Higher education pays off in Illinois, but economic barriers persist, study says

Chicago Tribune

3 days ago

Tyshawn Allison dreamed of leaving Chicago for a prestigious out-of-state university.
But for most of high school, that dream felt out of reach. The 19-year-old had no idea how he'd afford rising tuition costs — and he doubted his grades would be enough for a scholarship. Only a handful of his friends from his Belmont Cragin school made it to college. Many dropped out.
'There were times in high school where I felt like a failure,' said Allison.
It was his mom who first suggested community college. Two years later, Allison holds an associate's degree in accounting, and will transfer to a four-year university without any debt.
'I wanted to end the circle of stereotypes,' he said. 'That's really what made me want to push myself.'
Allison persisted against the odds.
Higher education remains the strongest pathway towards economic mobility. But students from low-income backgrounds and minority groups are still significantly less likely to pursue or complete a college degree, according to a July report from the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, which studies the education-to-workforce pipeline.
Students from the lowest-income families were nearly three times more likely than their wealthier peers to drop out of college, the report said. More than half of students from low-income households listed 'some college, no degree' as their highest level of education. They were also more likely to skip postsecondary education altogether.
While the report didn't directly explain why low-income students drop out, a large body of work points to financial constraints, limited support systems and a lack of resources as key factors, researchers said.
Some of it also is related to the types of postsecondary institutions low-income students attend. For-profit colleges, which tend to lead to greater debt, disproportionately recruit Black, Latino and lower-income students. Those students are also overrepresented at community colleges, where they have to navigate complicated degree requirements and transfer processes, according to the study.
Students and experts cite a range of barriers to earning a degree — from soaring costs to complex application processes. That means expanding access to postsecondary education should remain a top priority for Illinois, said State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders. The Illinois State Board of Education collaborated on the report.
'The (report) made it very clear that while college can break the cycle of poverty, we still have a lot of inequities that exist,' Sanders told the Tribune.
The study tracked five cohorts of Illinois high school seniors graduating from 2008 to 2012. The findings were clear: Regardless of race or socioeconomic background, students who pursued higher education earned significantly more over time.
The data showed a nearly $40,000 annual earnings gap between individuals with an advanced degree and those with only a high school diploma. It's not necessarily a new conclusion, but it reaffirms the value of a degree despite rising tuition costs.
The research isn't surprising to local nonprofits working with high schoolers.
'Typically, lower-income students don't have the college counseling support. They don't have the scholarship support. They don't have the educational capital to navigate the college access process,' said Tamara Pope, chief strategy officer for the nonprofit Chicago Scholars.
Twenty-year-old Talia Henderson nearly walked away from college after her freshman year. Living away from home for the first time, the Chatham native struggled to find a sense of community on campus — or classmates who shared her background. She felt even more isolated when the school raised tuition.
'I was really struggling,' Henderson said. 'I didn't really have the chance to connect with other African American students who are on the same career path as me.'
Hoping to attend medical school, Henderson eventually transferred to the University of Illinois Chicago on a full-tuition scholarship. But it wasn't easy. 'For months, I was completely withdrawn,' she said.
The report also complicates the picture after graduation. Even with the same level of educational attainment, income disparities persist between low-income students and their wealthier peers. The earning gap between students from the highest-income households and those from the lowest is about $15,000. That gap is even wider across racial lines — about $18,300 between Asian and Black graduates.
'Generally, college still pays off overall,' said Sarah Cashdollar, the study's lead researcher and associate director of the collaborative. 'This is part of a national conversation of, 'Is the American Dream still achievable?''
Sometimes, 21-year-old Precious Mannie feels like the system is stacked against her. She applied to nearly two dozen colleges as a high school senior. She was top of her class, with a lengthy résumé of Advanced Placement classes and extracurriculars. But when financial aid offers trickled in, they weren't enough.
'It became a little bit devastating towards the end of my senior year, because I saw my friends going out of state or going to these expensive or prestigious colleges, and it was like, 'I'm still staying at home,' said Mannie, who lives in the Ashburn neighborhood.
Mannie instead opted for community college, where she leaned heavily on support from student success programs. In her business classes at Harold Washington College, she realized a four-year university was still in reach.
'As hopeless as it may feel, you have to be confident in the chaos,' Mannie said.
The most effective student success programs blend mentorship, career readiness programming and financial literacy counseling, local nonprofits say. Many employ a long-term approach. Programs like Chicago Scholars and Bottom Line Chicago, which focus on first-generation students, aim to counsel students for upwards of five years.
Bottom Line served nearly 2,000 students in the city last year, and 91% participants committed to college ahead of high school graduation. Notably, 93.5% of students stayed through their second semester, which is a strong indicator for four-year graduation rates.
'Our students have very, very high aspirations for themselves and for their future. They just don't know how to do it and how to make it possible … so our job is to uncomplicate the process,' said Jennifer Reid Davis, Bottom Line Chicago's executive director.
Superintendent Sanders recognized that Illinois still has more work to do in increasing access. He pointed to the need for continued investments in public schools, early education and the Monetary Award Program — state grants to Illinois college students with demonstrated financial need.
He hopes the study can act as a tool for families to make informed decisions about their future.
'I don't know that those are going to solve all the economic issues, upward mobility issues that we face in the country, but it's certainly a step in the right direction,' Sanders said.