Additionally, Penn will stop considering a family’s primary home equity as an asset in financial aid calculations, a change expected to benefit approximately 900 students by increasing their grant packages by about $4,000 each.
University of Texas System
The UT System is expanding its Promise Plus program to provide free tuition and fees for undergraduate students from families making $100,000 or less a year, starting in fall 2025. This expansion builds on previous efforts that provided varying thresholds at different universities within the system.
Brandeis University
Brandeis launched the Brandeis Initiative to provide free tuition to students from families making $75,000 a year or less and half-price tuition to those making between $75,000 and $200,000. This program will take effect in fall 2025 but will only apply to new students.
The Persistent Income Achievement Gap
These financial aid expansions aim to address a persistent and troubling reality in American education: the substantial achievement gap between students from higher and lower-income backgrounds.
Extent and Trends of the Achievement Gap
Research shows that the achievement gap between children from high and low-income families is substantial. The current gap between students from the highest and lowest 10 percent of the socioeconomic distribution is roughly three to four years of learning, representing more than one standard deviation in academic achievement.
Some studies suggest this gap has been widening. Research indicates that the achievement gap between children from high and low-income families is approximately 30 to 40 percent larger among children born in 2001 than among those born twenty-five years earlier. However, other comprehensive research using data from multiple assessments found that the gap hasn’t significantly changed for children born between 1954 and 2001.
Regardless of whether the gap has widened or remained stable, researchers agree that it is substantial and begins early. The income achievement gap is large when children enter kindergarten and doesn’t appear to change much as children progress through school. Notably, the income achievement gap is now nearly twice as large as the black-white achievement gap, whereas fifty years ago, the black-white gap was larger.
Causes and Impact
Potential causes for this achievement gap include differences in school quality, social expectations, chronic stress, and language exposure. This gap significantly impacts educational outcomes, with lower-income students facing greater challenges in completing high school and college.
Programs Supporting Low-Income Student Success
Several programs exist specifically to help talented low-income students access top universities:
QuestBridge
QuestBridge is a national nonprofit that connects high-achieving, low-income youth with leading colleges and universities.