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Volume CXXXII, Number 16 |
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Plus side to tuition hike
Given the College's current financial state, the Administration's decision to raise tuition by 5 percent comes as no surprise. The fact that tuition and its associated fees account for nearly half of the College's revenue points to the importance of maintaining this important source of income and reconciling its future levels with the demands placed on the College by its current fiscal condition.
What is especially notable is not the increase itself-such a raise is hardly an anomaly at Bowdoin or most other similar schools-but Bowdoin's continued dedication to remaining a need-blind institution. Facing the sort of budgetary squeeze it now finds itself in, Bowdoin could have easily dropped its need-blind policy to reduce financial aid costs. By maintaining such a policy, however, the college affirms its commitment to socioeconomic diversity. The policy places Bowdoin among a select group of need-blind liberal arts colleges that proactively encourage socioeconomic diversity through their admissions process. Colleges including Bates, Colby, and Hamilton are not need-blind in their admissions.
While the tuition increase will undoubtedly irk many Bowdoin families, it remains far more acceptable than a fundamental change in school policy. Despite tough financial times, Bowdoin continues to pursue the worthy goal of an economically diverse campus.
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