Educational Mobility

In this day in age, we all know how important it is to have a college education. People need to have a bachelor's degree to even have hopes of finding a semi-decent job. Education is the key to a secure future giving people the chance to climb to the next social class and make a decent income. However, many poor and working class students do not make it and are unable to receive a higher education.

I think these students are unable to make it because of monetary issues. Going to college is very expensive. Even students from the middle/upper middle class need to take out loans and hope for scholarships. But the immediate money made from a current job can be more enticing than having to pay for an education.

Most poor and working class students have to simultaneously work and go school. The bulk of schoolwork along with the exhaustion from a job can take its toll. It can sometimes get to a point where the student has to make a choice between working and getting an education. They usually choose to work. The student could be having to support themselves or help their family pay the bills. The small amount of money they make at that job is what they live off of and in time they can probably be promoted within that company. But often times it is too hard to handle life and education.

I think it would be hard for a poor/working class student to make it at Saint Joe's. Unless they are offered a very good scholarship, the cost of tuition is very high. It would also be hard to juggle schoolwork and a job, although it can be done. Another difficulty that may arise is going out with friends. That gets expensive, public transportation fees ad up and there is not a lot of free entertainment. There are other outlying factors to consider such as: if the student has his/her family's support and what their home situation is like. If they have to take care of younger siblings or children, it will be harder to make it. All in all, I think it would be difficult for a student of the lower class to make it here, but I think if he/she worked extremely hard and planned well, he/she could get that degree.