The overwhelming majority of undergraduates - 92.7 percent - support the University's new financial aid policy, a recent Herald poll found. But on the details, including whether it should further increase aid for those who have it or boost the number of students receiving aid, students are split more evenly.
When asked about the University's decision to ease the financial burden on students from lower- and middle-income families, 71.7 percent said they strongly approve of the new policy, and another 21 percent said they somewhat approve. When asked about alternate investments, 72.2 percent said that they thought the University should spend its money on financial aid, while 19.1 percent preferred the option of a new dorm.
"The real positive is people support improvements in the financial aid program," Dean of Admission Jim Miller '73 said. "We've tried to respond to where we felt the most students could benefit."
Students were divided on the question of whether to expand financial aid to include more students or increase aid to those already receiving it. 49.1 percent thought the University should offer aid to more students, while 37.2 percent thought it's more important for Brown to increase aid to students already receiving it.
"As a student on financial aid, (the aid package is) still not necessarily enough, so I see how people think they should get more," said Nermarie Velazquez '10. "But it would be good if the University could spread aid to more students. ... (The new financial aid initiative is) a good first step but they could still work on it."
Amandeep Gill '08.5 also said that "a lot of students (who) are getting aid aren't getting enough," and suggested the split poll results may reflect the proportion of Brown students receiving aid.
Currently, around 41 percent of students qualify for need-based aid and the number may rise slightly - by 1 or 2 percentage points - in the next year as the new financial aid initiative is implemented, said Director of Financial Aid Jim Tilton.
In creating the new financial aid program, "we wanted to address the needs of students having problems making ends meet with financing their education," Tilton said.
When asked to choose where the University should focus its funding, 72.2 percent of students said that they thought financial aid should be prioritized ahead of the construction of a new dorm, while 19.1 percent said a new dorm should come first.
"I would probably prefer that aid be expanded" before new dorms are built, said Matt Jacobs '11. Because the University does not have the financial resources that some other elite universities do, "if people really want Brown to increase aid they need to focus on growing the endowment. ... They definitely couldn't build new dorms for a while," he added.
"I would want a new dorm instead because some are really old and falling apart," said Kristen Sebasky '10. "But I understand for people on financial aid that they have a problem with it."
In response to an increasing amount of student loans being issued and the rise in the average amount of debt students face after graduation, the University decided that focusing resources towards limiting loans would be the best way to assist students, Tilton said.
The majority of students interviewed by The Herald said a combination of expanding aid to more students and increasing the amount of aid given would be optimal, though some had stronger opinions.
"I think more aid should be given to the people who already get it," said Faisal Baqai '11. "I don't think they are getting enough and I'm opposed to giving it to those who don't need it. ... There's a greater chance of that if you expand it to more students."
Betsy Jacobson '11 said that aid should be made available to more students because "it gives more opportunity for different levels of income families to receive aid rather than focusing on one specific group." By making aid available to more students, fewer will have to worry about debt after graduation, she said.
The results of the poll show that "people are pleased but there are still students out there (who) are concerned about how they are going to manage," Tilton said.
In addition to working with students receiving need-based aid, there are resources - including payment plans and additional loans- available through the Office of Financial Aid to assist those who do not qualify, he added.
"Every year there have been adjustments (to the financial aid program) to benefit students," Tilton said. "We will continue to make sure we are doing the best we can with the resources we have."
The Herald poll was conducted from March 10 to 12 and has a 3.6 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. A total of 643 Brown undergraduates completed the poll, which was administered as a written questionnaire to students in the University Post Office at Faunce House and in the Sciences Library.
