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Current Events

Yu, Q. (2019). If tuition rises . . .: . . . does racial and ethnic minority student enrollment
plummet? Planning for Higher Education, 48(1), 10-17. Retrieved from https://www-
proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/2344265332?accountid=32521
Inclusivity in higher education in America has a direct benefit to students who sit outside
a racially and ethnically homogenous body. The value of achieving diversity is even broader than
an individual institution recognizes. When students graduate, they enter the job market.
Companies have a diverse pool of professionals to select from, and this enhances their service
delivery, consequently boosting economic growth. Attainment of a degree is critical for social
mobility for most Americans, especially people of color. Therefore, identifying the challenges
and prospects of enhancing access and inclusion for minority students in colleges and
universities is key to ensuring they have access to economic opportunities as well as social
mobility. Colleges and universities play a critical role in facilitating social mobility for
underrepresented communities through fostering inclusion. However, in the recent past, tuition
fees have been on the rise, increasing by an estimated 500 percent since 1986 (Yu, 2019). This
has outpaced inflation and raised concerns over the affordability of college education in the
country. The authors shed light on the effects of rising tuition on racial and ethnic minority
students in higher education.
American higher education system has a unique feature in that it serves and embraces
students from all races and ethnic communities. Historically, colleges and universities have been
characterized as social, gender diversity, racial, cultural, ethnic, and educational accessibility for
all students. Higher education in the country has been influenced by beliefs that equal

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opportunity and quality of education are achieved mainly through leveled competition among all
involved stakeholders; students and faculty members alike. Equal access is thus provided to all
student populations. However, the authors observed that not much is known about the makeup of
the student body as well as how changes in tuition fees affect racial and ethnic diversity among
undergraduate students.
Members of the public have raised concerns that an increase in tuition fees could be
affecting the racial and ethnic makeup in higher education. Yu (2019) states that equality is hard
to be achieved as college fees continue to rise. An all-encompassing student body is responsible
for promoting social mobility, economic opportunity, as well as positive educational and
developmental outcomes. Hurtado (2007) asserts that part of the education process in colleges
and universities entails exposing a student to fellow students who are different from them. The
author found existing research that supports the premise that a diverse student body that
comprises of racial and ethnic minorities has educational benefits even when the students do not
interact that much with each other. Work competencies are increased when people are exposed to
people who are different from them. A racially and ethnically diverse student population helps
students develop their own self-confidence, as well as their critical thinking and problem-solving
skills.
The tuition rate has a direct impact on student enrollment in colleges and universities.
The author has found that students from underrepresented communities are more sensitive to a
rise in tuition fees. Their enrollment into colleges has been severely affected over the past years
as college fees have continued to rise. Consequently, student composition has decreased in many
colleges and universities. Further, even when rises in college, fess does not affect the likelihood
of attending college among low-economic status and first-generation students, it has a large

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impact on decisions made about where to enroll for college. High-performing students who
initially wanted to enroll in a selective state institution may settle for an out-of-state institution or
even a private college. On the other hand, average performers are more likely to settle for two-
ear colleges. The decision to settle for two-year colleges as opposed to four-ear public
universities has largely been facilitated by cost in tuition. Statistics by the US Department of
Education in 2016 revealed that at each level of economic class, the college attainment level was
high among white students compared to other student populations (Yu, 2019). Thus, changes in
tuition fees lead to inequity of access, and this is likely to affect socioeconomic progress among
students of color.
Further, the author identified that the number of undergraduate students of color on
campus has decreased as tuition increases. Financial constraints have, over the years, caused a
disproportionate concentration of students from minorities as well as low-economic status
students in two-year institutions. Public and private four-year universities are left with a high
concentration of students from wealthy and upper-income populations. Thus, minority racial
groups are more likely to continue living in poverty as their social mobility is hindered b their
low level of education. The case is, however, different for their white counterparts who continue
to get high-level education. Thus, as fees rise, higher education continues to be stratified by race,
level of income, and ethnicity.
The author recommends that policymakers, stakeholders, and government agencies take
measures to support students from minority communities in accessing higher education. Yu
(2019) recommends that student-centers support systems be put in place to provide aid in terms
of counseling support, mentoring support, and financial support. Financial aid has a positive
impact on college entry, specifically school choice among students. Also, counseling and

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mentoring support have a positive effect on retention rates. Since disparities in degree,
attainment affects social mobility among different races and communities. It is important to
provide support to needy students, especially those from underrepresented communities. Also,
the government needs to put measures to control the rising costs of higher education. Institutions
and policymakers face a challenge in enhancing diversity as the cost continues to affect access
and affordability. Thus, if the government was to intervene, then it would be easy for universities
to attract more students from minority communities.
Overall, the article is a great contribution to my topic on racial diversity in higher
education. It has made me view the topic from a different perspective. Prior to interacting worth
the topic, I never thought that cost of tuition fees could have an impact on diversity in colleges
and universities. However, as Yu (2020) writes, rising fees hinder students from low-economic
backgrounds from accessing. Thus, while I was only considering other factors such as race-
neutral admissions practices as a way of enhancing diversity in higher education, I have also
realized that reducing college fees can actually help. When college fee is reduced, higher
education will be more affordable to a larger student population, specifically, students from
minority communities. Thus, even as policymakers look for race-neutral admissions practices,
they also need to look at the rising cost of tuition and week on reducing that to enhance access.

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References

Hurtado, S. (2007). Linking diversity with the educational and civic missions of higher
education. The Review of Higher Education, 30(2), 185-196.
Yu, Q. (2019). If tuition rises . . .: . . . does racial and ethnic minority student enrollment
plummet? Planning for Higher Education, 48(1), 10-17. Retrieved from https://www-
proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/2344265332?accountid=32521