Washington Monthly - September/October 2014 - 69

"gaps" for others in whom they are
less interested. In the parlance of enrollment management, this is called
"admit-deny," in which schools provide students with aid packages that
don't come close to meeting their financial need in order to discourage
them from enrolling.
"Admit-deny is when you give
someone a financial-aid package
that is so rotten that you hope they
get the message, 'Don't come,'"
Mark Heffron, a senior vice president at the enrollment management firm Noel-Levitz, told the
Students come to SUNY-ESF not
design and management of our environAtlantic Monthly back in 2005. "They
only because they want to get a good
ment and natural resources. You'll find
don't always get the message."
education and a good job. They also want world-class value in our small classes,
Under this model, top stuto make a difference. ESF graduates find
unique relationship with Syracuse
dents receive substantial amounts
professionally rewarding and personally
University, and affordable SUNY tuition.
of grants and either need-based or
satisfying careers developing a cleaner,
Visit our Web site
merit-based scholarships. Those
greener future.
at www.esf.edu or
who are less desired have to take on
contact our Admissions
Take a close look at one of America's
a substantial amount of debt if they
best colleges for the science, engineering, Office at 315-470-6600
esfinfo@esf.edu
want to attend-either through
private loans or federal PLUS loans
for their parents.
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, New York
Schools that engage in these
practices don't tend to advertise
them. An exception is Muhlenberg
College, a small private college in
Pennsylvania, which includes a page on its website entireceive a bigger discount their first couple of years but
tled "The Real Deal on Financial Aid."
then face a financial aid package filled with loans in sub"It used to be that you could try for that reach school
sequent years.
and if you got in, you didn't have to worry because everyPart of the problem is that many parents and stubody who got in, who needed money, got money," the coldents are unaware that they must apply for financial aid
lege's financial aid office states. "Today, however, as colevery year they are in school and that the price they pay
leges are asked to fund more and more of their own opcan vary dramatically from year to year. A scholarship may
eration with less and less assistance from government,
come with a GPA requirement, for example, but it could
foundations, and families, they are increasingly reluctant
also just be a one-time award given to incoming freshto part with their money to enroll students who don't
men to attract them to the school. Think of it as a signing
raise their academic profile."
bonus-or tuition discount-that disappears by year two.
According to a study done by Kantrowitz, enough
#10
colleges front-load aid that the average net price for returning students-the price students pay after grants
OFTEN THE FINANCIAL AID YOU RECEIVE
and scholarships are accounted for-is about $1,400
more. He also found that the more selective a college is,
YOUR FIRST YEAR WILL BE LESS GENEROUS
the less likely it is that it will front-load grants. What's
THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
the best way to figure out if you'll be the victim of a fiStudents and families beware: the plum financial aid
nancial aid package bait and switch? Ask the college.
package you receive your freshman year may not be quite
Only problem is that some colleges will be less honest
as impressive your sophomore year. The bait and switch
than others.
of financial aid packages from year to year is known as
"front-loading financial aid." According to Mark KanStephen Burd is a senior policy analyst with the New America Foundatrowitz, a financial aid expert, about half of all collegtion's Education Policy Program. Rachel Fishman is a policy analyst for
es front-load grants and scholarships so that students
the program.
Washington Monthly

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Washington Monthly - September/October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Monthly - September/October 2014
