Both Courtney Johnson and Mariah Grunke attend the same high school, Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Both plan on attending college. Grunke is doing her applications independently because her father did not go to college and doesn’t like filling out forms. Meanwhile, Johnson’s parents are very involved in her application process.
Although seemingly insignificant, their parents’ ability to help them with things like college applications may make a big difference.
According to Teresa Swartz, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Minnesota, the amount of resources parents can give their young adult children affects the children’s future more than ever. And her research suggests that the gap between young adults from families with substantial resources and those with few is growing wider. That can lead to harmful social divisions, she says.
Teresa Swartz, University of Minnesota
“People need more education now to get jobs…You need at least need a bachelor’s degree. You can go to college and there are options, but even state schools are getting more expensive. There are more limitations when you don’t have parental support,” said Swartz.
Economic change extends financial dependence
Many sociologists agree that young adults growing up today experience a prolonged adolescence due to the need for more education in order to gain the most sought after careers. Many students nowadays are given the opportunities to study abroad, transfer to different schools, take a year off, etc. Some rely on parents to help them buy their first homes or cars or provide health insurance. For those whose parents cannot afford such resources, it can be a challenge.
According to Swartz, a parent’s income can greatly determine the future income of their children. One study she cites found that a child born into the top tenth of the income distribution is 23 times more likely to attain an income in the top tenth than a child from the bottom decile.
It is especially hard for adolescents trying to get out of poverty. Swartz conducted her research by compiling studies that had already been done and by interviewing a variety of young adults with parents in various income levels and education levels.
Currently, she is trying to analyze whether parental financial help helps young adults achieve more education, less debt and more assets. They will also look at whether public health insurance, financial aid or need-based scholarships can serve as a replacement for parental help.
“My interviews with young adults suggests that this kind of help matters,” Swartz said in an e-mail. “Some young people talked about having to do it on their own because their parents couldn’t (or sometimes wouldn’t) help them—so going to school and working full-time was very challenging, sometimes leading people to drop out.
“Even just the expectation of this kind of help allows some young people to take risks knowing there is a safety net to bail one out if things don’t go as planned. Dreams and aspirations can be higher knowing someone will be there to back them up if needed, and they don’t have to worry about basic survival.”
The college process is one area among adolescents where parental circumstance can play a heavy role.
“I couldn’t do an application without my mom!” said Johnson. “My mom made sure that I had good essay coaching and would send in all my information for me. I think that part of getting ready and going off to college is about being independent and being able to do things on your own, but applying to colleges is something that I would definitely want my parents help on.”
Another senior at Benilde St. Margaret’s, Rachael Peck, also completed her own college applications. “It would have been nice to receive a little more help,” she said. “But it is good to know that everything on the application comes from me. My parents didn’t help me much with the college process is because they know that I am capable of doing it on my own. College is a big step in independence, where we will be expected to do things for ourselves.”
Cynthia Yang, a freshman at the University of Missouri, remembers receiving lots of help from her mom. “She clipped out newspaper articles on the subject of college itself which helped me tremendously. She also helped me research some scholarships and also assisted me with considering all aspects when I was choosing the school.”
Some adolescents are glad their parents stay uninvolved. Senior Madisson Delany got into her top college choice, the University of Wisconsin Madison, on her own. “I think it should be the student’s responsibility to meet the deadlines without the parents holding their hands through the process,” she said.
Some adolescents who are the first in their family to attend college can run into obstacles. Grunke’s parents want her and her brother to attend college and will help pay the cost. But the application process is fairly new to them.
“My dad didn’t go to college and he owns his own business right now, but his main goal for my brother and me was that we would be able to attend college,” said Grunke. Grunke may attend University of St. Thomas.
Government could help close the gap
Although having help from parents is very beneficial, there are ways the government can help by offering more help with college costs and health insurance for young adults, Swartz said.
“Health care is one way social policies can adapt to help,” said Swartz. “From graduating from high school to getting the first job it takes longer and more resources than it did many years ago. There is a gap in health care, and Minnesota is trying to adjust to that but some people are still left out. It would be helpful if it could be made more affordable to young adults who cannot afford it or don’t have parents who can handle it for them.”
Swartz interviewed one 19-year-old girl who ran into such trouble. “Her parents had died and she had no one to help her with her health care until her first job and she was put on MinnesotaCare. She received many scholarships for school since she is a great student, to help pay for her college degree. But since she got the scholarship money she was cut from MinnesotaCare so she did not have any health insurance anymore.”
Education costs can also be an issue. “Policies need to recognize that young people are still dependent on their parents,” said Swartz. “People need more education now to get jobs. At least they need a bachelor’s degree. You can go to college and there are options but even state schools are getting more expensive. There are more limitations when you don’t have parental support. Taking out loans can be daunting for someone who doesn’t have someone to take over the loan payment.”
Swartz believes that support programs should help young people until they are 24 and have a steady job. She also recommends researching job options. “You can look at options like what work you would like to do. Shadowing is a good idea. There are programs, but they are so hard to find unless you have a mentor.”
Johnson feels lucky to have her parents’ support. “With my parents help I feel more secure in sending in applications because they have reviewed them and helped me fill them out, and it is something my parents want to do because they want me to have the best education I can.”
To listen to a Minnesota Public Radio story on Admission Possible, click here
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