WHY IT MATTERS
By age 24, 77% of students from the top income quartile earn a college degree, while only 9% of students from low-income families reach the same pinnacle. Students from low-income households or the first generation of their family to attend college face additional barriers on the path to a college degree. Students from these backgrounds are more likely to:
- Work at least part-time to help support their families
- Care for siblings and family members
- Be academically unprepared for college coursework
- Face financial barriers while they apply to and attend college
- Have fewer resources to rely on for financial aid and emotional support
We believe if young people have a desire to achieve, they should have the chance to do so, regardless of their financial means. Where there’s an opportunity for education, there are opportunities for hope, freedom, and confidence – and transforming one’s life for the better. A postsecondary education is critical to one’s long-term financial security, yet students and families living in public and subsidized housing face significant social, academic, and financial barriers to postsecondary