Inside Rensselaer, March 13, 2009: Questions and = Answers Financial Aid and Admissions at Rensselaer

As the global economic crisis affects = more=20 families, the cost of a college education can become more = daunting. Vice=20 President for Enrollment and Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate = Admissions=20 James Nondorf and his team of admissions and financial aid = officers are=20 helping both current and future Rensselaer students afford a = Rensselaer=20 education, and understand the growing options available to them.=20

Even as the crisis continues, Rensselaer has seen the = largest=20 surge in applications in the history of the Institute, with a 115 = percent=20 increase in applications since 2005. Vice President Nondorf took a = short=20 break from reading applications to discuss the changing dynamics = of=20 financial aid at Rensselaer, and the factors contributing to the = increased=20 interest in Rensselaer.=20

Q: What are the areas that you=20 oversee?
A: My office oversees = undergraduate=20 and graduate admissions and financial aid. As the managers of = financial=20 aid for our students, we help students finance their education = through a=20 combination of resources, including their own, their parents=92, = and the=20 government=92s, and resources from Rensselaer. Assistance can come = from=20 endowed or donated funds, Rensselaer financial aid funds, and = different=20 programs available through the government, including loan programs = such as=20 Perkins Loans, grant programs such as Pell Grants, and work study=20 programs.

Q: Why has the number of applications to Rensselaer = risen so=20 significantly?
A: Each year we aim = for a=20 class of around 1,300 students. This year we have 12,300 = applications to=20 review for those few spots. And in the applications and essays we = are=20 constantly hearing feedback from prospective students on their = eagerness=20 to join a particular faculty researcher or take part in a new = program like=20 gaming simulation or the growth of EMPAC, or use the laboratories = of the=20 Biotechnology Center. And we often hear from our prospective = computer=20 science majors who are just itching to use the power of the = Computational=20 Center for Nanotechnology Initiatives. We will hear over and over = again=20 about the investments we have made in terms of facilities and = platforms.=20 That really resonates when you look through thousands of these=20 applications from students simply hoping for the chance to join=20 Rensselaer. It really is something for all of us here on campus,=20 particularly the students who are already here, to be proud = of.

Q: What is the typical incoming Rensselaer student=20 like?
A: Well, we obviously have all = the=20 statistics on SAT scores and class ranking, but as anyone who is = part of=20 this community knows, it goes much deeper than that. I would say = that=20 Rensselaer students are intellectually curious, mathematically = inclined,=20 and resolute in their ability to find solutions to the world=92s=20 problems.

Q: How have those areas been impacted by the changing = economic=20 climate?
A: We have continued to see = a strong=20 increase in applications and interest from students from around = the=20 country. We have seen more families applying for a waiver of the=20 application fee, but primarily our applicant pool has not been = impacted by=20 the crisis. We continue to see a surge of interest in attending=20 Rensselaer.

We have seen impacts in the financial aid area = from=20 both the current and incoming students our office supports. As = this=20 economic crisis continues to affect more and more people, we are=20 increasingly hearing from students whose parents lost jobs or = whose=20 investments set aside for tuition have been cut in half, or worse. = We are=20 working with each of these families directly, and we have created = a $2=20 million emergency financial aid fund to deal with such rapidly = changing=20 financial circumstances. In total, we have already been able to = assist=20 more than 400 students whose financial situations were = unexpectedly=20 altered this year.

Q: What percentage of Rensselaer students receive = financial=20 aid?
A: About 90 percent of Rensselaer students = receive aid of=20 some sort, either merit- or need-based.

Q: Where does the funding for financial aid come=20 from?
A: Rensselaer financial aid = comes from=20 several different sources. One is endowed funds, which are = donations,=20 often from Rensselaer alumni and alumnae, to create scholarships = that=20 Rensselaer manages and distributes to students. A unique form of = endowed=20 financial aid funding is the Patroon Scholars Program that allows = our=20 donors to personally support the education of individual = Rensselaer=20 undergraduates. In addition to donated funds, Rensselaer also = draws=20 financial aid funding for students from the general operations = budget. It=20 is for this reason that the changes that have taken place to = reduce=20 spending and reallocate funding at Rensselaer, although difficult, = have=20 gone a long way to directly aiding the students who have the = greatest need=20 of financial assistance.

Q: With many families going through economic hardship = at this=20 time, what is Rensselaer doing to ensure they can still afford an=20 education here?
A: We have increased = the=20 financial aid budget by $20 million over the last five years. In = addition,=20 we have created a $2 million emergency fund for those who = encounter=20 financial issues when they attend Rensselaer. We also continue to = raise=20 scholarship funds through our generous individual benefactors, as = well as=20 companies, and we continue to maximize funding through both = federal and=20 state programs.

Q: Do you think the Obama administration will help = increase=20 financial support for families?
A: = Positive=20 changes have already occurred and, in general, the new = administration is=20 making substantial investments to make higher education more = accessible to=20 more people. Some of the most promising details of the package = include a=20 $17 billion increase in Pell Grant funding; a $2,500 tax credit = for=20 families earning less than $160,000 with a family member in = college; and a=20 20 percent increase in the federal work study program.

Q: The financial aid process can be very emotional and=20 confusing. How do you make the process easier for students and = their=20 families?
A: First, we send each = admitted=20 student=92s financial aid package with the admissions letter. This = gives=20 them a complete idea of the options available to them at = Rensselaer.=20 Because the process can sometimes be confusing, we make sure that = our=20 financial aid officers are just a phone call away. We have special = call-in=20 nights for families who have a hard time calling during regular = office=20 hours due to their own jobs. During admitted student days the = financial=20 aid office works individually with students and their families on = their=20 own financial issues. We also help explain the often-confusing = government=20 aspect of financial aid and help process student loans.

Q: Rensselaer graduates have a rich history of service = to their=20 country in the armed forces. What sort of programs are in place = for=20 current or future service members? =
A: I am=20 proud to say that we hold a leadership position in this area. I = believe we=20 are the first university that will be admitting veterans and their = families this coming year under the Yellow Ribbon provision of the = new GI=20 Bill. These veterans and their families will attend Rensselaer as=20 freshmen, transfer students, and graduate students at no cost to = the=20 student. Rensselaer will match the funds provided by the = government,=20 making the cost of attendance essentially free. In addition, these = students do not have an application fee, and they have their own = dedicated=20 admissions officer, an expedited admission process, and a huge = number of=20 ROTC offerings available to them.

In addition, we support = those=20 students who enter the ROTC program, who are our future service = members,=20 with room and board scholarships through financial aid, which is = in=20 addition to the funding that they receive through the armed=20 services.

Send comments to:
Inside Rensselaer, = Strategic=20 Communications and External Relations
1000 Troy Building, 110 = Eighth=20 Street, Troy, N.Y. 12180 or to leibat@rpi.edu.

Inside=20 Rensselaer
Volume 3, Number 3, March 13, 2009
=A92009 Rensselaer=20 Polytechnic Institute

Front=20 Page