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New Hampshire was named first in the nation for percentage of students attending college from low-income families. According to Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 39.4 percent of 18-24 year olds from low-income families in NH were enrolled in college in 2008. The national average was 25.7 percent.

Ed MacKay, the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) chancellor, attributed this ranking in part to continuing efforts that help make college more affordable to lower-income students at the four USNH institutions–Granite State College, Keene State College, Plymouth State University, and the University of New Hampshire. USNH institutions award over half of the four-year degrees in the state annually.

"Given that our tuition prices are among the highest in the country due to the relatively low level of state subsidy available, this is a remarkable achievement," MacKay said. "Since 2000, our institutions have more than tripled the amount of institutional financial aid provided to financially needy New Hampshire residents. This commitment and the steady growth of our Affordable College Effort (ACE) program that serves those with the greatest financial need are making a difference."

According to the report, "In 2008, a low-income student in New Hampshire was six times more likely to reach college than another low-income student in Alaska." The report, which included data from 1993 through 2008, showed that the state's ranking has not been below seventh nationally and has ranked in the top three 12 times.

USNH institutions have increased in-state financial aid funding by an average of 15.4 percent per year between FY00 and FY09. These funds include those distributed through ACE, a program created in 2006 to help cover all of the direct costs for the financially neediest students attending any USNH institution full time. Direct costs include tuition, fees, room, and board. A total of 587 ACE Awards have been made over three full years of operation. To be eligible, students must begin studying full time within a year of graduating high school and must have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $1,000 or less. ACE Awards make up the difference between the direct costs and other grants, institutional aid, and Federal Work Study funds.

"It is essential that we make every effort possible to attract and retain students who face these financial challenges, as demographic shifts show that we are going to have fewer traditional age students in New Hampshire and the region over the next decade and at the same time will need more skilled workers to replace retiring baby boomers. Staff at the four USNH institutions, as well as at the Community College System of New Hampshire and the private colleges in the state are all working hard to encourage more students to consider and pursue college, and are committing more resources than ever before to assist these students," MacKay added.

Residents with significant financial need who attend public and private institutions in New Hampshire also have been able to benefit through the statewide UNIQUE program that funds annual grants and restricted institutional endowments dedicated to providing additional need-based aid from fees earned by the New Hampshire "529" college savings plan.

The analysis is based on the ratio of dependent Pell Grant recipients by state of residence, divided by the proportion of low income fourth to ninth graders nine years earlier in that state that were approved for free or reduced lunches in all public and private schools. The result is the share of these low income K-12 students who reached college between the ages of 18-24, according to the report.