US: Paying in full as the ticket into colleges

Facing fallen endowments and needier students, many colleges are looking more favourably on wealthier applicants as they make their admissions decisions this year, writes Kate Zernike in The New York Times. Institutions that have pledged to admit students regardless of need are finding ways to increase the number of those who pay the full cost in ways that allow colleges to maintain the claim of being need-blind - taking more students from the transfer or waiting lists, for instance, or admitting more foreign students who pay full tuition.

Private colleges that acknowledge taking financial status into account say they are even more aware of that factor this year. "If you are a student of means or ability, or both, there has never been a better year," said Robert A Sevier, an enrolment consultant to colleges, The New York Times continues.

The trend does not mean colleges are cutting their financial aid budgets. In fact, most have increased those budgets this year, protecting that money even as they cut administrative salaries or require faculty members to take furloughs. But with more students applying for aid, and with those who need aid often needing more, institutions say they have to be mindful of how many scholarship students they can afford.
Full report on The New York Times site