International aid increase proposed

Two key committees on financial aid have recommended that international students receive a $400 allowance for meals or travel over winter break.

The proposal, which would cost the University $72,000 annually, was made by the Student and Faculty Committees on Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid at the urging of outgoing USG president Matt Margolin. The Priorities Committee will hand down a final decision in late January.

Don Betterton, Director of Undergraduate Financial Aid and a member of the faculty committee, said that plans to assist international students with their winter break plans have been in the works for years.

"We'd wanted to give international students [on financial aid] a second trip home for a while," he said, explaining that the current financial aid package for international students only allows for one flight home per year.

Betterton said the decision to recommend an allowance, rather than simply paying for students' airfares, was dictated by budget constraints and the expectation that many international students will stay on campus over break regardless of financial aid.

"This proposal is less expensive [than paying in full for a second flight home]," Betterton said. "It matches where a lot of students are going to be anyway, since it pays for the meals of students who stay on campus."

The $400-per-student allowance breaks down to about $18 per day for meals over three weeks of break.

The recommendation now awaits the approval of the Priorities Committee.

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"My understanding is that it's being presented in tandem with the rest of the financial aid office's budget," said Shoum Chakravarti '05, a member of the student committee on financial aid.

Though members of the student committee declined to predict whether the Priorities Committee would approve the proposal, Michael Cutright '08 said he is optimistic.

"In the end, I think the total amount that this proposal would add to the budget is pretty negligible," he said.

Margolin said that he has been pushing the Priorities Committee to consider paying for international students' winter break meals for the past year and a half.

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"When I heard [that the proposal will be considered this year], I jumped up in the air yelling, 'The system works!' " Margolin said.

Jonathan Cheng '05, former president of the International Students Association at Princeton, said he is pleased with the recommendation.

"This is something international students have been talking about for a long time," he said.

Cheng said he knows other international students who have spent winter break on campus because they couldn't afford the plane fare to travel home.

"It's unfortunate, because not only are you alone on campus, but you also have to pay for your meals," he said, praising the proposal's flexibility in accommodating both on-campus living and travel.