Higher education is one of the most important tools for success in life, providing students with specialized knowledge and practical skills that can help them advance in their careers. Although this has been changing over the past two decades, studies continue to show the strong impact that formal studies have on the economic income and social mobility of individuals and their families.
However, there are numerous barriers that hinder access to higher education for many students. In this article, I would like to examine with you just a few of the most common barriers to student admission to higher education and discuss ways in which they can be overcome.
The high cost of higher education
One of the most common barriers is the cost of higher education. Many students simply cannot afford to pay college tuition, fees, and other associated expenses. Often, these costs are particularly high at private universities and graduate programs.
One possible solution to this problem is the offer of scholarships and student loans that can help students pay for their educational expenses. In addition, some universities offer financial assistance programs for low-income students, as well as some countries significantly subsidize the costs of these studies.
The financial issue is a relevant factor for students and their families, and represents an unresolved problem at a global level, since the need to improve educational levels requires investments that cannot be sustainably financed by the States, thus requiring direct or private contributions to pursue these careers.
Gaps in academic preparation
Another common barrier is the lack of academic preparation. Many high school students do not receive the education necessary to be prepared for higher education. Often, they lack basic skills in math, reading and writing that are necessary to succeed in college, leading to low achievement and high dropout rates.
Colleges can help overcome this barrier through college readiness programs, such as summer courses or tutoring programs and placement systems, as well as new systems that allow for proper measurement of the skills gaps and learning strategies that new students bring.
For this year 2023, many universities have reported that they are reinforcing their actions, both evaluation and leveling of new students, since the generations that are entering come with important learning gaps that were left as a result of the years of pandemic that we have gone through, so it is expected that these gaps can be overcome in the coming months, so as not to delay the learning cycles of new students.
Lack of access to information
Many people will say that this is not possible in the age of the internet, however, although there is an excess of information available, there is little ability to search, sort and understand it. Thus, lack of access to information is also a major barrier for students wishing to enter higher education.
Many low-income and rural students do not have access to the necessary information about admission requirements, scholarships and financial aid programs, missing out on opportunities they could have taken that would have contributed to their future development.
In this regard, universities can overcome this barrier by posting clear and accessible information on their websites and conducting informational presentations in schools and communities. In addition, new technological tools for orientation and community outreach can be incorporated to help better reach those young people who may be thinking of continuing on to higher education.
Lack of diversity
Lack of diversity in universities can also act as a barrier to student admission to higher education. Although we hear more and more about diversity and integration policies, the truth is that student populations tend to be quite homogeneous, so much so that we can identify cultural, economic and social factors very easily depending on the type of institution we are talking about.
Many times, students from minority groups feel isolated and excluded in university environments that do not reflect their cultural and ethnic diversity, either because they are not adequately integrated, or because they are not adequately known in order to recognize their particularities and thus enrich the student community.
Universities can address this problem by adopting policies and practices that promote diversity on campus, such as hiring ethnically and culturally diverse faculty and offering support programs for students from minority groups, correct socio-cultural and economic characterization, as well as creating more spaces for networking and interaction. (I suggest you learn about Meetify to promote these encounters).
In summary, the admission of students to higher education is restricted by various barriers, such as cost, lack of academic preparation, lack of access to information and lack of diversity.
However, solutions exist to overcome these barriers, including offering scholarships and student loans, college readiness programs, publishing clear and accessible information, and adopting policies and practices that encourage diversity, among others.
By addressing these barriers, we can ensure that more students have access to higher education and the opportunities it offers, advancing their knowledge, developing new skills and opening up opportunities for social, occupational and economic mobility for them and their future generations, in addition to the important area of comprehensive knowledge development and human evolution.