Princeton University Seeks to Expand Access for Low-Income Students

princeton-university-logoIn 2001 Princeton University eliminated student loans in its financial aid packages. Under the plan, students from families with incomes below $60,000 had their full tuition and other costs covered by scholarship grants. In 2001, 38 percent of Princeton’s students received financial aid. Now, more than 60 percent of all Princeton students receive financial aid.

As a result of Princeton’s lead, many other high-ranking colleges and universities revamped their financial aid plans to make it easier for low-income students to enroll at the nation’s elite educational institutions.

But Princeton believes more can be done to increase opportunities for low-income students. The university has formed the Trustees Ad Hoc Committee on College Access to look at issues relating to university access. Financial aid and other factors such as counseling, inadequate academic preparation, and culturally constrained aspirations will be explored. The ad hoc committee will include faculty, alumni, students, staff, and trustees.

The committee will be chaired by Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman.  Dr. Tilghman stated, “Students whose families are in the top 5 percent of the U.S. income scale remain significantly over-represented in our applicant pools, with a concomitant deficit of talented low-income students — a demographic profile that is shared with other selective colleges and universities.”

The latest U.S. Department of Education data shows that Blacks make up 7 percent of the student body at Princeton. The latest JBHE annual survey of Black students in first-year classes found that Blacks were 7.5 percent of the current entering class. Princeton ranked last in the Ivy League in Black first-year enrollments.

 

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs