Working Class Students and Higher Education Authors Michelle Tokarczyk, Peter Sacks, Robert Haverman, and Timothy Smeeding all write about some of the issues working class students face in education in the United States, especially in college. education which is generally defined as higher education. Although they focus on different aspects of the problem, they nevertheless have some ideas in common. In their articles, all discuss the very important role that economic and social class plays in the quality of education an American student receives. In order to support their claims, they all use studies as solid evidence. They also imply that college education does not take into account the special problems and conditions faced by working-class students. Furthermore, higher education fails to help these students improve their situation and their social mobility. Although all issues facing working-class students are important, some of them are extremely important factors in their struggles to obtain a college education, such as the economic and social class of the working-class student . The main problems that working class students face in America also occur in the education system in China. In Tokarczyk's essay, "Promises to Keep: Working-Class Students and Higher Education," she argues that working-class students face both academic and institutional barriers to obtaining college degrees. According to Tokarczyk, working-class students generally lack preparation for postsecondary education, which she refers to as an “academic barrier” (85). Issues such as school policies that are not designed for working class students, peers who are not able to understand the situations they experience, and teachers who are m...... middle of paper .. .... economic and social status is the biggest obstacle for students from small towns. Works Cited Fu, Yiqin. “China’s Unfair College Admissions System.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, June 19, 2013. Web. March 8, 2014. Haveman, Robert and Timothy Smeeding. “The role of higher education in social mobility.” Education Issues: Exploring issues related to education. Ed. Morgan Gresham and Crystal McCage. New York: Longman, 2008. 49-74. Print.Sacks, Peter. “Do No Harm: Ending the Damage to America’s Schools.” » Education Issues: Exploring issues related to education. Ed. Morgan Gresham and Crystal McCage. New York: Longman, 2008. 37-49. Print.Tokarczyk, Michelle M. “Promises to Keep: Working-Class Students and Higher Education.” Education Issues: Exploring issues related to education. Ed. Morgan Gresham and Crystal McCage. New York: Longman, 2008. 84-92. Print.