Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Lower-Income Student Issue, Take Two
As if to reinforce the concerns of Roger Leheka and Andrew Delbanco (see post below), the Hartford Courant reports that "the number of low-income students at Yale is declining."
In recent years, Harvard and Yale universities, and others, have boosted financial aid and expanded recruiting to draw more students of modest means.
In recent years, Harvard and Yale universities, and others, have boosted financial aid and expanded recruiting to draw more students of modest means.
A study by Iowa scholar Tom Mortenson indicates mixed results. Many of the universities rated "best" by U.S. News and World Report showed a declining enrollment of students with federal Pell grants — need-based grants to promote access to postsecondary education.
His study shows that Harvard increased its number of Pell students by 53 percent in the past decade, while Yale saw a decline of 14 percent. A recent study by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education puts Harvard's percentage of Pell students at 12 percent, and Yale's at 9 percent.
And here's something I didn't expect:
Columbia University, with a 15 percent share, still leads the Ivy League in income diversity, although its percentage of Pell students has fallen from 29 percent in 1983, the study found.
I wonder if Pell Grants is the best way to measure this issue, but I'd be curious to hear someone who knows more about this than I comment.....
¶ 7:12 AM His study shows that Harvard increased its number of Pell students by 53 percent in the past decade, while Yale saw a decline of 14 percent. A recent study by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education puts Harvard's percentage of Pell students at 12 percent, and Yale's at 9 percent.
And here's something I didn't expect:
Columbia University, with a 15 percent share, still leads the Ivy League in income diversity, although its percentage of Pell students has fallen from 29 percent in 1983, the study found.
I wonder if Pell Grants is the best way to measure this issue, but I'd be curious to hear someone who knows more about this than I comment.....
