A Move To Help High Achieving Low-Income Students Get To College

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - "The United States fails to do right by most low-income students who excel in school," begins an article in The New York Times. Although they can thrive in high school, the odds of going to and staying in college are not great.

Now, there may be a turning point.

Dozens of school districts across 15 states now help every student take the SAT; Delaware advises every college-qualified student on the application process and, led by Bloomberg Philanthropies, a coalition has been formed.

The goal: that within 5 years one in every two high performing students from the bottom half of the income distribution attends a college with a high six-year graduation rate,

Counselors (themselves of modest means) will advise on how and where to apply.

The initiative will reach out to 70,000 hoping at least 10,000 will attend one of 250 colleges where low income students graduate at a high rate with manageable debt.