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"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"The Pennsylvania House unanimously approved legislation to allow students receiving welfare benefits to enroll in an academic support program for up to two years while completing an associate's or technical education."

"It's hard to predict what life will be like a decade from now, but one thing is certain there will be a much greater need for financial aid to make college affordable for millions of young people. So it's especially troubling that Congress is considering freezing Pell Grants at the current level until 2025."

"The record U.S. graduation rate masks large gaps among students from low-income families and those with disabilities compared with their peers. There are also wide disparities among states in how well they are tackling the issue."

"Investors here have gleefully trumpeted technology's disruption of everything from transportation to entertainment. Now, they have a new target: college admissions. A group of Silicon Valley's top venture capitalists have been quietly pouring resources into an education nonprofit that boosts the number of low-income students at the nation's top colleges."