College Choices and Tuition Truths

In a recent publication, professors from two of the leading Universities in the U.S (University of Virginia and Stanford) shed insight on an interesting topic: it isn’t very common to see high-achieving students of low-income enroll in top-tier colleges. Why? If they are high-achieving then it is not because they wouldn’t gain admission, right? Professors Sarah Turner (UVA) and Caroline Hoxby (Stanford) explained that their low representation is due to the fact that many don’t even apply in the first place. Confusing? The truth is, high-achieving low-income students tend not to apply to top-tier colleges because many of them haven’t been informed about the way finances work in the college system.

First, those who think of applying to certain colleges, may see a steep application fee and decide they can’t afford it. They are unaware, however, that institutions waive fees for different reasons, one of which is financial need, as long as the right paperwork is filed. Second, the cost of tuition is a determining factor, as it is for all applicants, but they see the higher cost without taking into account that colleges have programs in place that can cut it down drastically for those in need. The University of Virginia, for example, has a program called AccessUVa, whose goal is to make tuition affordable (with financial aid) to any student who has been accepted into the institution. With programs like these, no qualified and accepted student will have to decline offers based on finances and it would be in these students’ best interest to apply regardless of income.

Often, high-achieving low-income students make decisions about colleges based on assumptions about cost. They end up paying more to attend schools they feel they could afford than they would actually pay at the more selective college after tuition negotiations.

These are only a few of the reasons some of these students don’t follow through with applications to top-tier schools. It’s important for colleges and school counselors to reach out and educate students about the options available to them. Unfortunately, so many of these high-achieving students are dispersed and may be only one of few others in their area. Certain college’s outreach programs (designed to educate and inform students about the different parts of the application process and enrollment, including finances) won’t necessarily reach those areas when the high-achieving demographic is spread so thin.

Hopefully efforts in the future will bring more awareness to this issue. At the very least, we need to be sure that faculty at high schools are informed enough to relay the information on to the students and steer them in the right direction.

NWS

Source: http://news.virginia.edu/content/new-inexpensive-tools-help-smart-low-income-kids-realize-great-college-opportunities-study