While you may have read a book of two on the subject, for the past 50 years there have been low income / first generation/ academically disadvantaged students in opportunity programs who would disagree with your assessment.
I literally know and assisted hundreds of students into getting into the NYS Opportunity Programs (SEEK, College Discovery, EOP and HEOP) and every student on my caseload that I have assisted in getting into an opportunity program, all of them have not only graduated college, but have gone on to successfully complete graduate/professional school. There is also a lot of data on the overall success of opportunity programs that show that Opportunity Program students in NYS graduate at a higher rate than non-opportunity program students because of the academic and financial supports provided.
I definitely recommend that if you are an educator or assist in providing college access to young people, especially in NYS that you watch the documentary Second Chances: The CUNY SEEK and College Discovery Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtGbYi4KtlE
The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge),which set the foundation for not only other NYS opportunity programs but similar programs across the country (California UC and CSU has an EOP program) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. SEEK is a state-funded educational opportunity program of the City University of New York. The Program provides access to the University’s senior colleges under non-traditional admissions criteria for talented and motivated high school graduates who need academic and financial support.
Remember the California, SUNY and CUNY are the 3 largest public university systems in the country with CUNY being the largest Urban public university in the country
EOP= Educational Opportunity Program (which started in ~1968) Full funding for Educational
Opportunity Programs on SUNY campuses was approved by the New York State Legislature in 1970. The purpose for the Educational Opportunity Program is to fulfill New York State’s commitment to provide access to higher education for economically disadvantaged students who possess the potential to succeed in college, but whose academic preparation in high school has not fully prepared them to pursue college education successfully. The primary mission of EOP is to facilitate the recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation of these students. With this year’s addition of 4 new programs, there is an EOP program and almost every 4 year and the majority of 2 year colleges that are part of the SUNY System.
The Arthur O Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is a partnership between the State of New York and its independent colleges which provides economically and educationally disadvantaged residents the possibility of a college education. Some of the 64 Partner Colleges in NYS include- Columbia, Cornell (all colleges), Barnard, NYU/NYU Poly, Bard, Hamilton, Colgate, Fordham, Bard, Pratt, RIT, Marist, Syracuse & the New School.
The program is designed for students regardless of race who have potential but have been educationally and financially disadvantaged and didn’t have the luxury of being prep school students to seek help from adults or college educated parents who know how advocate to receive supportive services for them.