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New York’s aspiring college students are facing a tidal wave of new challenges. The federal government has slashed funding for higher education, dismantled programs designed to support students who are low-income and overhauled critical student loan plans.

The effects could be dire. Fewer students will attend college — closing off lucrative career opportunities and depriving our workforce of the college-educated graduates it desperately needs. And students who do attend college will likely have to borrow more and face heftier monthly repayment plans.

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As New York lawmakers plan for the next legislative session, they must consider creative policy options to avoid these pitfalls. A new report highlights one of the most powerful ways to accomplish this: supporting students who are both low-income and have little to no family wealth.

This group, whom we refer to as “dually disadvantaged,” hold enormous potential to boost overall college enrollment and completion – and then to boost their local economies.

In New York, nearly a quarter of FAFSA filers are both low-income and low-wealth. In total, there are about 14,060 dually disadvantaged first-time,........

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