Opinion: Education is a right, has America done enough to make it one?
When nearly 40% of high school graduates from the wealthiest nation in the world don't pursue college, the question arises: What are we doing to ensure that education is a right for all, not a privilege for a few?
Financial barriers are the largest obstacle to accessing higher education in America. A study from 2023 found that 55% of adults without a college degree cited program cost as the top reason for not enrolling.
To understand why so many young people are left behind, we must look at the history of higher education in the United States.
American colleges originated as a privilege reserved for wealthy white men. In the early 17th century, institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were founded to train future clergy and civil leaders and were not meant to serve the general public.
But change began in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. The G.I. Bill, passed in 1944, represented a turning point in education by granting lower socioeconomic groups with funds for education and loans. For the first time, individuals from working-class backgrounds, rural areas, inner cities, and first-generation immigrant families could pursue doors to education that were previously closed.
The reality of financial aid being an important asset to many high school seniors is echoed by Esha Wooten, a graduate of Penn Foster College. 'Without the financial aid provided as a result of filling out a FAFSA year after year, I wouldn't be a senior in college right now,' she said.
More financial aid and scholarships for education have become available today through federal programs such as the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Pell Grants. Yet, despite these changes, the vision of education as a universal right remains only partially fulfilled in America.
Recent data emphasizes the persistent crisis of pursuing higher education. College enrollments declined by 5% in 2024 compared to the previous year, with four-year colleges seeing drops of over 6%. Moreover, in 2023, 89% of students from top quintile families — the highest-earning 20% of households — attended college, while just 64% of students from middle quintile families and 51% from lower quintile families did the same. This trend is supported by the fact that students in the top socioeconomic quintile are three times more likely to enroll in a four-year institution than those from the lowest quintile, despite similar academic preparation.
These data reveal the ugly truth: socioeconomic differences play a major role in deciding who gets to pursue higher education. While America has shifted to provide more opportunities for higher education, equity in educational pursuit has still not been met.
To make education a right for all, we must focus on better affordability. This means reforming financial aid systems, such as increasing funding for need-based financial aid programs and even simplifying processes like FAFSA applications to make them more accessible.
If we are serious about advancing the promise of higher education, we must take immediate action to make it fair. America can no longer afford to deny the next generation the education they deserve: education is a right, and more needs to be done to make it one. Related
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