As more students attend college than ever before, higher education remains inequitable, with low-income students and students of color shut out of what many perceive to be top schools. Maria Ferguson discusses what Paul Tough’s new book, The Years That Matter Most, reveals about the college admission process and considers recent efforts to help students from less-privileged backgrounds gain greater access. According to Ferguson, policy solutions, such as the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act or some form of student debt relief, do not appear to be high priorities in Washington.
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