Bestselling author Paul Tough sat down with Michel Martin on PBS to discuss how inequality and its widespread effects have come to define higher education. His most recent book, The Years That Matter Most explores this phenomenon in heartbreaking detail.
Today's American students a jaw-dropping $1.5 trillion in student loans—making the average per student nearly $30,000: a daunting amount for almost anyone. For his book The Years That Matter Most, Paul Tough dedicated himself to spending time with students from all socioeconmic walks of life to uncover what their common challenges are—and what the personal, institutional and financial factors are that lead to a successful post-secondary life.
“I think our choice to make higher education scarce, is a choice,” said Tough to PBS’ Michel Martin. “At other moments in American history we've chosen differently. And other countries right now are choosing differently.”
With appearances on the likes of Soledad O'Brien, PBS NewsHour, and Chicago Tonight; and with a feature in September’s Education issue of The New York Times Magazine, Tough’s work on this timely topic is set to add a valuable voice to one of the most vital discussions of our times—and provide a voice for those students who may not otherwise be able to advocate for themselves and their futures.
