College is for rich kids.

Does that statement sound right to you? With college scholarships, outreach initiatives and diversity programs pervasive in American universities you might think that statement would ring false.

This interesting article from The New York Times by David Leonhardt paints a different picture.

Elite universities are continuing to overlook low income students. Even state schools like the University of Michigan have alarming statistics.

“more entering freshmen in 2003 came from families earning at least $200,000 a year than came from the entire bottom half of the income distribution.”

A more recent study by Georgetown university surveyed 193 of the nation’s top universities. Here’s what they said about the 2010 freshman class:

“only 15 percent of students came from the bottom half of the income distribution. Sixty-seven percent came from the highest-earning fourth of the distribution. These statistics mean that on many campuses affluent students outnumber middle-class students.”

What to do? The article discusses the efforts to counter this national trend made by the now retiring President of Amherst College,  Anthony Marx.

He altered financial aid priorities, allowed more transfer students from Community colleges and weighted SAT scores in favor of applicants from challenging circumstances.

According to the article his efforts seem to be working.

Is this equation worth trying elsewhere?