<p>Hmm if I have a merit aid budget of $1 and a need aid budget of $100 a 100% increase for merit would be $1 and a a 10% increase for need would be $10. Not sure what Lumina's percentages really mean absent the underlying numbers. Of course that was probably the Washington Post's intent. It could be the most slanted biased inky rag birdcage liner in the country. I read it diligently and daily as part of my studies in the art and science of obfuscation.</p>
<p>Dickinson has closed down completely twice in its history and has always been financially rocky. It is headed that way again, especially once the proceeds of its "sale" of its minor league law school to Penn State are used up.</p>
<p>I think that in the next 3-5 years, there will be less need for merit aid simply because of the increase in the college going population. I have seen a sharp increase this year in applications. Schools that would not be turning down certain students had the luxery to do so with the number of apps they had. So this is an opportunity to make some merit award cuts or to target them to the most desirable students. </p>
<p>Having said that, I can tell you that kids who were not particularly merit worthy and had no need did get some nice awards this year at some schools that just wanted to keep up the body count. Or so it seemed. I find it strange that a t B-/C student should get merit money.</p>
<p>Jamimom, can you share where the B- students got merit $$s?</p>
<p>WS17, agree the flat 10K doesn't go far enough at ROC with tuition inflation. Some of the colleges like Miami and Iowa index their awards, but Rochester doesn't.</p>
<p>Goucher, Santa Fe, some SUNY schools, Hartwick, Northern Illinois, Ohio Wesleyan, just to name a few. The kids did have good SATs, however, and some solid ECs, came from a rigororous school with a top notch academic curriculum. Did not need financial aid. It is pretty clear that he was a student that some of these schools wanted. Males at liberal arts colleges are becoming rare birds, those that can actually write, rarer still, and the school, SAT scores, choice of courses and the area where he lives indicates that he will likely be able to make it through the college. Buying 5 of them for $5K a piece is a pretty good investment over getting a middle of the road kid for those schools that needs $25K and has an academic profile that makes it risky that he'll be able to hack college work.</p>
<p>It is just a way to "incent" an admit. Johns Hopkins tried to do that with me by giving me $500. "award" for being tennis player, when I was little more than an average high school player. It was one of their ways to try to lure from higher profile schools the students they believed they would otherwise lose to Ivies (it didin't work with me and I urge some skepticism on everyone's part when the "award" does not make a meaningful difference overall; if you get a full ride to a JHU and you would have to pay full freight at Dartmouth or Brown, however, as a parent I would sure think about it....)</p>