Brown Joins the Crowd

With Brown University’s announcement that it is planning a need-blind admissions policy for the Class of 2007, students will finally be able to attend all the Ivy League schools regardless of their financial need. The plan, proposed by Brown President Ruth J. Simmons, should be implemented in February after its approval by the university’s governing corporation. This change, which Simmons stated was one of her top priorities, will end Brown’s dubious distinction of being the last Ivy League university to consider students’ financial need as a factor in admissions decisions. Brown still has to face the challenge of implementing the switch to a need-blind policy, at an estimated cost of $3 to $8 million dollars.

Though all the Ivies have now embraced need-blind admissions in principle, Harvard has a responsibility as a leader in education to keep ahead of the curve. It will begin to do so by renewing its push for more generous financial support for its graduate school students. The new space in Allston will provide more space for graduate schools so that more students can enroll. In order to make sure that the new students Harvard accepts are the most able—not simply the most affluent—in their field of study, Harvard should expand its graduate financial aid program. President Lawrence H. Summers has brought a new sense of purpose to this effort, and Brown’s move should provide even greater impetus to reach this goal as quickly as possible.

In light of two recent events—the Kennedy School of Government’s announcement that it may raise tuition in order to cover its budget shortfall and reports that first-year graduate students often feel financial pressure to become Teaching Fellows, jobs which should be filled by those with a passion to teach, not a need to earn—it is even more important that the University dedicate itself to meet all its students’ financial needs.

However, in its drive to help graduate students, the University should never lose sight of the needs of College students. Past efforts to increase the ratio of grants to loans must be built upon with further advancements. The University must do even more to ensure that all qualified students can have access to its classes, regardless of their economic class.