The Corporation approved a $1.3 million increase in financial aid for international students as part of next year's University budget at its meetings Feb. 22-24.
The University currently spends about $3.1 million per year on scholarships for international students, according to the University Resources Committee report released late last month. The Office of Financial Aid will distribute the additional $1.3 million to students admitted to Brown over the next four years.
The URC report said increasing aid is a "key component of the new internationalization initiative," and called the budget increase "an initial step."
"Based on the average need of our international students, (the new funds) will allow the admission office to award aid to roughly nine or 10 additional international students," said James Tilton, director of financial aid.
"The effort that (Brown) is making to increase the international population on financial aid ... is an admirable one," he added.
Dean of Admission James Miller '73 estimated that 30 of the 110 international students in the class of 2010 are on financial aid, The Herald reported Sept. 25.
Most international students interviewed by The Herald said they were pleased with the Corporation's decision to increase international aid.
"I think it's a fantastic thing for Brown," said Priya Shah '07, a former president of the Brown International Scholarship Fund who is originally from India. "International aid is crucial to ensuring the continued economic and cultural diversity of the Brown student body."
"I'm here because Brown had some aid (for international students), so I think any increase in aid is good," said Aurojit Panda '08, who is also from India.
Some students praised the new level of aid but said Brown should do more to accommodate international applicants. "It's obviously a great move," said Sanaa Rahman '08, a British citizen. "The University needs to keep moving in this direction and eventually become need-blind (for international students)."
At least six colleges and universities - Harvard, Princeton and Yale universities, Williams and Middlebury colleges and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - currently offer need-blind admission to international applicants.
"I know people in my high school who wanted to go to Harvard, Princeton or Yale or not go abroad at all," said Sriram Subramanian '10, who is from India. "If they got into Harvard, Princeton or Yale they would obviously be completely financed by those institutions. Brown should also be on their list."
"If they aspire to go to Harvard, Princeton or Yale they're obviously smart, and Brown is losing out on those great minds because of its lack of funding," he said.
Subramanian also said Brown should improve support for current students. "Apart from extending financial aid to those who will be attending Brown, it would also be great if the University could extend financial aid to those already at Brown," he said.
Tilton said the University understood the concerns international students had for need-blind admission.
"Over the last several years Brown has increased its commitment to international students, and it is certainly a goal of the institution to be able to admit international students need-blind," Tilton said. "It's a very costly proposition, but I would say that, based on the comments of the president and the Corporation, that's a direction that would be very beneficial for Brown."
Shovon Kibria '08, who is from Bangladesh and serves as co-president of the Brown International Scholarship Fund along with Roxanne Horesh '08, said Brown has made international aid a priority. "Prior to this year, I didn't think enough had been done. But with the Boldly Brown campaign and President Simmons' initiative to internationalize Brown's campus, I've been really pleased with the pace of the progress," Kibria said.
