WASHINGTON, D.C.
When Rachel Mayo decided to attend Northeastern
University in Boston,
she wasn’t deterred by the $31,500 tuition the private research institution
charges.
“I have told
myself that when it comes to my education money is never a factor. My knowledge
is worth so much more,” says Mayo, who soon found out that money was indeed a
factor. Even with financial aid, the middle child of eight had to work her way
though school and take out loans of $20,000 each year.
Mayo’s story is far from unique. According
to a new report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, College Access
for the Working Poor: Overcoming Burdens to Succeed in Higher Education,
this is the story of nearly 20 million working adults, 24-64, who don’t have
access to college or the means to fund their children’s education.
In order for America
to be able to compete globally, the report says, it must first support the
working poor earn degrees.
“Higher education brings higher pay
and new opportunities to the working poor, as well as social benefits,” says
Jamie Merisotis, president of IHEP. “It is therefore essential that the working
poor have the same opportunities to enter and complete college.”
During the 2003-2004 academic year,
according to the report, 47 percent of working poor adults were enrolled in an
higher education institution half time or less. Even with financial aid, they
had to pay an average cost of $4,000, which they could not afford. The research
findings are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal
sources.
