Editorial: Holding firm on financial aid

In a particularly disheartening effort to cut costs, some schools have retreated from a need-blind admission policy. Largely due to the generosity of Princeton’s alumni, the administration has been able to forego these regrettable measures. The University’s commitment to a completely need-blind admission process and to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of every student is highly praiseworthy. The Board encourages West College to continue to follow this enlightened policy.

A March 31 New York Times article highlighted how many colleges, even some that advertise themselves as need-blind, have begun placing increasing significance on admitting students who will not need financial aid. Some institutions have resorted to underhanded methods to reduce the number of students on aid. Many schools, for example, are admitting a higher proportion of international and waitlisted students for the sole reason that their need-blind policies do not extend to these groups.

These tactics thankfully have no place in Princeton’s Office of Admission. Students should be proud that Princeton is one of the few schools with a need-blind policy that covers every applicant, including waitlisted and international students. The University should be further commended for its commitment to helping students and their families weather these tough times. This year, the Priorities Committee recommended the smallest increase of the University fee package since 1966 even as the percentage of students on financial aid increased by 1 percent and the average grant awarded increased by $1,000.

A need-blind policy guarantees that Princeton will be able to admit the most qualified applicants and is therefore essential to maintaining the University’s status as one of the country’s premier academic institutions. Furthermore, admitting financially needy students ensures that the student body is drawn from the entire socioeconomic spectrum. This increases students’ opportunities to learn from peers of different backgrounds.

The University will likely have to adopt further cost-cutting measures if the economic situation worsens. Cutting financial aid must be the absolute last resort. As the recession continues, we hope and expect that the Princeton community will maintain need-blind admission as a fundamental principle, even if it means the elimination of a variety of other services.