US: Top universities criticised over financial aid to wealthy

Many of America's top public universities are giving millions of dollars in financial aid to students from relatively wealthy families instead of to those who urgently need it, resulting in campuses that are often less diverse than those at elite private schools, a new report says, writes Jenna Johnson for The Washington Post.

From 2003 to 2007, public research universities increased the amount of aid to students whose parents make at least $115,000 a year by 28% to $361.4 million, said the Education Trust, a non-profit advocacy group. Those schools routinely award as much in financial aid to students whose parents make more than $80,000 a year as to those whose parents make less than $54,000 a year, according to the report "Opportunity Adrift".

The report suggests that the universities have neglected their mission to educate their states' diverse populations in favour of recruiting high-achieving students from relatively wealthy families who can help the schools climb in national rankings.
Full report on The Washington Post site