Very interesting article regarding the effect of the economy on the (well-known to all of us) college financial aid system. The article is an interesting read no matter what, but is especially so if you have younger siblings entering college in the near future. According to the article, the government has expanded work study programs and loans to the tune of $95 billion (not sure how I feel about this; the money is going to a good program but there’s too much of a chance of university mismanagement for me to be entirely comfortable with the idea). Most interestingly, however, is the claim that admissions standards will be reduced in order to accept a larger student body able to pay the tuition with minimal or no aid. It will be interesting to see how this last point influences acceptance rates and mean SAT scores at schools around the country, especially the competitive ones. More at this link.
