Holistically addressing the challenges students from disadvantaged backgrounds face: Opinion

Postsecondary institutions need to holistically address the challenges faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, writes Andrew Burke. Burke argues that though financial support is helpful for students facing barriers, students also need human and social capital to succeed. The author describes how postsecondary school can seem like a foreign environment to students from disadvantaged upbringings. Supports such as outreach programs at secondary schools and sponsored extracurricular tuition can help students imagine themselves in a postsecondary setting. Students also need programs that can discreetly support them throughout their studies and help them compensate for any weaknesses in their educational backgrounds, as well as dedicated career supports after they graduate. Times Higher Ed (Acct. Req.) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.