Low Income

As we can see from the inclusion of a page dedicated to women in our Social Minorities section, the term 'minority' can be used not only to describe those who belong to a group which is lower in number than the majority but also to describe those who have less access to the benefits of our society.

Low income families are an example of the less traditional use of the word minority. Though the definition of what constitutes a low income household varies according to sociologist Dennis Gilbert, approximately 25% of US households fall into the bottom quintile. Of these 13% of households are bringing in some money via menial and low rung manual labour occupations while 12% have no income at all.

While membership of this unfortunate group of households is not desirable it is also not cast in stone. Each year families move up and down across the poverty line depending on the number of income earners in the family. For those in the second quintile, an unexpected period out of work may be all it takes to knock the household down to the lowest income levels.

On the other hand, those ranked as underclass and low income can leave the poverty line behind when one or more member of the family finds employment.

Education does make a difference.

According to the US Census Bureau:

Households with householders who had lower levels of education were more likely to remain in or move into a lower quintile than households whose householders had higher levels of education.

It can be hard to focus on education when there is no guarantee that there will be food on the table for dinner but education is the key to escape poverty. It is the best way to leave the hard scrabble life behind and provide for yourself and your family.

Affording an Education

It is true that average costs for a college education in the US are rising but there are more affordable options as well as scholarships, grants and federal loans available. One option is to start out at a community college which generally has great programs and transfer opportunities at an affordable price. If this is still a stretch due to time or financial constraints, there are many non-degree programs or certificates to take into consideration as a way to earn more income in the long term. There are also some charitable associations that focus on education and that enable and encourage children from low income families to attain a diploma or degree.

Minority Passport believes in education for all and we feature resources that will be beneficial to people with low incomes. Browse our colleges section and join Minority Action forums to start building your support network today.