Quote:
Originally posted by Munchkin03
Schools that look only at need do so because the VAST majority of applicants are already academically competitive, and would all qualify for merit-based scholarships.
With that in mind, I have absolutely no problem with schools offering need-based packages ONLY. If someone who's in the middle is willing to work/take out loans in order to go to Harvard/Yale/Princeton...go for it.
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Correct. However that doesn't change the fact that students who don't achieve as highly in high school, but are from less prosperous families will be given larger grants.
Also, I think (that's an important word, I'm not offering this as a proven fact -- just experiential learning) that most students in smaller colleges are given aid of some kind, no matter what the parents income level is.
Again, I'm not arguing against need based aid -- I'm all for it. I just feel pretty strongly that there should be BOTH -- otherwise, as I said above, the really high achievers are penalized by university policy.
I suspect that "need only" aid has more to do with Political Correctness than being fair to all students. In the end, though, it comes down to a subtle discrimination against outstanding middle class students. Kids from poor families will receive "need only" aid, and those from wealthy families don't really need it. The kids in the middle get nailed by accident of birth.