African-Americans and other minority groups who have a disproportionate number of people classified as poor, already have a tough time getting their children into higher education. Now a days those who are even middle class may have a tough time getting paying for college tuition. The continued inflation of the cost of education is becoming unsurmountable and, In my opinion, will again be a tool that causes an even wider divide between the haves and the have nots.

Let’s now consider the rising trend of colleges and Universities charging more for Majors such as Computer Science, Engineering, Business, etc. The practice is very unsettling to me and leads my mind to question whether or not this will add an extra layer of discouragement to families of color that may not be able to afford the extra cost of the price tag?

There are already numerous discussions happening among those in the tech industry that recognize part of the problem surrounding diversity in technology, is filling the pipeline of minorities attaining these degrees and having successful STEM careers. How are these rising tuition costs by major and/or degree going to further impact that pipeline?

My thoughts on it wander to the possible scenario of a a student who has her heart set on being an Engineer, but her parents cant afford to pay that extra $3,000 per semester for her major, thus she settles for being a degree in Africana Studies. No offense to those who major in liberal arts, but I have seen students who settled for and switched into liberal arts majors in lieu of STEM or Business degrees, who now cant find a job over $11.00/hour, if they even have a job at all.

This bothers me. I feel like the message that it sends will signal to students that only people who can afford to attain a potentially high income earning degree, deserve to have that opportunity, even if you have already beaten the statistics that say you are not likely to get an education beyond high school, and actually made it to college! Is it me or is this country systematically continuing to impart policies that make it tougher and tougher to achieve upward mobility between the classes?

In my opinion, this is another victory for the elite and a detriment to working and middle class families.

What do you think?

Check out the video below from a school administrator speaking on her institutions tuition hike by major.