From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Student aid and college failure.

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

The daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

As the gap grows between the rich and the poor, financial aid for college is supposed to be a great equalizer,

but it's not working out that way. While 70% of the wealthiest students graduate, just 26% of the

poorest make it, even with $226 billion in aid for the academically qualified.

Dropouts are left with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt but without diplomas to get good jobs to help pay it off.

Is it time to reform student aid, so it helps improve future prospects instead of making them worse?

On Reporters' Notebook later on on Whole Foods Market and genetically modified foods.

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Hello again, Mormon, I'll, back with To the Point.

Financial Aid to Students has jumped to $226 billion, but the dropout rate is up to.

A new report says basing assistance on college enrollment is not enough.

Should it be keyed to rates of graduation?

Would requiring more credits make students graduate faster? Can aid be

adjusted without penalizing the very people it's designed to help? On reporter's notebook,

Whole Foods Market will require the labeling of genetically modified foods in all of its stores.

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