I’m also going to suggest that not all—or even many—low income university-bound students take the attitude of being entitled to luxuries. Some, certainly, but that’s likely more prevalent among upper middle class students.

One important thing to remember is that most of the real learning in university happens outside the class. Informal discussions with study groups, office hours with professors, campus clubs and teams—these are the places where the seeds of learning germinate. Fly-in-fly-out students, or those whose schedules are over-full, will have difficulty participating, even if the events are free. And, for students interested in blending studies with entrepreneurship, they have to make themselves available when financiers, mentors, supply chain partners, customers etc are free. That’s hard to work around a rigid work schedule that occupies most non-class/study hours. For students undertaking research in lab, in the field, working with classified data, doing clinical work with human subjects or with specialized instructors, those are further constraints on activity.

These hypothetical students I describe aren’t lazy, indulged, or entitled. But the framework of frugality proposed would be untenable for someone who wanted to achieve these objectives. Achievement requires time on task and determination. There are different models for student success. But the reality remains that, for most students, it’s an impossibility to graduate undergrad debt free while self-supporting and providing your own necessities.


What is to give light must endure burning.