Declining College Degree Prospects For Low-Income Youths

In the coming years, low- and moderate-income youth will find it increasingly difficult to afford the cost of a college degree because of “inadequate” government grant aid and the rising price of higher education, according to the first annual report to Congress by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

The report, “The Rising Price of Inequality: How Inadequate Grant Aid Limits College Access and Persistence,” released by the congressionally chartered group under a legislative mandate, analyzed the adequacy of federal, state and institutional grant aid to assess college access and persistence rates for poorer students. The trends, the authors conclude, are not encouraging.