To the Editor:
Brown's push towards Ivy League-standard facilities sweeps the University's appallingly substandard financial aid under the rug, as Daniel Moraff '14 pointed out in a column last week ("Hiking tuition and blowing money on sparkly things," Sept. 27).
New buildings don't just require targeted fundraising efforts. They also require maintenance. The new fitness center, for example, will cost Brown hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. That comes out of our operating budget, not gifts.
Another kind of gift to target is an endowed scholarships. Putting $67 million toward housing might make Brown a little nicer, but it means at least 15 students in every class whose Brown experiences will be inarguably worse - 15 students who will choose the safe desk job over the risky policy internship because of financial strain.
Scholarships are good investments: They allow students to take the kinds of early-career risks that pay out later. That's good for Brown's repute and coffers. Amenities are often bad investments - rather than paying you back, they add costs.
Nevertheless, the "fear the Corporation" undertones of Moraff's column are too convenient. Alums lavish incredible fortunes on Brown because they're generous, not because they're suspect. If you're wondering why the Corporation thinks Brown's housing needs a sparkly update, look back in this paper's archives. It's exactly what our committees and columns have been telling them.
There's a time for building up. Maybe that was the past decade. But it's not what Brown needs today. Financial aid tramples any other issue in polls as the top priority of students. Try pitching Brown to prospectives, and you usually end up talking about price. It's an embarrassment, out in the open. It's just not visible in the way that an alum would see on a flyover.
Brown for Financial Aid started last spring in part because members of the Corporation might not have the clearest insight into what student priorities are. It's the job of students and recent alums to make clear the importance of financial aid to their experiences.
In the meantime, you might as well go for a swim in the new pool. Haven't you heard?
Anish Sarma '12
Brown for Financial Aid Alumni Ambassador
