In this blog, we will show the effect of higher education costs on minorities in the United States of America. Although every country has its own education costing system, similarly every country has its policies. In the USA, natives are affected by education costs, but the significant effect is on minorities. They have different policies regarding minorities in their education system. In the USA university graduates have been struggling as the cost of higher education is rising continuously. Let’s discuss this topic in detail.

EDUCATION COSTS SYSTEM IN THE USA

In the USA higher education is an optional stage of formal learning, following the secondary stage. The stages of education in the USA are briefly described in our previous blogs. It is also called post-secondary education, third-stage, tertiary education, or third-level education. It covers stages 5 to 9 on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011 scale. It is delivered as 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions, known as colleges or universities. These may be public or private universities, research universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. US higher education is loosely regulated by the government and by several third-party organizations.
As of 2019, the average cost of tuition and fees for US universities was 14,512 U.S. dollars excluding the average cost for room and board at universities. The average cost in 2019 of tuition was three times more than that in 2001. In the United States, access to higher education is indeed, a gateway to success and upward mobility. However, the rising costs of higher education have raised concerns about equitable access, especially among minorities there. Minorities including Black, Hispanic, and low income-students often face great difficulties when it comes to getting and affording higher education in the USA. Tuition fees and books costs along with living expenses that are rising over decades create a financial burden for the students and their families.

Effect on Minorities

Higher education costs in the United States have been a significant concern for many years, and the effect on minorities is notable. Here are some consequences of higher education costs:

⦁ LIMITATIONS:

⦁ Minorities face limitations in almost every aspect of their life whether they are in the United States or any other country, the biggest limitation that minorities are facing in the United States is the limited access to higher education because of its cost. Tuition fees, expenses of textbooks along with many other things make a financial burden on minority students and make it a way impossible to get reach higher education.
⦁ Many minority students successfully manage their college expenses and are often under the stone of student loans. This debt burden can have long-term financial effects. It makes it harder for individuals to pursue their chosen careers.

⦁ STRUGGLE:

⦁ Students drop out at a high rate as they work to balance their lives. They are working for financial issues, family responsibilities, doing work for dropping loans and managing their academics.
⦁ As many of the minority students and their families go into debt to fulfill their academic needs and many of the income resources go into the taxes and white counterparts. The chain of debt goes on from one generation to another and they face a lot of hardship regarding this chain.

⦁ LACK OF SELF-ESTEEM:

⦁ Many minority students often attend K-12 schools, which can leave them ill-prepared for college-level work. The result is that they cannot compete with the student having a more privileged background. Furthermore, it can reduce their chances of getting admission to selective good colleges and universities.
⦁ Minority students often face challenges related to representation. They feel shy to introduce themselves. To a large extent, white institutions may not provide the same support and representation to minority students. Which may lead to isolation and a lack of self-esteem and communication.

POINTS TO PONDER

We all are informed that “every problem has a solution”. To this critical issue, we also have some solutions. Every country has some policies for their citizens whether they are in majority or in minority, white or black. Some of the solutions through which minority students can get higher education are mentioned below:

⦁ Educators Credit Union.
⦁ Board of Education.

⦁ Early Childhood Education.
Let's take a closer look at each of these and how they can help to reduce the effect of higher education costs on minorities and the educators' community.

EDUCATORS CREDIT UNION

What is “Educators Credit Union”? “Educators Credit Union” was founded in 1937 by teachers, and today Educators members are students, teachers, government workers, health care employees, small business owners, and many other community members. Their establishment goal was that every member could borrow and save money at fair and reasonable interest rates to fulfill their financial needs and goals.

Educational Credit Union plays a significant role in providing financial support to students. Particularly minority students. Credit unions like “Educational Credit Union ease the strain on students and their families for higher education. Some of the programs are mentioned below:

Board of Education

The Board of Education is an entity that shapes the policies given by the Department of Education of the USA. It manages the public education policies within a specific place such as a school, district, city, country, or state. The board of Education plays a significant role in shaping educational policies and making decisions on educational curriculums, funding, and other aspects of the education system. These things can have a direct impact on minority students and their families in terms of higher education costs. The actions and policies of the Board of Education impacting minorities regarding higher education costs are given below:

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Conclusion