More road work to come

these brainy batteries that power our national economy. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say colleges and universities have a negative effect on the country, according to a Pew Research Center study.

With trust in higher education eroding, colleges and universities should be among the strongest proponents of programs like EMERGE. The elite alternative — a higher education system of the wealthy, by the wealthy and for the wealthy — would spell the long-run demise of our higher education system as we know it. Universities have to ensure that everybody, rich and poor, has access to the education and resources they offer, limited only by a student’s aptitude and work ethic.

Low-income students don’t have the means to spend thousands of dollars on application coaches, test prep tutors and essay editors. Most are unable to go on tours to sample the offerings of colleges and universities, even though some college admissions officers give extra credit to students who visit.

Few if any disadvantaged students are legacies of the colleges that they want to attend. Most of the benefit goes to the children of alumni, almost all of them from the top economic quartile.

In addition, prospective freshman increasingly try for early decision, which can disadvantage middle-income students who need to compare financial packages before they can select their college.

Extra support is essential to level the playing field for students from middle-class and working families. If our universities become little more than a playground for the wealthy, then don’t be surprised when everyone else decides they don’t much care for playing the game anymore. Regarding “TxDOT will add extra lanes to Klein-area highway” (Chron.com, Wednesday), how about they finish one project before starting yet another one? Sincerely, a U.S. 290 driver. Sharon Richardson, posted via Facebook