Hypothesis: Lack of opportunity such as that which results from poverty, leads to a lack of opportunity, like education, which leads to low-paying jobs, which again leads to lack of opportunity, perpetuating the cycle.

According to The Center for American Progress "37 million Americans live below the official poverty line". As one of the richest nations in the world, numbers like these are alarming. In their article entitled "The Poverty Epidemic in America, by the Numbers" they compare these staggering figures to the population of California, which is currently about 36.5 million. In the United States of America, we have 37 million people living in poverty, while millions more barely make ends meet.

This is a huge national crisis that needs addressing. The fact that millions and millions of Americans are struggling to simply survive day to day, makes many opportunities that the wealthy take for granted, virtually unattainable. Even the middle class is beginning to struggle with every day expenses, limiting their opportunities for growth as well.

It's well known that those with higher educations are more qualified for higher-paying jobs than those with lesser educations. There are extensive studies comparing levels of educational attainment to their corresponding salaries. Recent U.S. Census Bureau studies, What It's Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status in 2001 (Issued September 2005) show that a much higher percentage of the American population, age 18 and up are obtaining higher educations compared to data collected in 1984.

According to this study "In 2001, more people in the United States held postsecondary educational credentials than ever before". And this trend has continued. But for those without the financial means to pursue higher education, these opportunities to improve their situations through educational attainment are almost impossible.

The failure of salaries to keep pace with the cost of inflation and the high cost of energy seem to be some of the driving forces behind the push for higher education among working adults. Many adults who have been in the work force for years are going back to school to obtain their degrees in order to survive in the workplace. A degree today is almost as necessary as a high school diploma was 20 years ago. Without a degree, families across the nation are finding it increasingly difficult to survive financially.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for

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