According to a recent survey by Inside Higher Ed, more than one-third of four-year colleges are purposely recruiting students who won’t require financial aid to pay full price tuition.
Of the colleges included in that one-third, almost 20 percent of directors at private liberal arts schools and 10 percent of the admissions directors said that the “full-pay” students they enroll have lower grades on average than other students.
According to Kristine Shay, director of admissions, Geneseo uses a “holistic approach” –
a student’s financial situation does not factor into whether or not he or she is admitted.
“We’re needs-operated,” Shay said. “When we make admissions it has nothing to do with if they can pay. We take a very clear stance … Our review is academically based.”
“It’s kind of like completing a puzzle or a picture,” Shay continued. “We need all the pieces of the student first, what they’ve been involved in outside of class and others.”
Shay, however, said she’s not surprised that the trend is growing in other schools.
“This is nothing new,” she said. “This is something that’s been ongoing. It just may be heightened due to the economy.”
The Inside Higher Ed survey also showed that 22 percent of public colleges and institutions have worked harder to find these “full-pay” students because of the recent financial crisis.
“They have to do what they have to, to stay competitive and meet their quota,” Shay said.
In response to the trend, Shay said that Geneseo has “definitely seen many students selecting us because of the value.”
There is also a strong commitment toward recruiting minority or underrepresented students at Geneseo, and 25 percent of the class of 2015 is made up of underrepresented students.
“We’re thrilled with the quality of students who are enrolling today,” she said.