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Vol. 24 No. 3
November 2009
Tuition Up Sharply
EVEN AS THE NATION
struggled with the worst recession in years, the nation's colleges
and universities still ramped up tuition rates. According to
"Trends in College Pricing" published by the College
Board, the average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public
colleges in 2009-10 shot up 6.5 percent, or $429, making the
average tuition $7,020. For out-of-state students, the average
tuition at these schools jumped by 6.2 percent to $18,548.
At private four-year colleges, tuition grew by 4.4 percent
to $26,273. At public two-year colleges, tuition soared even
higher, at a rate of 7.3 percent to an average of $2,544. Students
in states such as California, Florida, New York and Washington
are paying double-digit increases.
Meanwhile, consumer prices fell by 2.1 percent during the
same time period.
Grants Increase. However, these increases were blunted
somewhat by increased student financial aid. These days, nearly
two-thirds of full-time undergraduates receive grants. In 2008-09,
the average grant reached $5,041. Students also received an average
$4,585 in federal loans.
The College Board said that 41 percent of all grants came
from the colleges and universities themselves, while 32 percent
came from the federal government, 11 percent from the states
and 16 percent from employers and private sources.
After all the aid is factored in, the estimated net price
for four-year public colleges is $9,810, including tuition, fees,
room and board; for private four-year colleges, $21,240.
Student Debt. Yet, only 26 percent of students who
graduated in 2007-08 left school with no debt. Total student/family
borrowing increased by 5 percent. Federal loans increased by
$15 billion, while non-federal loans declined by $11 billion.
In fact, due to the first stages of the credit crisis, non-federal
loans declined by almost 50 percent from 2007-08.
For more, see: www.collegeboard.com.
Meanwhile...More Aid Applications
At the same time, the National Association of Student Financial
Aid Administrators confirmed that student aid applications rose
significantly this year. According to its recent survey of 500
financial aid administrators:
- 61 percent of institutions have seen applications for financial
aid increase by 10 percent or more over last year. Only 8 percent
saw no increase;
- 63 percent reported that the number of Pell Grant recipients
has increased by more than 10 percent compared to last year.
Only 5 percent recorded no increase;
- 65 percent noted a 10 percent or greater increase in aid
appeals. Only 7 percent reported no increase;
- 51 percent observed an increase of 10 percent or more in
the number of students who still had financial need after using
federal and state loans. Only 17 percent reported no such increase.
- 55 percent said that they have increased institutional aid
for students. Four-year institutions were more likely to offer
additional institutional aid this year.
In the end, this means, among other things, more work for
financial aid administrators. "The increase on professional
judgments alone is so much more work and we certainly did not
receive any extra help to do this process," one administrator
noted. "This has been the most difficult and stressful year
that I have ever experienced in my 34+ years as a financial aid
administrator," lamented another.
To read the entire survey, go to: www.nasfaa.org/publications/2009/AidSurvey.
AND MORE
APPLICATIONS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
The National Association for College Admission Counseling
released its "2009 State of College Admission Report"
October 20, which showed that applications have increased significantly
since 2001. This led to a decrease in acceptance rates across
colleges and universities.
Applications have gone up by about 24 percent, and the number
of acceptance letters has inclined by 20 percent. The overall
acceptance rate at four-year institutions has gone down from
71.3 percent in 2001 to 66.8 percent in 2007. The yield rate
at schools has also decreased. And colleges have had a harder
time predicting how many students will actually enroll in the
fall after they have been accepted.
In addition, almost 60 percent of admission counselors who
were surveyed said that they have seen more students looking
at public schools because of the economy. About 15 percent of
counselors (25 percent at public schools) added that they have
seen an increased number of students planning on deferring higher
education for financial reasons.
Other NACAC conclusions:
- "College enrollment reached an all-time high.
As of 2006, approximately 17.8 million students were enrolled
in degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Total college
enrollment is expected to continue increasing until at least
2017.
- Racial/ethnic minorities and low-income students remain
underrepresented. In 2007, black and Hispanic students constituted
approximately 32 percent of the traditional college-aged population,
but they made up only about 25 percent of students enrolled in
postsecondary education.
- Online applications increased. For the Fall 2008 admission
cycle, four-year colleges and universities received an average
of 72 percent of their applications online, up from 68 percent
in Fall 2007 and 58 percent in Fall 2006."
For the full report, see www.nacacnet.org.
Free for NACAC members and $25 for non-members.
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Admissions Watch
The fall numbers at individual colleges continue to come
into CB'S offices.
Enrollment Up at Public Universities. A sign of the
times? The Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education reports
that around 208,000 students are enrolled at colleges in Northeast
Ohio, and 80 percent are attending public universities.
Cleveland State U., for example, saw an 8 percent increase
from last year, and business graduate students have increased
23 percent from last year. CSU is not the only institution to
experience this enrollment boom, as public universities and community
colleges across Ohio report similar trends.
"We all experienced an increase, obviously, and a lot
of that came in during the last four weeks of enrollment,"
said Michael Droney, vice president for administration at CSU.
He explained that many students waited until later in the summer
to enroll to see how much financial aid they received.
Kent State U. began fall courses with its largest first-year
class of all time at 4,030 students. Enrollment on the main campus
grew by 8.8 percent from 2008. At KSU's regional campuses, which
service a larger number of nontraditional students, enrollment
has increased more significantly. The Ashtabula campus saw enrollment
escalate by 26 percent.
Cuyahoga Community College's Metro Campus also saw a 40 percent
increase in students since last year.
"The really selective schools, like the Ivys, had no
problem filling their ranks," said Pat Cirillo, a statistician
who works with NOCHE. "But the moderately or even fairly
selective but expensive private schools had a tough time filling
their classes without offering students a lot of aid. Such private
schools in regions with strong public universities, like Northeast
Ohio, had a particularly tough time.
"Parents and students couldn't justify that high tuition
with such good public options available. The private schools
dug into their waiting lists far earlier than usual this past
year."
DePaul. DePaul U. in Chicago set enrollment records
this fall with 25,072 students in its eight colleges. The freshman
class of 2013 reached more than 2,500 and is slightly smaller
than last year, but surpassed the enrollment goal by 100 students.
The first-year class is also the most diverse in school history,
Jon Boeckenstedt, associate vice president of enrollment management,
told The DePaulia. A quarter of the new class is African
American or Latino/Hispanic, up from 18 percent last year. About
58 percent is white. "We're using a more holistic review
that will accept more students from Chicago," Boeckenstedt
told the paper. But for other students, the criterion remains
the same; good test scores, high grade-point average in challenging
courses.
Indiana U.'s statewide system enrolled 107,160 students,
a 5.3 percent increase over last year, and a new record. The
flagship Bloomington campus attracted 42,347 students, up almost
5 percent. Enrollment of African Americans and Latinos rose nearly
11 percent, while it grew by over 9 percent for Asian American
students. (Also, the Indiana Commission of Higher Education waived
application fees for Indiana applicants during one week in October
to persuade more students to apply to college. It was part of
its College GO! Week.)
Michigan Reaches Enrollment High. Public university
enrollment in Michigan certainly increased this fall. The U.
of Michigan enrolled 41,674 students, an all-time high for that
school, according to The Detroit News. U-M had increases
in applications, offers of admission and graduate as well as
undergraduate enrollment. However, the paper noted, minority
enrollment was down 11.4 percent this fall. Underrepresented
minorities make up 9.1 percent of the freshman class, down from
12.6 percent in 2006.
Oregon. The U. of Portland enrolled 816 first-year
students this fall. Its target was 800. The Seattle Times
reported that due to the recession, the school increased its
tuition discount, the average amount of tuition given back to
students in merit and need-based aid, to 41 percent.
Numbers were higher at community colleges in Oregon, too.
In fact, the majority of Oregon's 17 community colleges saw increased
enrollment and this trend is the same for two-year colleges across
the country.
Central Oregon Community C. was forced to cut off admission
in early September because of record enrollment numbers, according
to a recent article in OPB News. The college had enrolled
5,550 students at that time, and 7,600 names were on its wait
list. Because of these numbers, there are many students who are
attending the school, but who are on waiting lists for all the
classes they want.
Enrollment at Columbia George Community C. grew by 42 percent
more than last year's enrollment. Karen Carter, chief student
services officer at Columbia George, said, "It's a wonderful
problem to have, and community colleges are just tickled to death
to see this enrollment growth. But it's almost too much of a
good thing."
Washington. Gonzaga U. enrolled 1,239 freshmen this
fall, about 15 percent above its target, prompting a scramble
for additional housing, according to The Seattle Times. Meanwhile,
Seattle U. enrolled 747 first-year students, about 17 percent
fewer than last year. Both are private institutions. Overall,
Gonzaga enrolled 7,682 students this school year. Seattle is
still the state's largest private college with 7,751.
The Small Privates. To further confuse any analysis
of admissions trends, a number of small private colleges found
that their enrollments increased this fall. For example, enrollment
is up at Cowley C. in Arkansas this fall, according to a post
on NewsCow. Full-time student enrollment reached 2,424,
up 236 students from last year. The number of online Cowley students
also has increased rapidly over the last four years, doubling
in size, to 679 students. The Arkansas City campus alone enrolled
1,110 students. School officials said the rise in numbers is
the result of the college's increase in "targeted"
calls to 2,500 students, "enrollment days" and longer
admissions office hours.
At Wesley C., Delaware's oldest private college located in
Dover, the incoming first-year class and overall student population
reached record levels. New student enrollment has increased 26
percent. Applications for admission were up 65 percent in 2009.
The first-year class grew to 673 students, which is the largest
in the school's history. Bill Firman, enrollment management dean,
said that the commitment of the staff and reasonable tuition
costs have contributed to these numbers.
Be Careful What You Wish For. Finally, Ithaca C. in
New York ended up with more freshmen this fall than projected.
According to The Ithacan, 600 freshmen found themselves
in lounges, triples in a dorm room or in new temporary housing.
Ithaca's freshman class of about 2,050 was the largest in history
and a year after the college faced a decline in admissions. One
impact for this year's cycle: Ithaca C. reinstated early decision
and raised admissions standards.
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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
New Twists in College
Admissions
MIT Students Blog for Prospective Applicants. Prospective
students looking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
have the chance to read Blogs by current students about their
experience on campus, according to a recent New York Times.
The school pays students to discuss how they made it through
the application and how they juggle their school work as current
students.
MIT is one of many colleges that has started a Blog, although
it is the most uncensored, said the article. Schools such as
Amherst C., Bates C., Carleton C., Colby U., Vassar U., Wellesley
C. and Yale U. have recognized that high school students are
receptive to information in this format.
"A lot of people in admissions have not been eager for
Bloggers, mostly based on fears that we can't control what people
are saying," said Jesse Lord, dean of admission for Haverford
C. "We're learning, slowly, that this is how the world works,
especially for high school students."
Travel Down, Virtual Talk Up. Erin Breese, senior assistant
director of admissions at U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
visited 15 upperclassmen at a private school in Virginia via
Webcam, according to fredericksburg.com. Because of budget cuts,
UNC Chapel Hill has limited the admission office's travel budget.
Other colleges have also restricted or eliminated their out-of-state
traveling. But not every school has adopted Webcam visits. Wake
Forest U. implemented virtual interviews last year, and Dartmouth
C. talked with South African students via Skype.
Also, virtual college fairs are becoming more popular as a
way to reduce costs and get schools' names out, according to
eSchoolNews. Shannon Meairs, co-founder and chief executive officer
of University Drive, an admission consulting company, said that
she recommends students first research schools online before
looking at them more closely. "Ideally, I would like a student
to have a personal interaction with a college, but if a student
is unable to visit the campus, a virtual college fair is the
prime opportunity for students to connect with college reps,"
she explained.
Pedal Power Marketing. Then, according to an October
9 article in the Olean Times Herald, Alfred U. now uses
a seven-person bicycle to drive around prospective students.
"This is a very out-of-the-box way to get our name out to
students," said Jodi Bailey, director of marketing. "[Alfred
U.] is a balance of strong academic programs and we have a great
social life here."
iAdmissions. A network of former college admissions
officers are using on-line technology to "provide personalized
and affordable guidance" on the college admissions process.
It hosts a series of free Webinars open to the public. For more
information, see www.iAdmissions.com.
Free Online Test Prep. Grockit, a new online social
learning game company, is making its SAT and ACT online test
prep and learning game services available free to students across
the nation. The program allows students to practice with and
help each other, as well as learn from experts. "Grockit
offers a more engaging way for students to prepare for and succeed
at standardized tests," says the company's CEO Farb Nivi,
"and they can do it for free." For more information,
go to: www.grockit.com/sat
or www.grockit.com/act.
Merger. CollegeZapps and ConnectEDU have created a
partnership to allow "students to apply to more than 1,000
colleges and universities through an easy and efficient online
solution." ConnectEDU's president said, "Our partnership
with College Zapps is the first step toward our goal of providing
the industry's first solution to deliver a complete application
package electronically."
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COUNSELOR'S BOOKSHELF
Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven
Kids Find the Right Colleges-and Find Themselves by David
L. Marcus (The Penguin Press, 2009); ISBN: 978-1-59420-2214;
$25.95.
Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's
Public Universities by William G. Bowen, Matthew M. Chingos,
Michael S. McPherson (Princeton University Press, 2009); ISBN:
978-0-691-13748-3; $27.95.
The Best 172 Law Schools by Eric Owens, Esq., John
Owens, Esq., Julie Doherty, and the Staff of The Princeton Review;
2010 Edition; ISBN 978-0-375-42958-3; $22.99. And, The Best
168 Medical Schools by Malaika Stoll, and the Staff of The
Princeton Review; 2010 Edition; ISBN 978-0-375-42957-6; $22.99.
Both from Random House, Inc. at www.PrincetonReview.com/bookstore.
ACT or SAT: Choosing the Right Exam for You by Josh
Borstein with Rebecca Lessem and the staff of The Princeton Review;
(Random House, Inc.); ISBN 978-0-375-42924-8; $15.99.
A new website, www.collegefreshmansurvival.com, and the DVD,
College: The Big Change-The Success Guide for First-Year Students
helps parents and students entering college for the first time.
The DVD is available from the website.
Beat the College Admissions Game: Do A Project! Susan
Tatsui D'Arcy recommends that students get into the college of
their choice by working on a project that would illustrate their
passion and initiative. ISBN: 978-0-6151-3766-7. The book is
available on her website www.meritworld.com.
Reports of Note
"Strengthening Pre-Collegiate Education in Community
Colleges: Project Summary and Recommendations." A report
from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
See www.carnegiefoundation.org.
Building Momentum: Strategies for Achieving Critical Mass
by Robert A. Sevier, a user's guide for institutions that want
to develop, launch, and sustain a strong brand. Strategy Publishing.
See www.strategypublishing.com.
"Rewarding Persistence: Effects of a Performance-Based
Scholarship Program for Low-Income Parents." Richburg-Hayes,
Lashawn et al. 2009. MDRC. See www.mdrc.org.
P.S. Autism & the Transition to Adulthood: Success
Beyond the Classroom by Wehman, Smith and Schall; chapter
on "Postsecondary Options for Children with Autism;"
285 pages including index; (Paul Brookes Publishing Co., 2009);
ISBN-13: 978-1-55766-958-2.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
World's Top 100 U.'s. An international survey of
9,000 institutions of higher education from the [London] Times
Higher Education and OS Top Universities placed 13 U.S. universities
in the top 25 of their top 100 rankings. Here are the top 25,
in order:
Harvard U., U. of Cambridge, Yale U., UCL (U. College London),
Imperial C. London, U. of Oxford, U. of Chicago, Princeton U.,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of
Technology, Columbia U., U. of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins U.,
Duke U., Cornell U., Stanford U., Australian National U., McGill
U., U. of Michigan, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology),
U. of Edinburgh, U. of Tokyo, King's C. London, U. of Hong Kong,
Kyoto U. To view the entire list, go to: www.guardian.co.uk/education/datablog/2009/oct/08/top-100-universities-world/print.
Foreign Enrollment Up In Canada.
Canadian universities are experiencing a jump in the enrollment
of foreign students, according to a survey conducted by The
Chronicle of Higher Education. The U. of Alberta posted a
45 percent increase in its foreign students, the U. of Prince
Edward Island was up 32 percent, McGill U. was up 17 percent.
The U. of Toronto and U. of British Columbia expect similar numbers
when statistics are final. The increase is the result of a new
emphasis on internationalism and new marketing abroad.
Other sources note that 10,000 U.S. students attend Canada's
94 universities, up from 3,000 a decade ago. One reason is cheaper
tuition. Another is that Canadian schools have stepped up recruitment
in the U.S. For more information about Canadian colleges, see:
www.educationau-incanada.ca/
or www.aucc.ca.
Fewer Foreign Grad Students
Here. U.S. colleges and universities admitted 3 percent fewer
overseas graduate students this year, according to the Council
of Graduate Schools. The source of the decline seems to be the
fact that 16 percent fewer students from India and South Korea
were offered admission. This is the first decline in enrollment
since 2004. At the same time, more domestic students applied
for graduate work in the U.S.
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CURRICULUM CAPSULES
New Info Tech Degree. The U. of New Hampshire began
a new BS degree in information technology this fall. The major,
aimed to train students for careers in IT, is part of the computer
science department in the College of Engineering and Physical
Sciences. The department also provides secondary focuses in business
administration, justice studies and health management and policy.
Northwestern's
New Religion Major/Minor. Northwestern U. will begin offering
a new major in Jewish Studies and a minor in Catholic Studies,
The Daily Northwestern reported.
New BS in Digital Media Arts.
The New School of Architecture & Design in San Diego will
launch a BS degree in Digital Media Arts. This degree connects
architecture, graphic design, 3 D modeling and animation.
MN Colleges Unite for Energy
Tech Degrees. Nine schools in the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities system will launch a two-year program this year
to focus on both renewable and traditional energy. In addition
to the "energy technical specialist" diploma, students
can go for a certificate in four areas of focus, ethanol production,
biodiesel production, wind turbine maintenance or solar energy
assessment.
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FINANCIAL AID MATTERS
DOD SMART Scholarships. The Depart-ment of Defense
enlarged its Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation
(SMART) Scholarship program this year to award 300 scholarships
worth $45 million. Students receive full tuition, fees, allowances
for books and health care. They also receive an annual cash stipend
ranging from $25,000 to $41,000. In exchange, students must agree
to work for a DOD laboratory for a specified period of time.
The SMART Program is administered by the American Society
for Engineering Education and the Naval Postgraduate School.
Students must be 18 years of age, enrolled or planning to be
enrolled in a STEM discipline and U.S. citizens. Deadline:
Dec. 15. For more info, visit: http://www.asee.org/smart.
NASA's Aeronautics Scholarships.
To encourage students to pursue a career in aeronautics, NASA
will award 20 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships. Undergraduate
awards amount to $14,000 per year for two years with a $10,000
stipend for interning at a NASA research center in the summer.
Students must be committed to a U.S. institution in aeronautical
engineering or related field by fall 2010. Deadline: January
11, 2010. For info see www.nasa.org.
Poorer Families Have Larger
Unmet Aid Need. Students from families earning $39,229 or
less have greater unmet financial aid gaps than students from
higher income families, according to Postsecondary Education
Opportunity.
At four-year public colleges, these students average $4,742
in "unmet financial need," the gap between school costs,
and the financial aid granted and family contributions. For these
students, the student work/loan burden averages $8,776.
At four-year private colleges, the unmet financial need averages
$8,417. The student work/loan burden is $15, 645. At two-year
public colleges, the unmet need averages $5,902. The student
work/loan burden is $6,909.
Most Diverse National U.'s.
Which U.S. universities are the most economically diverse? The
leaders, according to U.S. News & World Report, are
(with percent of undergrads receiving Pell grants): U. of California-Los
Angeles (35 percent), U. of California-Berkeley (32), Columbia
U. (17), U. of Southern California (16), Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (15), Dartmouth C. (15), Harvard U. (14), Cornell
U. (14), Emory U. (14), Stanford U. (13), U. of Chicago (13),
Brown U. (12), Vanderbilt U. (12), California Institute of Technology
(12), Carnegie Mellon U. (11), Rice U. (11), U. of Pennsylvania
(11), Johns Hopkins U. (10), Northwestern U. (10), Duke U. (10),
Georgetown U. (10), Princeton U. (10) and Yale U. (10).
Student Leader Scholarships
in New England. Just in. The Comcast Foundation in New England
announced it is sponsoring a Leaders and Achievers Scholarship
Program that will award $1,000 scholarships to students who have
demonstrated leadership skills, academic achievement and a commitment
to community service. Previous winners tutored younger students,
volunteered at local hospitals and participated in blood, food
and clothing drives. Students must have a grade-point average
of 2.8 or higher and be nominated by their high school principal
or counselor. Deadline: Dec. 11. For more info, visit
www.comcast.com/scholarships.
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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig
Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally
Reed; Associate Editor: Emma Schwartz; Editorial Assistant:
Reed Lubin; Board of Advisors: Lisa Burnham, Edina
High School, Minnesota; Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford
(N.Y.) Central School District; Howard Greene and Matthew
Greene, authors, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning
Series; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational counselor;
M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis;
Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).
|
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In This Issue
Feature Articles
Tuition Up Sharply
Admissions Watch
THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
New
Twists in College Admissions
COUNSELOR'S BOOKSHELF
-Selections
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
-World's
Top 100 U.'s
-Foreign
Enrollment Up
in Canada
-Fewer Foreign
Grad Students Here
CURRICULUM CAPSULES
-New
Info Tech Degree
-Northwestern's
New Religion Major/Minor
-New BS
in Digital Media Arts
-MN Colleges
Unite for Energy Tech Degrees
FINANCIAL AID MATTERS
-DOD
SMART Scholarships
-NASA's
Aeronautics Scholarships
-Poorer
Families Have Larger Unmet Aid
-Most Diverse
National U.'s
-Student
Leader Scholarships in New England
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