Recently, controversy surrounding the policy of need-blind admission has intensified. While financial and admissions policies of most universities are not typically discussed openly, anyone interested in attending an institution of higher education needs to be familiar with both terms and guidelines. The educational landscape is swiftly changing, and successful students will need both tools and knowledge to successfully navigate it. In the article below, we’ll discuss what is meant by this term and how it impacts the student educational experience.
Meaning and Intention
Strictly defined, a need-blind admission policy is one in which the financial status of the prospective student is not considered a factor in their acceptance by the university. The intention of such a policy is to level the playing field, ensuring students from diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic niches a chance of attaining a degree. Federal law requires universities in the United States to be need-blind in order to participate in an anti-trust exemption that will apply until the year 2022.
However, the real consequences of a policy position have become increasingly clear. Only a score of the many hundreds of institutions are truly need-blind, and capable of meeting the full financial need of every student they accept. They draw support from endowments and private donations in order to ensure that the financial burden of each student is fulfilled, irrespective of status, ethnic background, or inability to pay. As a result, they are more selective in their admissions process, evaluating academic qualifications and personal achievements with rigor.
Wiggle Room in the Definition
Federal requirements do not stipulate guidelines for defining need-blind policy. Each university determines their status, which leads to some interesting permutations. Unlike the aforementioned score of universities, most institutions maintain the illusion of need-blind status by offering information to students on their loan or grant options. These must be independently secured, which puts the lie to legitimate status of the institution’s admissions policy.
Many of these universities admit students who are unable to attend due to a shortfall of financial aid. While this permits them to maintain their purported need-blind status, they are not truly so. This practice results in many questioning the legitimacy of their participation in the initiative, since they are effectively still discriminating against individuals based on their ability to pay ever-increasing costs of attendance.
The Financial Trap
The problem with the simulacra of need-blind policies is that it often masks the hidden consequences of attending even the humblest of institutions. For students from backgrounds of lower socioeconomic status, this can mean a lifetime of debt. That’s because they must often take on loans in order to pay for tuition and class materials, the costs of which rise annually. In some cases, even if the student works a full-time job while in attendance, loans will still be essential.
This leads some to critique the present requirements for need-blind status of universities. When examined in this light, a university education without a lifetime of debt is a mark of privilege, which negates the appearance equality. Grants and scholarships are one potential way to avoid this impossible cost. In order to secure adequate financial support, individuals should begin researching the programs and trusts that finance these initiatives a year in advance.
Until the exorbitant cost of university attendance is examined and remedied, there’s little recourse for individuals who protest this apparent disparity between bylaws and reality. Essentially, at this point, it is safe to assume that need-blind admission policies guarantee a student will not be denied acceptance based on their ability to pay, but little else.
