OHIO — As colleges and universities shift gears and determine how to attract and retain students without affirmative action, there is now concern among students about what it means for them. It comes as many first generation college students struggle to get the resources needed to enter college and remain there. 

What You Need To Know

• Josie Mayle believes that education could become less accessible for first-generation college students, like herself


• There is a concern colleges are rolling back protections, which gives access to resources for low- to middle-income students for fear of lawsuits


• Prentiss Haney believes the ruling will make it tougher on rural communities looking to boost their economies 

Josie Mayle, 20, is a sophomore at Cleveland State University. Before entering college, she said she didn’t receive a great amount of help in navigating how to get there.

Much of what she learned about entering college was on her own, especially when it came to obtaining financial aid. Since she’s a first-generation college student, she said her parents haven’t been able to provide much direction.

“I don’t really get any additional help from them as to where all the right tools are, where I can access resources, how to go about certain things because it’s something they never had to experience," Mayle said.

While both of her parents work, it hasn’t been enough to get Mayle’s college expenses fully covered by financial aid, which means some of it is coming out of her pocket. To make it all work, she rides the bus to and from school, which is over an hour of her day. She attends classes in between. Plus, she works two jobs to pay the bills. 

“It really did get me thinking about how we’re a part of that ruling that minority groups shouldn’t be given an unfair advantage when already with the current system that’s in place we’re already kind of seen as an afterthought, and not really given the resources that we need," Mayle said. “It’s really gonna negatively impact a lot of students and it’s gonna make our education even more inaccessible than it already was."

Mayle comes from a middle-income family, but some experts said the impact of the ruling is far-reaching beyond race and class.

Prentiss Haney serves as the co-executive director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. The organization works with students, women and people of color, while focusing its efforts on economic justice, among other things.

Haney believes students in rural communities and working-class people will have fewer opportunities to attend higher education institutions as a result of the ruling for their communities at large. Haney expects they’ll continue to struggle with low-wage jobs and the ability to bring in the necessary tax base to boost their economy because young people won’t be able to afford the education and bring back the skill sets that spark innovation and so much more.

“I think that so many rural Ohioans already feel left behind, and that this is just going to perpetuate that story and that reality that they've been left behind by public policy in our state, but also through federal protections not being there to help them get the leg up that they deserve,” Haney said.

Now, with uncertainty about the backlash colleges may face for providing certain opportunities and resources, Haney’s perspective is that colleges will roll back protections many students in those areas need. 

While Mayle is often tired from working so much and going to school full time, she uses the frustration behind the ruling to encourage her peers. She does that by canvassing and getting them registered to vote while informing them about important issues. She believes young people should have a voice rather than others deciding for them.

For now, she keeps plugging away because, as she said, she’s in too deep now.

“I really feel like this is a good direction for me to take my life in, so yeah, I’m pretty determined to finish what I started," Mayle said.