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"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."

"The nation's high school graduation has been climbing steadily for nearly a decade, but the overall trend masks wide differences among states and groups of students. Low-income students, black and Hispanic students and students with disabilities are still far less likely to graduate than average, according to the annual GradNation report released Tuesday by a coalition of groups pushing to raise the national graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020."

"The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced an inaugural $1 million award to Vassar College for its success in attracting and graduating low-income students. The Cooke Prize for Equity in Educational Excellence is the largest award in the nation recognizing a college making strides in enrolling low-income students and supporting them to successful graduation."