A recent study of US college students has discovered that time poverty—or the lack of necessary time to devote to academic studies due to competing demands from family or work—often stems from structural inequities in higher education and has serious consequences for students. Claire Wladis (CUNY Graduate Center) explains that time poverty is highly correlated with poor academic outcomes in areas such as credit attainment and completion rates. The study found that the more time-poor a student is, the more of their free time they sacrifice for their studies; this ultimately comes at the cost of the time they would otherwise spend on sleep, meals, health care, and leisure. Wladis concludes by noting that providing students with time-saving supports like childcare and sufficient financial aid is essential to ensuring equitable opportunities for all students.
