<p>"Let's face it--colleges do not award scholarships to incoming students as a reward for superior academic performance or leadership accomplishments. They award so-called "merit aid" as an incentive to lower net price in order to influence a student's enrollment decision. Like it or not, this is the truth. Sorry Virginia, there is no Santa Claus."</p>
<p>Words written by a college enrollment manager in a journal for university administrators. See the link below for the rest of the article. </p>
<p>While you're on the site, do a search for "admissions and financial aid" or "enrollment management" or just "financial aid" to get a better understanding of how financial aid and merit money is actually viewed and being used by colleges. </p>
<p>I'm not trying to scare anyone by encouraging folks to read this type of stuff but, rather, I believe that knowledge is power. The more you understand the realities of how financial aid and merit money is being used and leveraged, the better the chances that you can help determine a strategy to get your child a solid package. It's not just about picking any school and assuming you'll get a good financial aid package, it needs to be more high level than that, beginning with a clear understanding of what your child has to offer and the type of schools most likely to want it and be willing to pay for it. I have other information and links like this available; if anyone is interested they can PM me directly.</p>
<p>Xiggi, I must disagree a bit with what you said about the information being widely available on individual college financial aid sites. That simply isn't true. Colleges muddle the information they provide in order to make it seem that all applicants will be treated the same in the financial aid process. All you have to do is look at the way merit money is described on most college websites - very few clearly say how it is awarded and even the specific criteria listed is usually surrounded by verbage that obscures the reality of who it will be awarded to. It's the same with need-based financial aid: you won't see much discussion on individual sites about how financial aid packages are leveraged to give one student more grants and another more loans.</p>
<p>However, you are correct in that this information is out there --- there are lots of ways to learn about enrollment management and financial aid leveraging techniques in general and even at specific schools --- but you have to get off the financial aid website to find it. Most colleges only present part of the story there.</p>
<p>Carolyn, it is absolutely normal to have mild disagreements. </p>
<p>For instance, i spar a lot with Mini, but it is mostly about the different conclusions we reach about the ... same data. The financing of higher education is a complicated balancing matter for the colleges because of pressures coming from all angles. </p>
<p>I agree that the information regarding enrollment management is harder to find, probably a lot harder than the Common Data Sets. However, i believe that the distribution of financial aid is easier to find. </p>
<p>None of this is black on white, and it is not unusual to find contradictory information. </p>
<p>Lastly, i do agree that information about merit aid is harder to identify, with a good portion of it on a need to know basis. I was mostly focusing on the need based part of financial aid.</p>
<p>Carolyn, not only do colleges intentionally hide this information, but sometimes,when the information does come out, it is blatantly racial. Here is a good example: We interviewed with my daughter for Towson University art program. Supposedly they have merit money based on the portfolios submitted. When I asked about this scholarship, the admission lady became very "squirrely," if there is such a word. It seems that only certain high schools are eligible for this portfolio scholarship ." It is only for those high schools "who agreed to participate." I started getting suspicious and asked her to email me which high schools were involved,and if our high school wasn't involved ,what we needed to do in order to get participation.</p>
<p>She called me back and told me "off the record" that the high schools that "particpaited" were ones with high minority enrollment of URMs, which our high school didn't qualify for. </p>
<p>I think if folks found out how much of their money was subsidizing other kids, which I hear happens a lot at schools such as CMU, parents would be up in arms. This is why the info is hidden.Damn, I hate affirmative action! I just hate it!</p>
<p>carolyn, the link you just posted came up as an error message for me. However, if I know the name of the article you are trying to link us with, I could find it. (When I plug in "enrollment management" under Search, it comes up with a number of articles, but the first one is one that I believe you already opened a previous thread with.)</p>
<p>Taxguy, you know how I felt about your Syracuse thread, but I have to admit that in the past few weeks I've come to agree with you to a certain extent. I don't quite see things as racially motivated like you do, but I do believe that at many, many schools different kids are offered different financial aid package mixes and merit scholarships depending on how they fit with the school's goals and strategies. Two kids are admitted --- Kid A has something the school really needs, Kid Bdoesn't have the same special "something." They both get $20,000 aid packages but Kid A gets $15,000 in grants and $5,000 in loans while Kid B (and most of the other accepted students) get $15,000 in loans and $5,000 in grants. Which is why I have started to believe that the "average financial aid" data that Xiggi refers to being so readily available is somewhat misleading and why "need blind" shouldn't be assumed to translate into "aid equal" in all cases.</p>
<p>As always, Good stuff Carolyn, now if we can only get some truth in advertising laws passed relating to College Admissions. An easy to read comparison of costs, opportunities and acceptance rates broken down by income as well as academic information.</p>
<p>Carolyn, your careful collection of so much information is much appreciated. You are a real asset to this web site! </p>
<p>This thread (I haven't read all of the articles linked yet, so I hope I'm not out of place) does seem to have an undercurrent of dismay about the idea that college admissions and financial aid is not an altruistic endeavor. Is this such a surprise to anyone? When I first discovered CC, in the summer of '02, I'm sure that there was already some information about the idea that colleges are putting together a class, not looking for the typical well-rounded kid. The assembly of a class must include financial attributes. Students apply to many schools in order to have choices, both for academic programs and financial aid. Schools market to a wide variety of students, in order to create the class they want. It's all about negotiation. That's why a high-achieving student will generally be awarded merit aid at schools where he/she is somewhat overqualified. I believe it is a parent's job to explain the facts of life to kids, including those about how college admissions works. I actually think that selective admissions is much fairer than it used to be -- I'm fairly certain that the students who get in are quite well qualified.</p>
<p>Which is why I have started to believe that the "average financial aid" data that Xiggi refers to being so readily available is somewhat misleading and why "need blind" shouldn't be assumed to translate into "aid equal" in all cases.</p>
<p>Carolyn, nothing can be assumed. Looking back at the few past pages, I realize that it would be much easier to jump on the bandwagon of the critics. After all since almost nobody seems satisfied, i'd have plenty of company. :)</p>
<p>While it is true that the average financial aid figures can be misleading, the figures for average debt at graduation shed much light about the quality of the financial aid. This is exactly THAT type of information (the amount of debt) which allowed me to consider Mt Holyoke packages clearly inferior to Harvard's. </p>
<p>As you know I have been researching this theme for a while, and I do not find the cynicism and deliberate hiding of the information that some are intimating to exist. </p>
<p>It is obvious that we will never reconcile everyone's wishlist. This thread is a clear eveidence of that: while Mini would like to see the floodgates for admissions of lower income people -and I assume minorities- to open wide open, and preferably with complete free rides ... Taxguy proclaims his contempt for AA which I am sure is related to preferantial treatment in both admission and finaid. </p>
<p>All of that leads to a question: if any of us would be the Dean of Harvard, how would be instruct the Dean of Admission and the CFO to rearrange the admission process and the distribution of the more than $100,000,000 in annual aid? What kind of balance would you propose, knowing that for every winner, there will be a loser?</p>
<pre><code>* xxxaaac has been required to allocate our resources carefully and judiciously to the benefit of the high-quality students we seek to enroll and to the university. Financial aid, viewed by many as an entitlement when federal resources were more plentiful, is now awarded by institutions who must balance resources, goals and priorities while attracting the highest quality students.
* We, like many other colleges and universities, have been forced by federal cutbacks in student financial aid to use more of our limited resources to help families cover the cost of enrollment. Federal and state financial aid resources, awarded on the basis of financial need, are distributed under federal and state guidelines.
* Our financial aid strategy blends awards based on merit and need. The university continues to provide financial support to those families with high-quality students who do not have the means to pay for a xxxxxxxx education. This strategy also continues our commitment to special efforts to enroll members of underrepresented minorities and women in technical fields.
* Our financial aid strategy is predicated on its goal to enroll students of the highest artistic and academic caliber and to achieve enrollment balance among its various undergraduate programs.
</code></pre>
<p>Practices</p>
<pre><code>* Our merit financial aid strategy is aimed at rewarding the highest quality students. It aids high-quality students from middle-income families who may not have qualified for financial aid if it were awarded solely on the basis of financial need.
* We have been open about our willingness to negotiate financial awards to compete with other institutions for students admitted under the regular decision plan. Unlike most institutions, the university states these principles in materials sent to students offered freshman admission under the regular decision plan .
* We use statistical modeling as an aid in the distribution of limited financial aid dollars. It is a strategic tool that helps us pursue our goal of increasing the quality of the student body while using our resources as effectively as possible. This modeling takes into account a student's academic and artistic qualities as well as financial need, but does not consider a student's participation in recruitment activities, such as a personal interview or campus visit. This approach to awarding financial aid is unique to zzzzzzzz and has not been developed with the aid of any outside consultants. While early decision students are not eligible to participate in the aid negotiation process, they do receive awards consistent with the regular admission student body, including merit scholarships.
* Our financial aid strategy has led the university to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report magazine as one of the "best buys" in higher education.
<p>I think that what upsets people is how the colleges present the "need blind" application. I know when we started the college search, even though I knew my D was a candidate for the elites, I was concerned about $. But everywhere we turned, we were told don't worry. We are "need blind" and we meet expected financial need. I found out this was true and false. Depended on the school. I know of one child in our school who barely made top 10%, no real EC's, etc., and definitely needy, not URM, so-so athlete, who spoke to the H recruiter, and was told "you are exactly what we are looking for!" No truth in advertising for colleges????? They raise people's hopes, then they crush them. But if they told the truth in terms understandable to the general public, their application numbers would go down. Yes, there will always be disappointments, but they are worse when the student and parents feel as if they have been led down the primrose path.</p>
<p>Xiggi asks,"All of that leads to a question: if any of us would be the Dean of Harvard, how would be instruct the Dean of Admission and the CFO to rearrange the admission process and the distribution of the more than $100,000,000 in annual aid? What kind of balance would you propose, knowing that for every winner, there will be a loser?"</p>
<p>Response: Before I answer this, I should note that Harvard has a a 25 billion dollar endowment, which is far greater than the next closest school, which is Yale. Thus, they can spend a lot more on aid than that of many other schools.</p>
<p>With that said, I would provide NO affirmative action per se based on URMs, race, creed, or national origin. I would provide a sliding scale for grants based on economic need. Thus, Harvard could truly be need blind! Based on FASFA, I might be more generarous than what FASFA would allow. For example, if someone's parents earn less than 75K of net taxable income , I would provide free tuition. From 80-90K, I might provide 80% subsidy etc.</p>
<p>I probably would also provide some scholarships for special kids that they need for their university. For example, if they don't have enough kids specializing in anthropology or some other esoteric major, Harvard may need to provide incentives for that major.</p>
<p>Like Interesteddad, I find this telling, although it is something I had assumed was true from putting together statements such as the one posted on Yale's site by the former admissions director concerning the 200-300 applicants out of 20,000 whom Yale really wants each year because of their superb qualities.</p>
<p>The rest are chopped liver, maybe? I guess so. The rest are separated into various categories that others here know better than I, such as future financial successes, future important people, future performance stars, and various charitable admits for policy reasons. The leftovers go to "filler." I will leave it to others to argue about where various preferences fall in the spectrum.</p>
<p>(interesteddad's quote, if I can make this work):
[quote]
While you guys are arguing about financial aid, I think it's more interesting that a highly academic college admits to having a quota for highly academic admits.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I would like to hear Interesteddad's take on what the danger is for a college that has too big a proportion of high-IQ kids. My guess is that the financial well-being of the college would be jeopardized, no politically important leaders would call it alma mater, no performance stars would either, and it would descend into....the University of Chicago status.</p>
<p>Just in case the kind-hearted people on CC get the wrong idea, I personally love UChicago and wish I had gone there.</p>
<p>xiggi, what information do think would be reasonable to ask every college to offer prospective applicants regarding financial aid. Would you agree to the mean, median, mode and range of graduating student loans? Would you agree that if a college is going to advertise itself as "need blind" that finanical information be kept in a third party blind account until the acceptances were made? If a college is using federal funds, should we require them to break down their student body according to the financial status of students like some prize program, so applicants could read something like this: Of the 700 students coming from a family whose income lies between 45 and 135 thousand dollars 32 were accepted last year.</p>
<p>I don't believe there really is a need blind decision process, and that it is just other influences that keep the college financial aid program statistically stable?</p>
<p>The CMU quote above is interesting because it is more direct than most regarding enrollment management. I do wonder though, how many parents, even after reading that statement, would realize that the CMU's definition of "merit" is probably not what the parent is thinking? </p>
<p>To me the frustration of the process is that, in so many ways, so much disinformation is being put out. A University sells itself as a place to pursue learning, knowledge and truth. It holds itself out as a place of high integrity. Then it engages in marketing practices that would make our local car dealer or real estate agents blush. </p>
<p>Sorry Xiggi, I disagree with you on the need to patiently repeat information about "Need Blind". The schools all practice enrollment management and hide behind the fuzzy term "Need Blind" that does not have a consistent meaning between what the common definition of those terms and the way it is defined by many universities. Further, the Ivy league is not exempt from this discussion, they just get to play a bit differently.</p>
<p>The thing that always bothers me is schools saying that they provide for 100% of the demonstrated financial need of their students . . . as defined by them. The Ivy league does provide some of the best financial aid but that is their way of practicing enrollment management. Who knows, with S2 we may even take advantage of that aid. </p>
<p>I think that perhaps the frustration is that all the schools can not provide financial aid at the level of some of the other schools. Additionally, we all know that tuition has grown at a rate much higher than inflation a very long time. This just enables the schools to practice enrollment management with other students money by practicing differentiated pricing.</p>