In this report, you will find what financial barriers students face. It discusses the Pell Grant and the discrepancy between how much is awarded and how much students actually need. This program has been severely underfunded for years and cannot live up to its original purpose -helping to equalize college access for low-income students. This document discusses the impact financial burden has on students. While many plan to attend college after high school, most of these students do not plan on attending right away. They are more likely to put college off for a couple of years in hopes of easing financial problems. Many students who qualify in every way for a college education make no plans at all to attend due to unmet financial needs.
What consequences does this have nationally? The report looks into how denying low-income students a college education can impact the entire nation. It details how many students are graduating, how many are from low-income families who cannot attend a four year college and it talks about how many won't enroll in any type of college. There are many charts and graphs used to illustrate what points the authors are trying to make. It is much easier to see the differences when looking at a graph.
The final section is titled Implications for Federal Policy. In this chapter, they talk about what needs to be done to close the gap. Several things are listed such as rebuilding partnerships between the government and colleges, more early intervention for low-income families, and increasing the funding for grant programs such as the Pell Grant are all possible solutions. There are many others listed in this document.
Empty Promises is full of information about the financial problems facing students. While this study was published in 2002, many still exist today. This document can provide much needed information for anyone doing a research paper on this topic. It is also a good read for anyone interested in the financial burdens students face. The sudoc. number is ED 1.2: P 94/11. This item is available for checkout.