Inside Higher ED published a story earlier this week on a survey that was released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).  According to the survey, 90 percent of colleges saw an increase in financial aid applications this year.  While this number is not that surprising given the state of economy, some of the other numbers published do raise some eyebrows.  It is no secret that colleges were worried about enrollment decreases this fall due to “summer melt” (students who deposit, then decide to attend another institution over the summer) and no shows.  However, the numbers were not that staggering after all.  Another interesting note is that enrollment appears to be up for both public and private institutions.  So, what does this mean for the class of 2010?  Well, according to the article, several college officials reported that they plan to continue to use strategies such as offering admission to more applicants and increasing the amount of financial aid.    Don’t get too excited though. Even if a college increases the number of students they admit, they still probably won’t stray too far from their typical admitted student profile. Also, since increasing the number of admitted students and financial aid do not seem to be long-term strategies, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for future college applicants.
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant
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