Last weekend, the Corporation convened. This meeting was especially momentous — in December, the University's seven-year Campaign for Academic Enrichment concluded. President Ruth Simmons announced some impressive figures — the fundraising effort raised $1.61 billion, including $311 million for undergraduate financial aid.
But of all the numbers coming out as part of the budget the Corporation set, there is a single figure that is the most important for Brown students and their families. The cost of tuition and fees for next year's undergraduates will be $53,136. Tuition at Brown, like at many other U.S. colleges and universities, has skyrocketed in recent years, rising nearly $20,000 — or 53 percent — in the last decade.
This announcement comes at a moment when controlling costs is on nearly everyone's minds. Brown adjusted ambitious capital projects in response to the reality of its financial situation. And last week, cost-conscious Republicans unveiled a spending bill for the rest of 2011, proposing what would be "the largest cut in student-aid funds in the history of the Pell Grant program," according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The proposed legislation would cut the maximum amount of a Pell Grant — a form of need-based financial aid awarded by the federal government — by $845, or 15 percent.
The proposal is guided by an understandable desire to rein in the government's soaring debt, and the backers of the bill have chosen to cut a line of the budget that has grown considerably in recent years. About 9.6 million students are projected to receive the grants next year, compared to 6 million students in 2008. But before making cuts to a program simply because it has become costly, the House would do well to examine the reasons for the increases. The recent economic crisis, the growth of the for-profit sector in higher education and the increasing importance of having an advanced degree for job prospects all undeniably contribute to the program's ballooning price tag.
Considering the uncertain future of student aid from the federal government, we would like to applaud the University's consistent commitment to making a Brown education affordable for students from a variety of economic situations. In the 2001-02 academic year, the average University scholarship was $16,288. This year, it is $31,292, meaning financial aid has increased at almost twice the rate of tuition. Brown's ability to offer such aid is of course related to its status as a private institution with a relatively large endowment — but it is also the result of a deliberate choice on the part of the University.
But we remind the administration that its commitment to improving the aid Brown offers does not end with the Campaign for Academic Enrichment. Nine years ago, 35 percent of undergraduates were receiving institutional financial aid. Currently, 43 percent of undergraduates are receiving financial aid from the University — and correspondingly, 57 percent are not receiving any. As the members of the administration look into Brown's bold future, we hope they remember the University's greatest strength, one that is not as visible as a new creative arts center or athletic complex: the students who are able to attend.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
