To the Editor:
The Dartmouth does well to raise the important issue of financial aid in the latest Verbum Ultimum ("Leading on financial aid," April 14). The socio-economic diversity of the student body is a major priority of the College. In recent years we have undertaken several financial aid initiatives which have lowered loan expectations for students and significantly increased scholarship assistance. The Dartmouth Verbum refers to the decisions by Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale to increase assistance to low income students. This is commendable, but the fact is that Dartmouth's financial aid policies are more responsive to the needs of low income families than these other institutions.
In the last few years, the best endowed institutions in the country, including Dartmouth, have dramatically increased assistance to low income students. Institutions have, however, pursued different strategies to achieve this important goal. Dartmouth and Princeton have chosen to dramatically reduce loan obligations for students. At Dartmouth, the loan expectation for students from families with incomes below $30,000 has been eliminated for all four years of enrollment. For families with incomes between $30,000 and $45,000 the loan expectation for the first year has been eliminated and dramatically reduced for the second, third and fourth years. These reductions in loan have been replaced by scholarship assistance totaling $6 million. Our Ivy peers Harvard, Penn and Yale have chosen a policy approach which eliminates parent contributions for low income students but leaves loan expectations in place. This approach has garnered more media attention but in the final analysis Dartmouth financial aid packages, over four years, are more generous for these students because of our lower loan and job expectations.
Recently published surveys have attempted to assess the representation of low income students at elite institutions by measuring the proportion of Pell grant recipients in the student body (N.B. Typically families at $40,000 and below in family income). On this dimension Dartmouth's ranking exceeds its Ivy peers mentioned above. At the end of the day, what is most important is the achievement of meaningful socio-economic diversity in the student body and the fair and equitable support of such students during their four years of enrollment. By this measure Dartmouth outshines its peers despite recent headlines.
