The College Raises Tuition…Again

On March 4^th, the Office of Communications announced new policies determined during the Board of Trustees’ spring meeting. These new policies focused on four points: (1) a focus on diversity, inclusivity, and accountability; (2) a record amount of financial aid allotted and a “new tuition” increasing the already sky-high cost of attending Dartmouth to a jaw-dropping $73,578; (3) approval of operating and capital budgets and endowment distribution; and (4) Dartmouth’s research model. I am certainly not in a place to discuss specifics and make any policy recommendations. Here I merely seek to provide my thoughts on the message from the Office of Communications as well as summarize its contents.

I’d like to start, somewhat unusually from the last point. The Office of Communications, in what it called “A Dartmouth Model for Research,” summarized a panel discussion, moderated by Provost Joseph Helbe, of undergraduate and graduate research. F. Jon Kull, dean of the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, noted Dartmouth’s return to R1 status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, signaling “very high research activity.” This definition applies to institutions that awarded at least 20 research doctoral degrees and had at least $5 million in total research expenditures. Margaret Funnell, director of UGAR (undergraduate advising and research), noted that 60% of graduating seniors participated in faculty-mentored research and that UGAR dispenses more than $1 million annually in grants for undergraduates to perform research. This is perhaps the most positive aspect of the announcement. Dartmouth’s potential as a research institution is one of its greatest assets, even as a liberal arts institution. Dartmouth provides many opportunities for students to get paid for their research efforts through Presidential Scholarships, Junior and Sophomore Research Scholarships, and other various fellowships—all of which are relatively easy to obtain for qualified applicants. Though the research stipends are not especially generous (usually around $1000 per term), this amount of money can allow lower-income students to participate in research rather than working student jobs in lieu of research. Dartmouth’s low student-faculty ratio and close community bonds allow a unique opportunity to do advanced research with high-profile professors in a welcoming environment.

My issue with this part of the announcement is that it lacks substance. All other three points address specific policy and financial items and changes whereas this last section just serves to vacuously inflate Dartmouth’s self-image, and just seems unnecessary to include in this announcement.

Now to get to the meatier parts of the piece. The first point declares that “a focus on diversity, inclusivity, and accountability” will become central to College proceedings from now on. President Hanlon proclaimed that “it is essential that Dartmouth continue to strengthen all the ways in which we foster and integrate diversity and inclusivity into the fabric of the institution and create new ways, as well,” in response to an announcement that the percentage of faculty and staff from underrepresented backgrounds is below the national average.  One could also choose to prioritize ability and achievement rather than disproportionately rewarding people based on their race, but to each their own. I’d personally prefer to leave the racial profiling in the very capable hands of Harvard. Regardless, that’s a topic for another day and another article.

This section of the message also provided a progress report on initiatives that are part of the Moving Dartmouth Forward plan. Elizabeth Agosto noted that 2,700 students participated in the Dartmouth Bystander Initiative in fall and winter term, focusing on leadership and bystander intervention to “mobilize the community to prevent stalking, harassment, dating and domestic violence.” What wasn’t mentioned in the article was that the program was mandatory for anyone seeking to rush a Greek house and that it consisted of one 2-hour information session that included asinine lectures teaching a bunch of ineffectual methods to stop sexual assault (highlights include “the smooth stop” which included spilling a drink on someone and the “direct stop” which would likely lead to its user getting punched in the face or otherwise physically accosted). The report also claimed an approximately 50% drop in student hard alcohol consumption and noted the purported impact of the Alcohol Management Policy (AMP), which “emphasizes the health and safety of students at events is served.”

The third section of the announcement focused on “operating and capital budgets, endowment distribution approved.” The trustees approved Dartmouth’s 2020 fiscal year budgeted expenses of $1.083 billion. The board also approved a budget of $78.3 million to upgrade campus infrastructure. The bulk of the money went towards upgrading the campus computer network, advancing the second phase of construction to extend north campus utilities, and renovations to Kellogg Auditorium at Geisel.

Now to the fun part, (2) a “record $111.3 million in financial aid” with a new tuition set. The College budgeted a record amount of money in financial aid, a 5.1% increase from last year. The trustees simultaneously approved a 3.9% increase in undergraduate tuition. The College noted that the expansion of financial aid exceeded the growth of tuition for the third consecutive year. Board Chair Laurel Richie ’81, said that “attracting the very best talent—whether it’s students, faculty, or staff—is our top priority and the key to enduring excellence.” The College provides free tuition for students with a total family income of less than $100,000. I’m all for doing everything possible to open admission to qualified students regardless of socioeconomic background. Dartmouth, and other top educational institutions, ought to act like meritocracies (not to say that this system is ideal, but it would be naïve not to acknowledge that top universities are signals for talent to the world). People should be selected for their talent and ability to overcome obstacles, not solely their ability to afford college. Dartmouth has increased its tuition to allow more students from lower-income backgrounds to afford a world-class education that they would not be able to afford themselves. While that is certainly superficially laudable, the initiative ignores the plight of the middle-class. Dartmouth’s current financial aid system would seem to see the world as some feudal holdover of an immensely wealthy upper class and the poor masses. However, the United States is not like that (at least not yet) and has a sizeable middle-class. The middle-class gets crushed in the current system by being too wealthy to receive sufficient need-based aid and too poor to pay for oppressively high tuition rates without massive lifestyle changes. The current system, as it is, is immensely unfair. By increasing tuition in addition to financial aid, the College is de facto suggesting that poorer students have more of a right to attend than middle-class students, as they can get in for free while other people have to pay. There are many families that face immeasurable burdens that prevent them from being able to afford an expensive degree, which I fully admit. However, these families should not be prioritized over middle-class families who also have financial struggles, if not just as many. While it may sound idealistic to suggest that everyone pay the same amount of money for the same service, the current college attitude towards tuition and financial aid has blatantly disregarded the plight of middle-class families, the majority of the American populace. Families should not be punished for having savings and making more money than the average American. My family is not poor, by most standards. However, paying tuition for my brother and I has forced them to make nearly unimaginable sacrifices long-term (such as housing and transportation changes) and in the day-to-day aspects of their lives (even having to change their diets). Dartmouth should seek to open educational opportunities to everyone without punishing certain demographics. In reference to a past tuition increase, an alumnus wrote that “Dartmouth is a great college, but tuition close to $71,000 per year? Being from an upper-middle class family, I did not receive any financial aid, and frankly, my parents were highly reluctant to send me to Dartmouth because of the high cost of tuition at the time. I also felt bad about having my family spend this much on my education, when I could have gone to many nearly-as-good colleges for a fraction of the price. If I were admitted today… I probably would just take the full ride that I go from a middle-tier liberal arts college in my own state. Four times $71,000 is $284,000… that truly reaches a point where attending Dartmouth would probably not have been worth it to me considering my family’s own finances, I am sorry to say.” If Dartmouth wants to truly attract top talent, it must be a viable option for people across the socioeconomic spectrum, not just parts of it. No student should feel guilty for gaining admittance to a top-tier college. I have seen, with my own eyes, top applicants who would have loved to go to Dartmouth or other top-tier ivy league schools, but ultimately (and painfully) decide to take scholarship money at lower-tiered schools. Dartmouth should make its education more affordable, period. Not more affordable to certain demographics, but more affordable for everyone. Additionally, many Dartmouth students want to make the world a better place, whether working on ground-breaking research, for non-profit organizations, or in education, but simply just can’t afford themselves that opportunity when faced with lucrative finance offers and crippling student debt. What’s the point of having so much talent in one spot if it’s not allowed to make a difference in the world, even though it so desperately wants to.

This isn’t a question of who should get in and who shouldn’t. Even accounting for the $111.3 million set aside for financial aid, Dartmouth’s endowment is $5.5 billion. I’m certain that Dartmouth can cut expenses in many, many other areas before rejecting students who can’t afford it. In competing for these top applicants, Dartmouth and other top-tier schools have invested irresponsible amounts of money to appeal to more applicants to get that fleeting US News Ranking. Dartmouth’s costly residential-house system is almost as expensive as it is unpopular. All it did was split up Dartmouth’s community and restrict who you could live with. These residential communities have massive budgets, and put on many events in expensive venues, often with open bars (for the undergraduates?) and catered meals. The last event like this I went to was a “winter formal” where I saw a total attendance of perhaps 9 students. I also imagine we can get rid of just a few administrative assistants whose ranks just seem to multiply while we lose beloved and talented professors.

Dartmouth needs to get its priorities in order, especially when it comes to affordability. Everyone should be able to afford a Dartmouth education, not just select socioeconomic groups. No student should toil through years of laborious studies only to go to a lower-ranked school because they received a scholarship. Nobody should have to feel guilty about attending a highly selective institution. I hope that, next spring meeting, the Trustees have some sympathy for middle-class Americans and ends this toxic practice.