I read an article this AM saying Pell is an imperfect measure of low income kids, though it dealt with the top 200 schools, which brings in a lot of schools not really discussed on CC.
The gist was that some low income kids don’t apply for Pell (not the case at the elite, say, 50, probably), and that Pell actually includes too many middle income kids as you can get some Pell at incomes well over the $30K considered low income by the study. Also mentioned some income-eligible Pell kids don’t get it because of assets.
It was an article with a fairly clear agenda, so YMMV.
If you look at https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm , you can find that Pell grant eligibility extends to income levels that may be up to the bottom half of household incomes (though the amounts may be less than the maximum amount that Pell grants may give). So it obviously includes lower middle as well as lower income (but not the “$250,000 middle class” of these forums).
Realizing this means makes it obvious how strongly skewed the household income distribution at some colleges is. E.g. only about 10% of WUStL students have Pell grants ( https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=179867#finaid ), suggesting that only about 10% of WUStL students come from families in the bottom half of the household income distribution.
SES status can also be used in holistic admissions. Some selective schools, that use holistic admissions, may put more weight on factors like “First Generation”, than others. Comparing Caltech to Amherst in admissions, isn’t really an apple to apple comparison, even if they are both very selective.
@ucbalumnus
This could be right about Wash U. If this report from the NYT is accurate, it looks like 84% of students come from the top 20% income bracket.
“Your eligibility is decided by the FAFSA. Students whose total family income is $50,000 a year or less qualify, but most Pell grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000.”
Median income in 2016 was $59000.
There are many families whose income is between $20000 and $50000 who will not get a grant, so saying that only 10% of the student population at WUSTL comes from families in the lower half is blatantly overstepping the data.
@OHMomof2
I thought Pell was automatically included in the financial aid packages of eligible students. Is there an option for low income students to not receive a Pell Grant? In other words, I didn’t think they had to actually apply specifically for a Pell Grant. Mind you, I admit I have little idea of how it works.
@GoldPenn it is, if they apply for financial aid. Some students don’t - may be attending a CC for very little $, for instance, or be going part time. FWIW here is the article. I do think Pell stands in just fine as a proxy for lower income at the schools most discussed on CC.
@OHMomof2 it’s certainly a valid measure of lower income students but drawing conclusions about particular universities and their admissions policies is oversimplifying something much more complex.
That is totally incorrect. Here is the statements from one Ivy:
Pell is part of the financial aid packages so it is the most accurate way to count low income students. FAFSA is required to determine a student’s eligibility for school grants.