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How Universities Are Pursuing The Best, The Brightest--And The Wealthiest

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Harvard University in Cambridge, MA 2012. (AP)
Harvard University in Cambridge, MA 2012. (AP)

The pursuit of prestige and revenue is clouding the mission of higher education in America — and raising questions about just how committed many colleges are to economic equality. That's according to a report released today by the Washington-based New America Foundation.

Researchers analyzed recent data from the U.S. Department of Education and came up with this: colleges and universities are using financial aid, merit scholarships, and tuition reductions to attract wealthy students, forcing many poor students to pay more than they can afford and take on heavy debt.

Guest

Stephen Burd, senior policy analyst at the New America Foundation; author of a new report "Undermining Pell: How Colleges Compete for Wealthy Students and Leave the Low-Income Behind"

This segment aired on May 8, 2013.

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