ABSTRACT
While postsecondary enrollment rates in the United States have grown substantially during the last several decades, college access remains an important problem for low-income students. The problem is especially large at selective four-year colleges and universities. 2 As shown in Table 18.1, low-income students are underrepresented at the most selective colleges and universities, both private and public. In 2001–2002, before all but one of a recent set of aid policies were created, 18 schools had fewer than 10 percent of their students being a Pell Grant recipient, a proxy for low-income students. In contrast, 28 percent of students at private four-year colleges generally received a Pell Grant in 2003–2004 (Berkner and Wei 2006).
