Yale opens its gates a little wider

Another Ivy* puts its obscenely huge endowment to work for the greater good: the President of Yale announced yesterday that the school is eliminating the parental tuition contribution for kids whose families earn less than $45K. Students with a family income between $45K and $60K will see a reduction in the required contribution. (Yale Daily News)

I applaud Yale for its decision--it's great when universities do the right thing on their end. Unfortunately, though, the barriers to a college education for the underprivileged go far beyond high tuition. There are social factors (see David Brooks, "The Sticky Ladder," NYT), not to mention the barriers underprivileged youth face simply getting the scores and background they need for admission to competitive schools. How many families can afford SAT prep classes that can run into 4 figures? How many can afford to send their children to private school if their local public schools don't adequately prepare students for college?

We have two battles to face in this country if we're going to provide mind-broadening, income-enhancing higher education to every qualified student. First, we need to erase the socioeconomic barriers that keep people from applying to, gaining acceptance to, or succeeding in college. Second, we need to make college free--yes, free--to all Americans who qualify, as many other industrialized countries do.

*Princeton changed its student loans to grants in 2001. (Daily Princetonian)