Presenter: Dr. Trenton Ellis
Room: JLR Crow Peak
Historically, higher education in the United States has been an engine of upward social mobility and great equalizer for people who are able to access and successfully navigate the institution. However, rising tuition, housing, food, healthcare, and other costs, especially relative to wages, raise questions about whether higher education is trending more toward an engine of social reproduction rather than an engine of social mobility. This presentation will examine this context and suggest that college student basic needs insecurities pose a threat to the function of higher education in the United States as an engine of upward social mobility, especially for students from families with limited financial resources.
