Elite universities in the US need to start conversations about supporting low-income students, says Yale student Joe Peck
One of the main reasons I chose to apply to Yale was because of its politically engaged student body. No matter who you are or what you’re studying, these kinds of discussions are always happening — in classrooms and all around campus.
Still, there’s a noticeable difference between how political topics are approached here in the US and how they’re tackled back home in the UK. While Yale students talk more frequently — and often more articulately — about issues like sexuality, gender, and race than people tend to in Britain, there’s surprisingly little said about economic inequality.
When I first got to Yale, around 16 months ago, I figured this was just a temporary response to the political climate. With the constant stream of outrageous headlines, it’s easy to lose track of the deeper societal problems.
But as it turns out, the lack of focus on economic issues isn’t something new. After talking with a fellow Brit who’s set to graduate this May, I found out it’s been like this for a while. Students majoring in economics or political science rarely bring up economic injustice — whether it’s in society at large or right on campus — in the same way a British student might. I didn’t really understand why until I came across an old speech by the late British writer and expat Christopher Hitchens.
He captured this cultural difference far better than I could. Hitchens said that the US projects this idea of being a classless society — one where it doesn’t matter how poor you are, as long as you try. In the UK, by contrast, class is much more out in the open. As he put it, “it’s part of our instinct, as well as our education.”
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The truth is, the US and UK aren’t all that different — the class system in America is just as strong as it is back home. If this isn’t obvious at a place like Yale, just look around at your classmates. Many are wearing designer sunglasses in the summer and pricey down jackets in the winter.
Or, check out Yale’s admissions data, which breaks down students by their parents’ income. Like most elite US schools, Yale doesn’t really reflect the full range of economic backgrounds in America. Sadly, a lot of my classmates don’t seem to notice.
Coming from a low-income background, I can’t help but be constantly aware that most students around me are much better off. When someone’s coat practically advertises their financial comfort, it’s hard to find common ground beyond the fact that we’re in the same classes and eat in the same dining halls.
Don’t get me wrong — no one flaunts their wealth, and everyone is generally respectful regardless of where you’re from. Most Yale students, like students at many other East Coast schools, are progressive and compassionate.
But still, the lack of attention paid to economic inequality feels like ignorance — and it can be tough for students who are actually facing the financial pressures of college life. Textbooks often cost more than $200, eating out is the norm rather than eating in the dining halls, and for international students like me, there’s the added expense of flying home during the holidays.
Because students at Yale — and maybe across the US — don’t talk much about economic inequality the way we do in the UK, many of my classmates don’t really get what it’s like to be financially struggling.
To help manage my situation, I got a job at Yale’s International Office, answering phones and working at the reception desk. That income has given me the chance to enjoy a birthday dinner out or go on a trip to New York with friends — things I otherwise couldn’t afford without stressing about money.
But the reality is, working 16 hours a week eats up a lot of time. While students from wealthier backgrounds can devote more time to writing essays or applying for internships, those of us with fewer financial resources have to juggle everything. I have to make enough money to get through the week while still showing up to all my lectures and turning in assignments — the very things I came here to do. I need both my job and my education to stay at Yale. That’s not the case for everyone.
Luckily, I’ve found a small group of close friends who are in the same boat. Whether they’re from California or Macedonia, they’re also juggling classes, part-time work, and the financial strain of being here.
This isn’t just an American problem. Schools like Cambridge, Oxford, and UCL in the UK face the same issues — wealthy students have the upper hand in admissions, and low-income students are underrepresented. I recently read a BBC article saying that Oxbridge takes in more students from just eight of the UK’s top private schools than from nearly 3,000 other state schools combined. That’s as big an issue — if not bigger — than what we’re dealing with at Yale, Harvard, or Princeton.
But more people in the UK seem to be aware of this. The BBC spotlighted the issue nationally. Here in the US, I haven’t seen anything similar from CNN, NBC, or any major newspapers. Americans just don’t seem to recognize economic inequality in the same way. It really surprised me when I started at Yale in 2017, and it still frustrates me today.
I chose to come here partly to escape the rigid British university system. I wanted the academic freedom and exciting opportunities that Yale offers, rather than being locked into a single subject and stuck in my home country for another three years. What I didn’t expect was how little attention would be paid to economic issues — or how little people here would seem to understand the challenges of economic inequality.
Under the illusion that American society is classless, students and professors rarely talk about what it really means to be poor in today’s US. Many students don’t even realize there’s a class system in place — even at Yale — or that some of their peers are facing serious financial stress on top of their academic workload.
I worked hard to get into this university despite the economic barriers — but I often wonder if anyone here truly understands what that took.