Despite the fact that the College announced a $1.6 million addition to its endowment for financial aid this week, many students are upset by the decision that denies the majority of new benefits to current students.
According to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, the subsequent reduction of student loans in favor of grants and scholarships, especially among lower income families, will be effective starting with the Class of 2005.
Dean of Admissions Karl Furstenberg said the inclusion of current students in the new financial aid package would have been too expensive for the College at this point.
The announcement of differential treatment has been the source of frustration for many students currently receiving financial aid.
Jose Paredes '01 said he was "disappointed" by the decision of the Admissions Office.
"They are just worried about recruiting and not helping the ones who are already here," he said.
Jessica Lawson '04 echoed Paredes' sentiment.
"I don't think it's really fair," she said. "If you are going to do it, you should do it for everybody."
As Julia Tzeng '02 pointed out, paying the nearly $30,000 per year currently required to fund a Dartmouth education, is not getting any easier.
"With every year tuition is increasing and it's getting harder and harder for students who are already attending Dartmouth," she said.
Although the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid plans to reduce the outside earnings expectations for current students by $200 per summer, many students feel that, compared to the benefits given to incoming students, the reduction is rather insignificant.
"Two hundred dollars isn't a whole lot," Cody Harjo '04 said, adding that, because of the wage differences across regions, the flat rate may effect students from different geographic regions differently.
Even with the $200 addition, Harjo estimates that the earnings from her summer employment in Oklahoma still might not be able to meet the expected summer earnings of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
Indeed, beginning with the Class of 2005, summer earnings expectations will be reduced by $250 in addition to a $275 reduction for the academic year.
Some students, however, were a bit more optimistic.
"Every little bit helps," Lora Bolton '02 said of the $200 reduction.
And although Tanya Ghani '03 initially thought the differential treatment of current and prospective students was rather unfair, in the end, she decided to give the College the benefit of the doubt.
"I suppose they must have to work out the books in some way," she said. "There must be some justifiable reason."
