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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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USA Today, June 1, 2015: Study: Public colleges more exclusive, less responsive to low-income, local students
"Low-income and in-state students in particular will face more challenges paying for higher education costs in upcoming years. Public colleges and universities are increasingly awarding those groups less financial aid funneling it to high-achieving, wealthy, out-of-state students instead, according to a new report by the New America Foundation."
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, June 1, 2015: Visible Men Academy focuses on low-income boys
"A charter school that teaches boys from lower-income neighborhoods from Palmetto to Newtown not just academics but core values is anxious to expand and reach four times as many students."
Education Week, May 29, 2015: 17 Low-Income Schools Selected for National College Readiness Program
"Seventeen schools from nine states will start the 2015-16 school year with new hope and support, as recipients of the "Closing the Gap" awards, sponsored by national non-profit College For Every Student. In January, College For Every Student, which helps underserved students get to and through college, ready to enter the 21st century workforce, announced a nationwide search for middle and high schools serving low-income students in need of college readiness support."
Lincoln Journal Star, May 23, 2015: Lawmakers continue grant programs for low-income students
"Students from low-income families pursuing a college degree will continue having access to a grant program funded in part through lottery gaming in Nebraska."
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, May 21, 2015: (Op-Ed) Universal school readiness requires universal access
"With a $2 billion budget surplus and a ranking in pre-K access that continually lags other states, Minnesota could find no better time to make the necessary investments to reach its stated goal that all children are school-ready at kindergarten entry."
The Hill, May 21, 2015: (Op-Ed) Let's fix education funding for low income children
"Fifty years ago, Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and declared 'it to be the policy of the United States to provide financial assistance to school districts serving areas with concentrations of children from low-income families.' Seems straightforward, doesn't it? Unfortunately, over the last few decades, Congress has allocated more money to wealthier states to the detriment of low-income children living in other states. As a consequence, students in 32 states and the District of Columbia are cheated out of federal funds every year."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 19, 2015: Cuts in higher ed funding push low-income students deeper in debt
"Amid state cuts in higher education funding and modest increases in federal grant aid eclipsed by rising tuition, African-American, Latino and low-income students like Stone must borrow to get a degree, according to a new report from liberal think tank Demos."
Connecticut Post, May 19, 2015: Low-income children don't fare well in Fairfield County
"According to a new report, growing up in Fairfield County has a negative effect on low-income children. 'The Equality of Opportunity Project' sheds light on how where a child grows up affects their financial success later in life by comparing counties in the United Statesand in Connecticut, Tolland County is a child's best bet while Fairfield County is one of the worst places to grow up poor."
U.S. News & World Report, May 18, 2015: Public Colleges on the Hunt for Wealthy Students
"Public colleges are becoming increasingly less accessible to low-income and in-state students, instead attempting to lure those in less need with merit aid, according to a new report. While part of the trend stems from schools needing to draw in more revenue in the face of state budget cuts, they're also engaging in a self-perpetuating arms race to recruit high-achieving, wealthier students from out of state by offering them grants and scholarships based on academics rather than financial need, according to an analysis from the New America Foundation."
Cleveland.com, May 17, 2015: (Op-Ed) Ohio's higher ed costs can be crushing for lower-income students
"Ohio has recently been falling behind in how much the state invests in higher education. From 2006-12, the state appropriation for higher education per student declined by 30.9 percent, according to an issue brief from the Center for American Progress. From 2003-12, in-state tuition increased by 24.9 percent at university main campuses."
Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 18, 2015: (Op-Ed) Low-income, high-ability students need more support
"While the Nevada Legislature has been grabbing headlines in recent weeks with a series of education reform bills, you might have missed the 'report card' released by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation revealing how Nevada schools are woefully neglecting gifted students from low-income backgrounds. It analyzed state-level policies and actual student performance to evaluate how well each state cultivates the skills of the most academically talented but economically vulnerable students. While no state received an 'A,' Nevada didn't even measure up by any measure, earning just a 'C' for its policies and an abysmal 'D ' for its student performances. It did, however, at least fare better than Arizona and California."
New Pittsburgh Courier, May 16, 2015: White House to spend $250M on e-books for low-income youth, but how will they read them?
"Statistically, low-income households lag far behind their wealthier counterparts in terms of computer ownership. In fact, only about 16% of families with incomes less than $30,000 have a computer at home. In response to these statistics, the White House said libraries and schools in those poorer communities are increasing access to the Internet."
