Officials Down of Smith, Mt.Holyoke Merit Plans

Smith and Mr. Holyoke Colleges' decision last week to award scholarships based on merit should not lure students away from other schools, officials at Harvard and the where said last week.

Officials did express concern, however that the merit scholarships could start an unprecedented bidding war for students among New England colleges, which traditionally have awarded financial aid based purely on need.

But officials at the five western Massachusetts schools said that special $300-$400 awards would not imperil their regular financial pools. They emphasized though that the awards were part of experimental incentive programs that would be reviewed before next year's aid packages are determined.

Mt. Holyoke and Smith officials differed somewhat in their rationale for offering the academic based grants.

"I disagree with their judgement," L. Fred Jewett '57, dean of admissions and financial aids at Harvard, said this week. "But," he added, "I understand what they are doing."

The small amounts of the scholarships-which range from $300-$400-will not deter accepted students from attending Harvard, Jewett said.

Jewett and other did express caution that the unusual scholarships could reduce the amount of aid that Smith and Mt. Holyoke would be able to grant students requiring financial assistance.

Mt. Holyoke decided to offer 30 $400 awards to students based on academic excellence because the college had a surplus of funds after awarding the regular financial aid packages, Irma Rabbino, director of public relations at the college said yesterday.

Smith's Director of Financial Aid Anne Keppler said that her school awarded 50 $300 gifts to top candidates to bolster the school's ability to attract top students. In recent years, she added, Smith has had a difficult time attracting qualified students, and as a result will reduce the current class size of 615 by 10 percent next fall.

The schools' awarding of such scholarships is not unprecedented, since schools like Washington University and the University of North Carolina have given merit scholarships for years. Seamus P. Malin '62, associate dean of admissions at Harvard, said.

Long established merit scholarships like the Morehead Scholarship at the University of North Carolina give students full tuition.

The University of Chewy to wards up to I'll full sell dandling each) official said yesterday. These scholarships and other merit grants take up only a small portion of the financial and budget the official added.

Malin added Harvard is less likely to long qualified students to Smith or Mt. Holyoke than to schools offering larger rewards.

What is unpracedentext", Malin said, is that other all-women schools such as Bryn Mawr or Wellsley-which compete more directly with them-might lose some potential students.

Bryn Mawr and Wellesley Colleges have no intentions of granting merit scholarships, directors of financial aids at both colleges said yesterday. But they offered contrasting views of the merit plans' potential effects.

An award of $300 or $400 should not lure a student away from Bryn Mawr, where next year's tuition will be about $8500 said Jerry Berenson, director of financial aid.

He added that proposals to award merit scholarships have been voted down at Bryn Mawr because of concerns that the regular pool for needy candidates would be drastically affected.

A serious problem could arise if Smith and Mt. Holyoke see fit to raise the value of the scholarships to attract even more students. Amy Nychis, director of financial aid at Wellsley said yesterday.

A bidding war could result, Nychis said, adding that the schools with the most money could lure away potential students.

"On principle, I thoroughly disagree with merit scholarships," Nychis said.

Malin added Harvard is less likely to long qualified students to Smith or Mt. Holyoke than to schools offering larger rewards.

What is unpracedentext", Malin said, is that other all-women schools such as Bryn Mawr or Wellsley-which compete more directly with them-might lose some potential students.

Bryn Mawr and Wellesley Colleges have no intentions of granting merit scholarships, directors of financial aids at both colleges said yesterday. But they offered contrasting views of the merit plans' potential effects.

An award of $300 or $400 should not lure a student away from Bryn Mawr, where next year's tuition will be about $8500 said Jerry Berenson, director of financial aid.

He added that proposals to award merit scholarships have been voted down at Bryn Mawr because of concerns that the regular pool for needy candidates would be drastically affected.

A serious problem could arise if Smith and Mt. Holyoke see fit to raise the value of the scholarships to attract even more students. Amy Nychis, director of financial aid at Wellsley said yesterday.

A bidding war could result, Nychis said, adding that the schools with the most money could lure away potential students.

"On principle, I thoroughly disagree with merit scholarships," Nychis said.