PERS Recipient
Research Area: Philosophy
Student Presenter: Nicole Sulak
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Karl Aho
Authors: Nicole Sulak, Dr. Karl Aho
Department: Government, Legal Studies, and Philosophy
Student Classification/Affiliation: Senior Psychology Major
Abstract: This research project uses contemporary work in moral philosophy as well as recent higher education to develop a richer account of barriers to access that students who are parents face. Jennifer Morton’s recent discussion of strivers (first-gen or low-income students) has informed higher education’s understanding of the moral costs that students pay while pursuing a college education. She writes that: The financial costs of college for strivers and even for many middle-class families these days are staggering. Yet strivers face other costs along the path of upward mobility that are equally important, though rarely discussed. These costs are ethical; that is, they concern those aspects of life that give it value and meaning–relationships with family and friends, connection to one’s community, and one’s sense of identity (Morton 2019, 8). Morton illuminates gaps in support for strivers. While Federal aid programs and University assistance programs show promise, the financial burden is only a portion of the cost. The commutation of education for one’s roots, heritage, and family is one of many examples Morton uses to describe the moral cost. We contend that students who are parents–who may or may not be strivers–face similar material and moral costs. We defend this claim by first briefly discussing Morton’s account of strivers. We then demonstrate how students who are parents face challenges that are not contained in this account. We conclude by considering how institutions can better support strivers and other students who are parents. Morton’s responses to strivers can be fruitfully expanded, and thus our project and hers can mutually inform each other.