Research shows that just 3 percent of high-achieving, low-income students attend America’s most selective colleges. And, it’s not that these students just aren’t there — every year tens of thousands of top students who don’t come from wealthy families never even apply to elite colleges. Universities are taking note — and banding together under something called the American Talent Initiative — a network backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Aspen Institute and the research firm Ithaka S+R. To join the club, schools have to graduate 70 percent of their students in six years — a qualification that leaves just under 300 schools in the U.S. eligible. Nearly a third of those schools — exactly 100 — have signed on. Their goal? Enroll 50,000 additional low- and moderate-income students by 2025. From a report: Each school has its own goals, too — many want to increase the number of Pell Grant students on campus, others aim to improve graduation rates — but they’re all on board to share strategies, learn from each other’s missteps and provide data to monitor their progress.

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Source: Slashdot – 100 Top Colleges Vow To Enroll More Low-Income Students