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Historically the real barrier to postsecondary education was financial: Children of the middle and lower economic classes could not afford college. This is no longer the greatest barrier to receiving a postsecondary education in America. The greatest problem in postsecondary education has become the lack of intellectual diversity in higher education.
Students in American colleges and universities are inundated with political opinion and propaganda across departments. They are taught as though the opinions of the professor are facts not to be challenged. Students who do have the audacity to challenge professors do so at their own risk. Colleges and universities are developing "Speech Codes" to stifle discussion and debate on campus. One rarely hears a liberal student complain about any of these issues. Conservative students express these concerns continuously.
Fortunately liberals on campus are now being hit with a new wave of youth who are challenging the status quo. Many resources for students are developing on the internet to help students hold these professors accountable. (See some links below.)
In "Political Bias in the Administrations and Faculties of 32 Elite Colleges and Universities" a report issued in 2003 by Students for Academic Freedom, the overall ratio of democrats to republicans was approximately 10:1. The study determined affiliation using voter ID roles in the appropriate city or state. Critics would argue that half of the professors and administrators surveyed were "unaffiliated" in that they were not registered with one of the two major parties. Conservative students and professors from around the country continuously assert that conservative professors are non-existent or in the conservative closet and that in all likelihood, the political leanings of those unaffiliated professors would breakdown in similar proportions.
Additionally, while data is not available, conservative students interested in pursuing doctorates, a must to join the academic elite, will say they have difficulty identifying instructors to supervise their work if they honestly discuss their political leanings. Those conservatives with PhDs often profess frustration at their inability to even interview for positions. These are issues that should be researched because the quality of a postsecondary education depends upon the ability of students to engage in intellectual inquiry.
To comment on the financial opportunity to access a postsecondary education please note: It has been decades since graduating from high school ensured Americans access to a well-paying job. Now the statistics are clear: But for the few musicians, entertainers, athletes and entrepreneurs who find a way to make it big in our society, postsecondary education separates those people who have financial stability from those who do not.
The U.S. Census Bureau statistics found in "Earnings by Occupation and Education" demonstrate the benefits of postsecondary education. Those workers between the ages of 21-64 without a high school degree had a median income of $21, 332. Those with only a high school degree had a median yearly income of $27,351, those who finished college had a median income of
$42,877 and those with an advance degree had a median income of $55,242.
Postsecondary education is no longer defined by a four-year degree from a college or university. There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of opportunities for people who pursue two year degrees in a variety of areas like the medical field (medical assistants, lab techs), Practical Nursing, Office Management, Banking, Heating and Air Conditioning, Computer Applications... For information on schools that offer two year degrees click on the following link: http://www.cset.sp.utoledo.edu/twoyrcol.html and for information on the benefits of two year degrees click on : http://adulted.about.com/od/fasttrackdegrees/a/2yr_degrees.htm
Today, the government offers many programs to ensure all people who get their GED or finish high school have access to a postsecondary education. These programs include: Federal Stafford Loans, Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, The Academic Competitiveness Grant, The National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant and PLUS Loans for parents. Also, nearly every college in the country has private grant money available to students with financial need. Colleges set up work study programs, guaranteeing students jobs, to assist students in paying for their education, as well.
Students in poverty have more resources available to them today than ever before and may actually greater financial freedom than middle class students. Students with middle income parents who can not afford to help with college expenses will have a greater struggle financially than those students whose parents are not expected to contribute.
Also, because nearly every postsecondary program bases their financial aid packages on the results of the FAFSA application, students from the middle and lower socio-economic classes now have ready access to the best colleges and universities in the country. Harvard will often cost no more than a state university for people with a demonstrable financial need.(http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/2006/03/30-finaid.html) In fact Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Amherst, Williams, Northwestern and virtually every other private college offer amazing assistance to those in need.
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