Bro, nearly every town has a local library. I'm not buying the excuse of not having access to the resources that could get a person out of a dormant situation (books, Internet, etc.). Like the OP said, those who want to do better will find a way.
No offense to you, but I really dislike hearing people throw out all these 'shackles' instead of focusing on breaking away from the hold-backs.
Have you read this book?
It delves into exactly what you are describing. People are mentally holding themselves back.