on-campus support,” said Zoe Engel, the Assistant to the Director at The Posse Foundation – Chicago. “Not just giving students money, which is great, but also, providing an intangible resource.”
Giving out grant money to low-income students has become a trend among top colleges, according to Cockrell. “It can sound very sexy,” Cockrell said. “Everybody talks, ‘Lets jump on this band wagon and increase access.’ But it takes a lot of work.”
“If universities are going to get on board, they have to also fully fund and back what it takes to support these students,” Cockrell said. Colleges often provide haphazard staffing and funding, while failing to dismantle bureaucratic, inequitable policies altogether, according to
“I was, for most of the [first] year, living out of poverty. Financial emergencies occurred, and I had no one to turn to. Neither of my parents could afford to send me money if an unexpected charge came up on my student account. In fact, when I could, I sent money I earned from my work-study job home.”
The fight is only beginning when a low-income student is accepted into college.
Only 9 percent of low-income students, those whose family’s income does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level, graduate with a bachelor’s degree by age 24. Of …show more content…
“Therefore, they do not have that support system to go back to, or to ask how do they navigate through this particular period.”
Another organization, the nonprofit Posse Foundation, supports disadvantaged students by forming “posses,” groups of students who meet weekly to discuss issues and solutions to college life with a faculty adviser.
“What sets us apart is that on-campus support,” said Zoe Engel, the Assistant to the Director at The Posse Foundation – Chicago. “Not just giving students money, which is great, but also, providing an intangible resource.”
Giving out grant money to low-income students has become a trend among top colleges, according to Cockrell. “It can sound very sexy,” Cockrell said. “Everybody talks, ‘Lets jump on this band wagon and increase access.’ But it takes a lot of work.”
“If universities are going to get on board, they have to also fully fund and back what it takes to support these students,” Cockrell said. Colleges often provide haphazard staffing and funding, while failing to dismantle bureaucratic, inequitable policies altogether, according to