A week after student protests shut down the Yale admissions office, Yale University President Richard Levin announced Thursday that he will eliminate the required family contribution from the financial aid package for undergraduate students from low-income families.
Under the new financial aid program, families with an annual income of less than $45,000 will no longer be required to pay for any part of their children's education. Households with incomes between $45,000 and $60,000 will also see a significant reduction in their required contribution.
"These financial aid enhancements will make Yale even more affordable to students in need of aid and underscore Yale's strong commitment to the broadest access," Levin said in a statement.
Harvard announced a similar program eliminating parental contributions for students from low-income families last year, and Princeton implemented a no-loan policy for financial-aid students in 2001.
Levin's announcement came a week after protests and a nine-hour sit-in by students who argued that the inadequacy of Yale's aid program was hurting its competitiveness relative to other top schools. In October, students filed an online petition and submitted a platform of proposed changes to Levin. He subsequently responded to students' concerns in an open forum on financial aid.
"We're very excited to see Levin commit to eliminating family contribution, increasing recruitment and funding trips home for international students," said Joshua Eidelson '06, who helped organize the protest. "What's disappointing is that Levin announced no change in the required student contribution."
Under the current policy, Yale students who qualify for financial aid students are required to independently raise $4,200 during the school year and about $2,000 over the summer.
"As long as those numbers remain the same, students under financial aid will have a less integrated experience here at Yale," Eidelson said. "Students who are not on aid have more time for extracurricular activities. Students' experiences are separated by how much money their families make."
Along with reducing or cutting parents' contributions for low-income families, Levin announced that Yale will intensify its efforts to recruit students from low-income areas.
In addition, Levin announced, Yale will now provide international students on financial aid with funds to pay for one trip home each year. Before the proposed changes, Yale funded only one trip home during international students' four-year undergraduate careers.
The new financial aid program takes effect during the 2005-06 academic year.
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