Objective. In Jamaica, a disproportionate number of people are without tertiary level education and the fact that poverty continues within the society, have the poor excluded from post-secondary level education because of their socio-economic situation? This study examines the causal relationship between poverty and access to post-secondary level education in Jamaica.

Method. The current study utilizes secondary data collected by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica that is a joint publication by the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (i.e. Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions, 2002). The sampled population is 16, 132 of which 48.5% are males compared to 51.5% of females. Bivariate relationship was used to establish relationships between two variables, and multiple regression was used to determine a model for access to post-secondary level education and poverty, along with other selected conditions.

Findings. The findings reveal that 8.9% of the variation in access to tertiary level education can be explained by poverty, area of residence, union status, age, gender, household size, and relationship with head of household. It is found that poverty is indirectly related to access to tertiary level education. And that there is a direct relationship between person living in the Kingston Metropolitan Area and access to tertiary level education compared to the inverse relationship that exists between the rural residents and access to tertiary level education. An inverse association exists between household size and access to post-secondary level education. It is found that married people are more likely to access post-secondary education in comparison to people in union status that is single, none, visiting or common-law; men are less likely to access tertiary level education than their female counterparts are.

Conclusion. The current study has shown that poverty is a deterrent to access to post-secondary level education. With the tendency of the poor to have a higher fertility compared to the affluent or middle-class women, and the fact that tertiary education is expensive, this reduces the probability of access to these institutions. Poverty is not atypical to Rural Jamaica, but people who reside in the Kingston Metropolitan Zone have a higher likeliness of attending tertiary institutions. Access to post-secondary level education is even lower of men compared to women, and married couples seem to be able to have a greater opportunity of being able to access this level of education.