Posted on 04/05/2009 12:38:43 PM PDT by GOPGuide
CAPITAL REGION — Private liberal arts colleges, including Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs and Union College in Schenectady, are seeing a decline in admission applications and increased requests for financial aid.
“It’s no surprise, looking at the economic climate,” said Robert Shorb, associate dean and director of student aid and family finance at Skidmore.
Some students’ parents have lost their jobs, he said. Some families’ college investments have declined dramatically with the stock market.
At the same time, the small liberal arts colleges have also lost money on their endowment investments. Skidmore’s $223 million endowment, for example, is down 23 percent from a year ago.
But students are seeking more financial aid because of the economic crisis.
At Skidmore, admission applications have declined 14 percent from 2008. At Union College, admission applications are down 9 percent. But at both colleges, the declines come after several years of record application numbers.
Skidmore set a record in 2008 with 7,400 applications for 650 openings in its freshman class. The college on North Broadway in Saratoga Springs has a total of 2,400 students.
At Union College, applications were down this year but are still very strong, according to Phillip Wajda, media and public relations director.
“Applications were down 9 percent this year, but we still had [our] third best year ever,” Wajda said. The Union applicant pool is 4,811 this year.
Time magazine reporter Laura Fitzpatrick profiled Skidmore’s admissions process and problems in a lengthy, detailed article in last week’s edition. The story said Skidmore’s problems are in line with application declines at “seven of the country’s top eight liberal arts colleges.”
The major Ivy League universities did not see such a decline, nor did state universities and community colleges, the story said.
Shorb said the Time reporter spent several days at Skidmore, gathering information and observing the financial aid and admissions process. “It is a good overview of how it all works,” Shorb said.
Shorb and Union College officials are confident they will be able to fill their incoming freshman classes this fall, despite the application declines. Skidmore’s target is again 650 students, while Union is planning for a freshman class of 565.
nagging question
But the difficult economy remains on the minds of college admission officials.
“Will people be able to afford it?” Shorb said. “It’s a real different climate.”
Skidmore is increasing its comprehensive fee (tuition, room and board and college fees) from just under $50,000 to $51,196 for the 2009-10 school year. Union’s comprehensive fee is increasing from this year’s $48,552 to $50,439.
At the same time, Skidmore has increased the amount of financial aid it will provide. Shorb said Skidmore’s financial aid has generally increased at a greater rate than the comprehensive fee.
Most Skidmore students don’t pay the full cost, with about 60 percent of the students receiving aid.
The Time magazine story gave examples, confirmed by the college, of who might pay the full cost and who may pay just a fraction.
A New York City family of four with no other children in college and an annual income of $169,007 would receive no financial aid from Skidmore.
However, a Midwestern family of five with one other child in college and an annual income of $89,800 would pay just $7,969, with the rest of the $51,196 being paid through grants ($39,000), loans ($2,500) and a federal work-study job ($2,000).
Skidmore has tightened its belt this year, freezing most hiring and putting off any major new construction projects.
An exception is the new Zankel Music Center, which has been under construction for almost two years.
Skidmore President Philip Glotzbach issued a detailed plan last fall on how the college will reduce spending so it can continue to provide its current curriculum and programs. The college has had no layoffs.
At Union College there will be Accepted Student Days on Monday and April 20.
About 1,000 visitors are expected in the two days, according to a college statement.
“We have accepted a strong and diverse group with students representing 41 states and 41 countries,” said Matthew Malatesta, the college’s vice president for admissions, financial aid and enrollment.
“The college pledges to meet the full financial needs of all admitted students,” says a college statement on its Web site (www.union.edu). “Approximately 60 percent of Union students receive scholarship assistance, with the average scholarship totaling over $20,000,” the statement says.
some see UPSWING
On the other hand, at the University at Albany, applications have increased this year, according to university spokesman Karl Luntta. UAlbany has received more than 22,000 applications this year, compared to 21,800 in 2008.
“Our applications have steadily increased for the past four years,” Luntta said.
Financial aid requests have also increased by 15 percent this year, according to Beth Post-Lundquist, director of financial aid.
At UAlbany, the comprehensive fee for 2009-10 will be $16,936, an increase of about $350 from the current academic year. For out-of-state students, the comprehensive fee exceeds $20,000, according to the university Web site (www.albany.edu).
Post-Lundquist said the good news is that federal money coming to SUNY for work-study programs has also increased by 10 percent this year, thanks to the stimulus bill.
She said federal Pell Grant funding has also increased, meaning qualifying students will get about $500 more in the 2009-10 academic year.
Siena College in Loudonville and the College of Saint Rose in Albany are also seeing increases in applications.
siena applications
Applications at Siena are up 11 percent, according to Ned Jones, acting director of enrollment management. He said this year Siena received 7,200 applications.
Jones said requests for financial aid are up slightly.
He said 86 percent of the students attending Siena receive some sort of financial aid. Siena is planning for a freshman class of 775.
The college comprehensive fee is $36,000 for the coming academic year.
At Saint Rose, applications have increased 5 percent this year, according to Mary Grondahl, vice president for enrollment management. Saint Rose is planning for a freshman class of 600.
The comprehensive fee is $32,546 for the 2009-10 academic year.
“We sent out 24 percent more financial aid packages this year,” Grondahl said.
Saint Rose has also seen a steady increase in applicants, with approximately 4,000 this year, an increase of 1,000 compared to four years ago.
Seriously, it won't be long till tuition at the Ivy League is $100,000 a year.
What we really need are German style apprenticeships at businesses and to defund the Humanities departments.
Take a tour of these colleges, and they often have gaudy (and very expensive) sculptures and architecture, etc. A simple classroom with books with cut down costs exponentially.
It’s clear that there is too much supply of higher education and not enough demand. Prices or supply have to go lower. CUT EXPENSES. It’s so easy a cave man can do it. Community organizers don’t have a clue.
Stop federal loans. The prices will drop immediately as people stop going to these places.
a German style apprenticeship system?. Move to Germany.
The last thing I would do is to send my kids to some Marxist proselytizing college.
It's a very good idea, but as long Obama is in charge he'll keep feeding his cronies in the "Industrial Educational Complex" to the bitter end.
Also considering federal student loans are unconstitutional.
The parents share a lot of blame here for stupidly paying such large amount of money for their children to major in these silly majors and then graduate and work in a job that pay them very little money.
I did a google search, I can’t find out how much the dean makes, but an ASSISTANT professor of Economics makes $70,500 per year. Perhaps THEY need to have a cap on their salaries...
Arts degrees are not high education. They are scams. If tomorrow we cancel most art degrees from all colleges and universities nothing at all will happen to the society. In fact many people will save huge amount of money and invest it in something that is much more productive.
Google ‘Harvard tuition’.
“Feb 18, 2009 ... Undergraduate tuition at Harvard will increase 3.5 percent to $33,696 for academic year 2009-10.”
I’m no fan of Harvard, believe me, but it is cheaper than some other highly-ranked colleges.
Most college professors except those who teach in engineering, medicine, law, and some sciences make little money. That is why they are full of envy and anger at the producers outside academia who make more than them. These professors delude themselves that they are smarter than everyone else and hence they think that they deserve to be paid much better than people who work outside academia. Their hate, envy, and anger at the producers make them embrace socialism and communism.
At least there’s no threat of Hussein taking over the nations colleges. The left already owns them.
Whatever, but if an assistant prof makes 70K the dean makes quite a bit more (I suspect) and thus, makes too much money. ;)
A lifetime of explaining that no, you didn't go to Swarthmore: priceless
True but they are much fewer Deans in a college or a university compared to the number of professors.
No sweat bros....Obama will pay off my loans.
I find it laughable to see college kids rack up massive debts with “liberal arts degrees” at private schools then be “shocked” when they can’t get a job that pays off their expenses (on top of their car loans, house loans, etc.,).
Two words: Community College
Two words: State College
Two words: Trade School
Two words: Boot Camp
Learn it, live it, love it.
Nowadays, try to find a job in a good company WITHOUT a degree and it’s very, very difficult. If one wishes to go to a trade school, a well-paying and satisfying career can follow but not everyone is cut out to be a plumber, electrician, etc. Community colleges are great b/c they often offer excellent careers from only 2 year degrees (Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Radiography, etc.). Boot Camp can provide a career for sure if one is wired that way, but overall, you just can’t escape the need for a 4 year degree.
I worked at a large company for many years and at the time did not have a college degree - I was qualified for many positions and had the experience but you could not even post internally without a BS or BA.
Of course, your point about the debt vs. what they often earn is right on the money. One of the most common college degrees students come out with is psychology and it is essentially useless without a Ph.D.
Do you really think $70K is that much? I don’t. The same way I don’t think cops or firemen are overpaid or that autoworkers are overpaid.
The people that I think are overpaid are these hotshot athletes, celebrities, talk show hosts, and so on; oh, and let’s not get started on some of the financial gurus - all overpaid, but that’s the way it is. I love when Parade Magazine does that yearly survey of what people make - it’s always eye opening. Many with degrees in difficult jobs make little money (e.g. social workers) and many with no degrees in silly jobs make much. Oh, life is interesting.
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