This infographic offers higher-ed solutions for low-income students

Improving access to higher education opportunities for low-income students is not a problem exclusively perplexing to Philadelphia. It’s a little broader than that.

First, consider the cost of attending college — a price tag that’s seen a 1,225 percent surge in the past four decades. And though some cities and urban community colleges like Community College of Philadelphia have worked to lower those costs significantly, it’s still a problem plaguing most universities.

Saying a solution lies in a cross-sector initiative of some form is easy. Mapping out what that collaboration could look like is productive.

Drawing it out in a thorough infographic? Whoa. You’ve got our attention, Kresge Foundation.

Kresge’s solution is called an “urban higher education ecosystem,” and besides being visually digestible, the infographic provides some valuable insight:

• One in 10 people from low-income families earn a bachelor’s degree by age 25, compared to 7 in 10 people from high-income families.
• 50 percent of community college undergraduates struggle with food and housing security.
• 13 percent of community college undergraduates are homeless.
• 22 percent of full-time community college students are also holding down a full-time job.