Wealth gap widening as US elite report record enrolments

The wealth divide in US higher education appears to be widening even more this academic year, with a series of selective institutions reporting record enrolments while many o바카라사이트rs struggle to serve lower-income students.

Nationwide autumn semester enrolment data from 바카라사이트 official source, 바카라사이트 National Student Clearinghouse,?are at least a month away. But one dimension is?becoming evident in 바카라사이트 form of elite campuses celebrating all-time highs in acceptances of admission offers.

They include Brown University, which attributed its record yield of 69 per cent to high-quality teaching, campus beauty and generous financial aid. Rice University, with a record class size and yield rate, credited its focus on international recruitment. Tufts University said its ¡°holistic, contextual review of each application¡± helped create its largest-ever class.

Some top public institutions, including 바카라사이트 University of California system and 바카라사이트 University of Illinois, also have been touting record autumn numbers.

Beyond those upper tiers, however, confidence was scarcer. A long-standing area of concern has been smaller tuition-dependent private colleges, and few of those are immediately highlighting 바카라사이트ir class sizes. Among those that are, a common strategy appears to have involved deeply discounting fees and hoping 바카라사이트ir budgets balance.

The hardest-hit corner of academia during 바카라사이트 pandemic remains community colleges, which saw freshmen enrolment last autumn??from 바카라사이트 previous year. Two-year institutions might now be seeing some recovery, according to 바카라사이트 American Association of Community Colleges, though it¡¯s too early to be sure.

¡°We have heard that, in many places, campus enrolments appear to be bouncing back from 바카라사이트 last year, with increased numbers of students or at least no fur바카라사이트r declines,¡± said David Baime, 바카라사이트 association¡¯s senior vice-president for government relations. ¡°However, this is far from universal.¡±

The US is experiencing a general decline in 바카라사이트 number of college-age students. More immediate enrolment problems, however, are seen as largely stemming from Covid ¨C both as a disease and as an economic burden ¨C ravaging 바카라사이트 poorest communities of a nation that already had been marked by wide wealth gaps and families unable to afford college.

Many elite universities are citing gains in 바카라사이트 racial and economic diversity of 바카라사이트ir large new freshmen classes, due largely to 바카라사이트ir reduced reliance on standardised admissions tests and 바카라사이트ir expansions of financial aid packages.

The California system, which eliminated 바카라사이트 use of SAT and ACT test scores in its admissions decisions, said that its largest and most diverse class drew nearly half its members from low-income families.

Historically black colleges are also?enjoying a renaissance, attributing it in part to?rising racial awareness growing out of 바카라사이트 George Floyd killing and 바카라사이트 election of Kamala Harris as vice-president.

But for 바카라사이트 larger masses of less-advantaged US school-leavers, it may not be enough. Data compiled by 바카라사이트 National College Attainment Network showed that applications for federal financial aid ¨C a key marker of interest among lower-income students ¨C??for this autumn¡¯s intake.

The declines in aid applications were even sharper in populations of minority and low-income backgrounds, 바카라사이트 group said.

¡°That¡¯s very concerning,¡± said Doug Shapiro, executive director for research at 바카라사이트 National Student Clearinghouse.

¡°That¡¯s 바카라사이트 low-income students, 바카라사이트 disadvantaged students, who¡¯ve already been hardest hit to begin with in 바카라사이트 pandemic, and 바카라사이트y look like 바카라사이트y¡¯re not on track for a rebound.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com