Blog post #14 White Paper

Purpose Statement: I will be describing the framing of the problems and solutions of the White Paper.

I believe that what the Gates Foundation is doing is right. They clearly explain the problem that is going on in higher education as of now. The education gap is increasing more and more with each generation, with each passing year. It is no longer about people having the desire of obtaining higher education, it is about if they can even afford the luxury. For most people in the low-income bracket and for those who are first-generation it is more than a luxury; it might be the only way out that they see in their situation and may not ever reach it because of economic constraints. What they are proposing is a major policy change in how we conduct higher education as a whole. They want to make higher education more accessible by making it more affordable and tailored to the individual student than just a large group of them.

Personally, I appreciate this very much as they are policies that are very close to home for me. I am the son of immigrants who grew up in Portland, low-income as a first-generation student. There are many who I know that would have loved for these policies to be implemented sooner, they are bright individuals with the drive to go to school but because of lack of financial resources, they could not attend school. I was one of the more blessed ones, I earned a scholarship that allowed me to attend university. However, scholarships are not infinite and not all who are deserving receive them or receive the amount needed to attend school. With their solutions to decrease tuition through the use of data-driven research and supporting schools that prioritize low-income/first-generation students financially, you will see a dramatic decrease in the education gap. Education would no longer be solely for those with financial privilege but for the many in the country who wish for higher education.