NEWS | August 2006 - all articles
This page includes all articles in the August issue. Return to summary of articles.
Financial Aid Update
Private College Week helps students narrow their college choices
Ramping up to better serve diverse K-12 students
Data point: Globalization trends in science and engineering
Briefs
FINANCIAL AID UPDATE
Latest Numbers Show Increasing College Grants and Stagnant Government Support
Minnesota Private College Council members contributed an additional $25 million to institutional scholarships and grants to traditional undergraduates in 2004-2005, reflecting their commitment to making college affordable for every student who enrolls. The latest information on financial aid to traditional undergraduates from the Minnesota Private College Council’s (MPCC's) 17 members shows a pool of more than $253 million for the institutions' scholarships and grants to assist lower-income and academically high achieving students. While these grants grew at approximately twice the rate of tuition and fees, it is clear that this situation is not sustainable; institutional grantmaking alone cannot sustain access for lower-income students and affordability for middle-income families.
The current financial aid snapshot
While the actual price paid is typically considerably less, the total posted price of an undergraduate education at one of the MPCC colleges averaged $29,400 in 2004–2005, based on data received and analyzed this summer by the the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation. This total includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation and other expenses.
For more than 31,000 of the colleges’ 35,000 traditional undergraduates, the actual price is lowered by financial aid. In 2004–2005, member institutions distributed more than $580 million in financial aid.
Consider a student whose family is in the median income bracket ($55,500 – $63,500). The typical student from this income level received an average of $12,400 in grants and scholarships that did not have to be repaid. Eighty percent of grants and scholarships were funded by the college ($9,900). The remaining funds came from federal, state and private sources.
To finance the remaining amount ($17,000), the federal student aid guidelines expect the parents and student to contribute $8,900 of income to the cost of the student’s education. The remaining amount ($8,100) can be financed in part through the federal student loan programs. The federal student loan programs are designed to assist lower income students through interest subsidies while giving all students access to funds. Students at Minnesota’s private colleges averaged $5,500 in student loans for 2004–2005 — giving them an average student loan debt of $22,000 after graduation.
Any remaining costs ($2,600) are to be met by the family with savings or additional loan options. Unfortunately, current saving patterns aren't helping. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) indicate that per capita personal savings by Americans is at its lowest level (-0.5%) in any year since the Great Depression.
Future financing trends
Increases in institutional scholarships and grants fill some gaps left by declines in state and federal grant assistance programs and help offset increases in student borrowing. However, it is uncertain whether continued double digit increases in institutional grant aid are economically feasible for institutions.
A declining number of Minnesota private college students receive the Minnesota State Grant. In 2004–2005, 8,700 traditional undergraduates received a Minnesota State Grant averaging $3,200. Compared with 2003–2004, this is a decline of 450 recipients and $1.3 million. Federal grant aid, including the Pell Grant, has remained unchanged for the past two years at $26 million, with an average Pell Grant of $2,475 per recipient.
Furthermore, boosts in institutional grant aid help offset further increases in student borrowing. Sixty-eight percent of all traditional undergraduates received educational loans, for a total of $224 million (including parent and private loans). Private loans are the fastest growing form of loans, increasing 32 percent over the past year. Private loans represent an increased financing risk for students because of higher interest rates, less favorable loan terms and fewer safeguards.
Institutions alone cannot sustain access for lower income students and affordability for middle income families. Minnesota’s economic success is a shared responsibility among students, families, colleges and the state. Our state has merited national attention for successfully coordinating public policy around access and affordability in higher education; now it is time for Minnesota to reaffirm its dual commitment to students.
PRIVATE COLLEGE WEEK HELPS STUDENTS NARROW THEIR COLLEGE CHOICES
This year nearly 2,500 students attended Minnesota Private College Week (MPCW), the second highest attendance since the event began in 1994. MPCW — a free, weeklong event when all 17 member colleges open their doors to students and families — provides campus tours and information to help them with college decision-making. The 2006 event took place June 26-30.
According to Jeff Kallay of TargetX, an interactive marketing company specializing in college recruitment, this type of event can have a big impact. His research shows that the top influencing factor for students in deciding where to apply is the campus tour — a central element in the MPCW formula.
Students and parents alike have found the MPCW experience worthwhile. This year, students made a total of 5,345 visits (many visited more than one school — in fact, three students visited 8 schools!) and came from 36 states and 3 foreign countries. Participant Sarah Holmes from Brooklyn Park used MPCW to test her “gut factor” before choosing which schools to explore more in-depth. “I really enjoyed the week. It opened my eyes to a few colleges I didn't think I wanted to consider.”
A family affair
Paul (on left in front) is the youngest Rolfes child. Parents Nick and Peggy met in 1973 while they were attending the College of St. Catherine and St. Thomas College.
Paul Rolfes, who will be a high school senior this fall, visited four of the 17 campuses during MPCW 2006. Although his family has a tradition of attending Minnesota’s private colleges, MPCW provided him the opportunity to experience campuses as a prospective student. “I have had to help move my older brothers and sister to college. I’ve seen a lot of dorm rooms at the private colleges,” he says.
For now, Paul is undecided as to which one of Minnesota’s private colleges he will attend. He has some pretty tough acts to follow with siblings at Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint John’s University and St. Olaf College. Paul’s mother Peggy has some insight into why their family has chosen Minnesota private colleges. “I always tell people to check out the private colleges. I tell them not to rule out private colleges by looking at the tuition costs. Our middle income family received generous financial aid packages that made the financial choice easier. With the private colleges we considered, they all have good retention rates, great four year graduation rates, and most of all, a more personal feel. I thought if the student makes connections right away as a freshman (to other students, to professors, to volunteer activities) they would be more likely to feel commitment, and be successful.”
When looking at colleges Paul is also taking into consideration his plans after four years of college. “All of my siblings have continued their education. My brother Joe is getting his Master’s degree in architecture. My brother Bryan is in medical school. My brother Chris is an intern at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and working on his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. Julie will probably go onto med school as well. Their liberal arts degrees provided a great base on which to build. Now I just have to choose which one to go to.”
A winning formula
A sampling of comments from participants provided some additional perspective on why MPCW seems to work. “This was a great opportunity to squeeze in as many visits as we could in a short time and help narrow our selections down quickly.” “As a Minnesota resident, I was considering going to college outside of Minnesota but MPCW opened my mind to what Minnesota has to offer.” “With two working parents and a busy school year, we really appreciated having this week during the summer.” “…I am surprised how many parents/students still have no idea this even exists.”
As a result of its popularity in Minnesota, the MPCW format has been replicated in six other states with independent college associations. The next MPCW is scheduled for June 25-29, 2007. Read more about MPCW
RAMPING UP TO BETTER SERVE DIVERSE K-12 STUDENTS
UESS scholars at the 2006 closing event
The racial and ethnic makeup of our schools is changing. In fact, by 2015 it is projected that students of color will constitute 20 percent of Minnesota’s high school graduates compared to 13 percent in 2005 — a 40 percent increase. To prime this growing group of students for success, nine years ago the Minnesota Private College Fund partnered with Hamline University’s Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching (CEUT) and local K-12 schools — with financial support from the St. Paul Travelers Foundation — to establish the Urban Education Summer Scholars (UESS) Program. UESS aims to significantly increase the number of well-prepared teachers of color in St. Paul’s K-12 urban classrooms. The program recruits, supports, prepares and helps to retain teachers of color practicing in urban settings. As a result, 218 current and future teachers of color have received the St. Paul Travelers Urban Education Scholarship and completed the UESS program.
This summer, twenty-two scholars received practical, hands-on, real-world experience teaching and managing an urban classroom, motivating culturally diverse learners and practicing effective teaching strategies. The Minnesota Private College Fund administers the scholarships awarded by the St. Paul Travelers Foundation to students of color with financial need who are committed to pursuing a teaching career in a local urban school. CEUT provides culturally responsive professional development and mentoring — assigning the scholars 6-week service-learning experiences in Twin Cities K-12 classrooms.
Dr. Linda Hanson, president of Hamline University, inspired UESS 2006 Scholars during the program’s concluding event in July. A former teacher herself, Dr. Hanson recalled the first experiences she had teaching urban students in 1972 in Atlanta.
“Reflecting back…no one had a clue about the needs of the students — about how they were coming to school from poverty, with health issues, with lack of basic preparation in reading and writing, even though they were in 10th grade, that they perhaps came from families afflicted with substance abuse or violence," Hanson said. "It was pretty much a situation of 'keeping the lid on' and a very ineffective learning environment."
Hanson contrasted her experiences to those of the UESS 2006 Scholars.
"You will stand before your class understanding the context of the issues affecting urban learners," she said. "You have a framework for teaching that accounts for different ways of learning, for student participation and engagement and for fostering culturally responsive classrooms…. You will be prepared AND experienced…[and] our best hope to make lasting transformational change in our schools."
"The [UESS] summer school experience is about making us effective culturally proficient teachers for learners living with urban and urban-like conditions in our diverse schools," said Patrick Mushale, UESS Scholar 2002 and former teacher from Saint Paul Public Schools. "I must say that this program was an eye-opener. We learned so many things that I would be able to write a detailed book."
Through this proactive collaboration between the Minnesota Private College Fund, St. Paul Travelers and CEUT, more culturally proficient teachers will be prepared to serve culturally diverse K-12 learners.
To find out more about the UESS and the program partners, please visit the Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching, the Minnesota Private College Fund and St. Paul Travelers Foundation.
DATA POINT: Globalization trends in science and engineering
“Many more young people in China and India are getting trained in science and engineering than in the U.S,” pointed out a recent report for business leaders, published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (View, issue #4, at www.pwc.com/view). “In 2002, 58 percent of all degrees awarded in China were in engineering and physical sciences, compared with 17 percent in the U.S. In life sciences alone, the combined number of young researchers in China and India will increase 35 percent to 1.6 million by 2008.”
BRIEFS
Eve Vang, College of Saint Benedict senior, is one of 51 students nationwide to be selected to participate in the first Kellogg collegiate Women of Color Leadership Development Institute . . . Burlington Northern and Minnesota Power have joined the elite group of donors who have been supporting the Minnesota Private College Fund for 50 years or more . . . Raj Sethuraju, director of intercultural life at Carleton College has been named "Educator of the Year" by INROADS, which works with businesses to provide internships for promising minority college students.