The Ambivalence of Access: Tuition-Free Public Policy and College Access for Low-Income Students

Abstract

The higher education access of poor, low-income, and working-class students is a powerful lever in combating poverty, promoting social mobility, and enhancing quality of life across socioeconomic strata. The college access of low-income students has been studied primarily through examinations of support infrastructures and the college-going cultures of socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Insufficient attention has been paid to the influence of public policies aimed at increasing access and completion, such as tuition-free public policy. This multisite case study of TRIO programs is designed to provide additional insight into the influence of tuition-free public policy on the college access of low-income students.