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"So how did the 24/7 Wall St. writers assess the Magnolia State? 'Nearly one in four Mississippi residents lived in poverty last year, by far the highest rate in the nation. More than 35 percent of people without a high school diploma in the state lived in poverty, also the highest rate compared to all other states.'"

"If Eastside Charter can do it, any of Wilmington's six 'priority schools' can do it. Simply put, that's the way Gov. Jack Markell and Education Secretary Mark Murphy feel about improving the city's struggling inner-city schools. In 2010, Eastside's test scores were as bad as the "priority schools" today: Only 32 percent of its elementary and middle school students were proficient, on average, in both math and reading. And like the priority schools, 85 percent of Eastside's student body comes from low-income households."

"The state's investment in preschools for low-income kids appears to be paying off in improved elementary school test scores, according to a state report released this month. The report says that children who participate in Washington's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program go on to earn higher test scores in math and reading in elementary school, when compared with their peers from similar economic backgrounds who didn't enroll in ECEAP."

"A new study shows low income kids from Washington state who go to a state supported preschool are likely to do better academically than their peers at least through fifth grade. Researchers found Washington state's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program has a positive impact on third-, fourth- and fifth- grade test scores, which were given five or six years after the students were in preschool."

"Despite such sentiment, Catholic University charges the highest net price in America for low-income students the cost once discounts and financial aid are taken into account according to a study by the New America Foundation based on information reported to the U.S. Department of Education by the institutions themselves. And they have plenty of company among peer institutions."

"Construction of an 84-unit low-income housing development on Woodrow Wilson Way in West Rome could begin in the spring. Highland Estates, being built by Florence, Alabama-based Gateway Development, will provide new opportunities for low-income senior citizens to take advantage of new, quality housing. The primary occupant on the lease in Highland Estates will have to be at least 55 years of age."

"The income gap between New Jersey's wealthiest residents and all other groups has widened significantly since the turn of the century, and grew worse after the recent Great Recession lifted, according to a new report. Only the top 20 percent of households in the state has seen their average income increase since the recession ended in 2009, according to the study released today by Legal Services of New Jersey, an Edison-based organization that gives free legal help to low-income residents in civil cases."

"Juarez's experience is not unusual as more school districts and states expand access to early childhood education in an attempt to add learning time at a crucial point in children's development. Politicians and advocates alike have seized on research that says starting school young offers lasting dividends as well as on the political expediency of promising a benefit to every voter. As they have, the meaning of 'universal' preschool has become, well, not so universal."

" When computers on the University of Colorado campus become obsolete, that does not mean they are going to waste. Students are running a program called Computers to Youth to update these machines and give them to low income kids."

"The NCUA said its first round of grants for low-income credit unions will support their efforts to train staff and volunteers and to provide students with internship opportunities. The agency will provide at least $360,000 in funding during the first 2015 grant round. Credit unions may apply on the NCUA's website Feb. 2 through March 3. In addition, the NCUA said it may provide funds to more than 100 low-income credit unions."

"Community college students need better guidance and clearer pathways to a degree if significant numbers of low-income students are to graduate with a high-value credential, according to a report, released Thursday by Jobs for the Future (JFF), which, which works to improve college and career training for disadvantaged students. Despite many efforts and investment to boost college degree attainment, community colleges which educate about 44 percent of the nation's low-income students have yet to make a dent in national graduation rates."

"U.S. News has used exclusive data to analyze how successful colleges and universities have been at graduating their low-income students compared with their overall student bodies. This analysis measures the relative graduation rate performance of students who have received Pell Grants, which are federal financial aid awards for low-income families. The Pell Grant program most often serves undergraduates with family incomes of less than $20,000. Measuring the success of low-income college students is a key goal of a federal college rating plan originally outlined by President Barack Obama. However, it's unclear if the government's college ratings will be able to include that measurement, given the current inadequacies of the data collected by the U.S. Department of Education."