▁the ▁nation , ▁low - in come ▁students ▁are ▁finding ▁it ▁harder ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁their ▁education . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁help ▁students ▁meet ▁the ▁high , ▁cost ly ▁dem ands ▁of ▁college , ▁schools ▁have ▁increased ▁mer it - based ▁gr ants , ▁for ▁students ▁with ▁out standing ▁academic ▁position , ▁invol vement ▁in ▁organizations , ▁or ▁high ▁athlet ic ▁talent . ▁The ▁issue ▁is ▁that ▁these ▁reasons ▁for ▁award ing ▁scholar ships ▁take ▁away ▁from ▁low - in come ▁students ▁who ▁often ▁do ▁not ▁meet ▁these ▁mer it ▁standards . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁funds ▁for ▁mer it - based ▁scholar ships ▁are ▁taking ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁already ▁small ▁amount ▁of ▁federal ▁aid ▁available ▁to ▁low - in come ▁students ▁who ▁simply ▁cannot ▁pay ▁for ▁college ▁without ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁financial ▁aid . ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁government ▁has ▁respond ed ▁to ▁the ▁financial ▁crisis ▁students ▁are ▁facing ▁and ▁therefore ▁passed ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁boost ed ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁gr ants ▁for ▁low - in come ▁students ▁and ▁trim med ▁subs id ies ▁for ▁private ▁education ▁l enders . ▁School s ▁have ▁also ▁taken ▁action ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁students . ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁a ▁well - known ▁cost ly ▁but ▁wealth y ▁institution ▁that ▁had ▁previously ▁cut ▁tu ition ▁for ▁students ▁whose ▁families ▁earned ▁less ▁than ▁$ 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁a ▁year , ▁proceeded ▁to ▁cut ▁costs ▁by ▁nearly ▁fifty ▁percent ▁for ▁those ▁students ▁whose ▁families ▁earned ▁between ▁$ 1 2 0 , 0 0