Institutions across the country continue to ponder and evaluate strategies for aligning financial aid to complement their enrollment goals. Two Indiana University enrollment managers examine the purposeful application of institutional aid in financial aid packaging. In response to the debate about the of merit-based aid vs. the appropriate share…

The 1990s ushered in a new age in state financial support for college students, with the rise of broad-based merit scholarships. Starting in the South and spreading from there, the premise of the "new generation" of programs was simple--states should be in the business of rewarding student performance, retaining the state's "best…

A study examined the probability that students would apply to or attend Southwest Missouri State University without a freshman no-need scholarship, prospective students' awareness of these and other scholarships, the relative importance students attach to the scholarship, and the recruiting potential of the scholarship in various amounts. (MSE)

J. Michael Thompson is the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at the University of Southern California. J. Michael has worked in higher education for more than 30 years in a variety of roles at small private and mid-sized and large public universities, and now at USC, a large private university. He has…

Over the last century, Americans have formed a social contract with higher education through the development of and changes to student financial aid programs. These federal, state, and institutional programs are the manifestation of the value we place on who should and who does pay the costs of higher education. Grants versus loans and low-income…

Youngstown State University (Ohio) established a full-cost renewable scholarship for 40 students annually who maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average. The program is described, including results of the first three years' recruitment, first-year academic requirements, cocurricular activities, community service component, scholarship renewal,…