The College-University Divide: Access Issues in Post-Secondary Education

The reasons that some high school graduates choose to continue their studies and others do not are not well understood. Certainly there is universal agreement about the benefits of post-secondary studies accruing to both students and society as a whole. Increasing levels of education are associated with, among other things, better job opportunities, higher earnings, more positive perceptions of personal health, greater propensity to volunteer, and higher levels of charitable contributions. Despite this, many high school graduates do not seek a post-secondary education, and many of those who do wind up in a program not suited for them. In this article, the authors examine two issues to better understand this conundrum: the barriers--some real, others only perceived--preventing some individuals from obtaining a post-secondary education and the nature of the educational aspirations shared by parents and students. (Contains 2 figures.)