The report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy calls for more support and outreach for students of parents who are wage earners but often are unable to meet basic economic needs.

Many such students have to work to support themselves through school and often can't enroll full time, meaning they can't qualify for all financial aid and earn enough credits for degrees, the report stated.

In addition to calling for more financial aid and better tax credits, the report also recommends more outreach to help low-income families plan for higher education and more institutional support for students, such as extended campus hours for campus offices, libraries and computer labs.

Such recommendations are good, said David Feitz, executive director of the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority.

However, he added, more financial aid will require more funding, and he worries because federal lawmakers are trying to increase Pell grant offerings to the poorest students by making student loans more expensive.

"I favor bona fide new money being invested instead of just shuffling loan money around," he said.

However, in Utah, the Legislature appropriated more money this year than any previous year for need-based financial aid, he said.

"That funding highly favors needy students," Feitz said.

Other efforts throughout the state are designed to help low-income, working students as well.

The Utah Mentor Web site, www.utahmentor.org, helps students and counselors prepare for college entrance exams, find scholarships and assess programs at Utah's public colleges and universities, Feitz said. Such resources, the report states, can help the children of the working poor as they enter higher education, many of whom are first-generation.

"Students often struggle to navigate the college-going process without the help of parental knowledge about the steps needed to prepare academically and financially for higher education," it states.

Programs such as Utah Scholars, which rewards students with scholarship money for taking a more rigorous high school curriculum, can help, said David Doty, Utah System of Higher Education assistant commissioner and director of policy studies.

But the state also wants to develop a state scholarship program that would apply not only to students who are grant-eligible, but those from lower- to middle-income who make too much money to qualify for the Pell grant but not enough to cover college expenses, he added.

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* SHEENA MCFARLAND can be contacted at smcfarland@sltrib.com or 801-257-8619.

Support recommendations

The Institute for Higher Education Policy recommends helping students whose families are among the working poor by:

* Offering tax relief with programs such as the refundable Hope and Lifetime Learning education tax credits.

* Improving institutional support, with evening or weekend hours for campus offices, libraries and computer labs.

* Allowing single parents to use postsecondary education to meet work requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

* Increasing the amount allowed to qualify for a zero expected family contribution and allow higher levels of income without reducing aid.

* Increasing outreach to low-income families to prepare and encourage students to obtain a higher education.