Accessibility of higher education: according to abilities or finances?

The author of the given article brings up a question - who has access to higher education. From the one hand, a high level of standard of education increases economic potential of the whole society and from the other hand, it increases common weal, social statues and contributes to overcoming inequality. However as a factor of social mobility education can appear only in the case if children from low-income families would have an opportunity to get better education and higher incomes than their parents did.