Cornell enhances financial aid program - Page 2

sebcartwright · 02-10-2009, 10:00 PM

"Financial aid should be eliminated. Reduce the tuition and room and board to $25,000. Everyone pays the same. Why should some people go for free while others are footing a $45,000 bill. Soumds like Obama would go for it."

I understand the sentiment from both sides of the argument - as someone who is middle class but from a family who is not. My mother grew up in Britain and my aunt grew up in NYC. Neither could have afforded school if it weren't for the fact that back then British universities and CUNY were free. Those unable to pay were able to go to university, while the middle class felt they were getting a return for all the taxes they paid.
Of course, now, in both Britain and the US, if you suggest free tuition, someone shouts "Socialist!" and the debate ends immediately...

pinkfeather · 02-11-2009, 12:56 AM

There are excellent reasons why the system is the way it is. Giving a helping hand to deserving (high achieving) students from lower income families gives them a chance at the American dream which the rest of us have and can afford.

DRMAN54 · 02-11-2009, 12:57 AM

lmao $25,000?!

Wow, my dad gets about $22,000 per year with no assets and a family of 5. Lol, Hypothetically speaking, if financial aid didn't exist, I'd be applying to McDonalds right now HOPING for an acceptance!!

Hmmm... but if I worked at mcdonalds my whole life, I could probably afford a game system some day. That sounds like fun.

^If you don't get my point, here it is a little clearer... kids shouldn't have reduce the expectations for the outcome of the ONE life you are granted because of your parent's mistakes (it's not like they chose to be poor, circumstances often bring them to that point). And so, I may not have had any luxuries growing up like game sytems or gone skiing or taken piano lessons and stuff like that, but I damn well worked my ass off to not get some type of help to go somewhere and become something great!

squaregirl · 02-11-2009, 06:11 PM

My family makes less than $20,000 a year; I'm from a single parent home and my mother runs her own business. Not gonna lie - the idea that I should have to fork over $25,000 for school or NOT GO is making me a wee bit peeved. :|

sunset66 · 02-12-2009, 01:50 PM

Why couldn't you go? You can pay back the same $100,000 that the middle class kid will with student loans. After all you are getting the same Cornell degree.

sunset66 · 02-12-2009, 03:42 PM

pinkfeather... high achieving gains you admission to the school. Just about everyone in Cornell is deserving.

sunset66 · 02-12-2009, 03:50 PM

When I said "eliminate financial aid" I was referring to grants not student loans.

Cornellian1001 · 02-12-2009, 07:49 PM

I disagree, I think there should be grant aid. I agree that parents and students alike should be responsible for contributing for education, but financial aid programs such as Cornell's only add to the diversity of a university. Additionally, if you look at Cornell's financial aid policy, if you receive aid, almost every student is expected to make the same sacrifices to finance their education; the are expected to earn money in the summer and have a job during the school year to satisfy the work-study component of their financial aid package. Although, I agree with the fact that the current financial aid initiative at Cornell isn't completely fair, you must realize it is only a starting point. Recently, I read an article in the Cornell Daily Sun about the financial aid initiative. The Sun interviewed one of the admissions directors and essentially she explained that what the financial aid initiative is trying to do is make Cornell affordable and accessible to everyone. They acknowledge the fact that the current initiative isn't exactly fair for the middle class, but they intend to change that. In essence, to make Cornell accessible they started from the bottom up. Overall, I think what Cornell is doing is wonderful. Gradually, they are making an Ivy League education relatively cheap for every student that attends(even those at the very top of the economic ladder).

Davis Expounds on Changing Admissions Process | The Cornell Daily Sun

kROCK91 · 02-12-2009, 10:24 PM

Sunset66- It's a lot easier for a most middle class kids to pay back loans than someone who is poor. Even if their parents don't help pay (which is the case for many middle class people), they don't have to worry about supporting their families (which is the case for many lower-income people).

Scarlett.B · 02-16-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewdrop87

Counting down the days to that final payment in 2023 :-)

OH. MY. GOD

That's I really, really long time...I hate debt.

DRMAN54 · 02-16-2009, 06:41 PM

"they don't have to worry about supporting their families (which is the case for many lower-income people)."

Yeah that's true! I hate that I give up most of my summers and long vacations to help my dad at his store. He doesn't hire anyone to save some money, which is understandable. I've been doing that since 8th grade. And the worst part is, I don't get any money (I know it's ironic that I would want some lol)

I put it down on my Cornell App, but I wrote why I don't get paid and the reason I do it. Hopefully they don't penalize me for working under the books.

Thank the Lord for grants, haha! And dewdrop87, good luck with that, I hope you win the lottery, you really need it!! (especially since the world will end in 2012!! lol)

dewdrop87 · 02-16-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

That's I really, really long time...I hate debt.

haha....get used to it

It's not bad though...I have a job that pays well and I have no other debt (paid off all my credit cards and I don't own a car)....so I'm able to make the payments and live comfortably.

Quote:

And dewdrop87, good luck with that, I hope you win the lottery, you really need it!!

Educational debt is a part of life...I have friends with significantly more debt that I do. However...I do cringe at the thought of the debt I will accumulate in medical school...oy vey.

My trick for surviving: I make my payment each month and try not to think about the total amount of debt. Like I said, if there is one thing I'm ok with being in debt for...it's my education.

sunset66 · 02-17-2009, 10:24 PM

krock91...who is supporting the lower income families while their kid goes to Cornell for nothing or next to nothing? The middle class.

Tboonepickens · 02-17-2009, 10:54 PM

I think that Cornell should make education affordable for all students, but I don't think they should get tangled up in the process of supporting students families. I think that Cornell should offer more loan based aid to lower income people (around the stafford limits, aka 5-9k per year) and cap maximum expenses around 40k if that works out financially.

ResurgamBell · 02-18-2009, 06:04 AM

there was a new article about this financial aid policy on the cornell sun yesterday...

basically, what i got from it was that...

Cornell is losing URM to other colleges that offer comparable packages...thus Cornell needs to offer a better deal (less loans) to URM and recruited ATHLETES...

in a game of numbers, Cornell is losing out on URM % so that means this is an investment Cornell is making to try to bolster itself up!