Financial aid

If I didn’t say that I was on financial aid, you wouldn’t know it.

Most people assume that you are either on or not on need-based financial aid to attend Duke based on where you are from, what kind of clothes you wear or what social groups you associate with. In my case, most people hear I am from Connecticut and automatically assume that I am either a legacy or live in a mansion, neither of which are true. I certainly carry extensive privilege as a white male student, but the reality is that my family is expected to pay around $11,000 per year to keep me at Duke, and even that amount is still difficult to pay for.

There are rare opportunities where the wealth gap at this university is under the microscope and perhaps now we can begin to speak about it openly. Money influences and determines many parts of life at Duke. Money makes a difference socially (will you fit in?) and it limits your opportunities to participate in campus activities (can I afford to do that?).

Social stratification along the lines of wealth exists, even when Greek and selective organizations offer financial aid for dues. If you do not live a wealthier lifestyle, it is very difficult to feel comfortable in a setting in which there is so much money. Social groups and money are closely intertwined because it is not just about paying the requisite cost to join an organization, it is being able to fully partake in all the expected social events that such membership entails.

There are plenty of other issues related to socioeconomic status and the wealth gap at Duke, but they are worthy of a multitude of columns from voices whose individual experiences can speak far greater truth than I can in this space. Simply put, we speak openly to a certain extent about race, ethnicity and sexual and gender identity on this campus, but we often ignore socioeconomic status. Recent news about our peer institutions moving to a no-loan financial aid system provides us with a chance not only to talk about these issues, but also to make changes to our financial aid system. In both of these areas, we can do better.

Last week, the Chronicle published an article detailing how Duke’s peer institutions, most recently the University of Chicago, have opted to replace student loans with grants in need-based financial aid packages. While certainly these systems are not perfect and incur higher costs on the university, Duke should seriously consider moving in this direction, if for no other reason than to remain competitive with our peer-institutions.

When I was making my college decision, Duke’s financial aid package was one of the lowest of all the schools I was deciding between. I am very blessed that my parents were willing to take on the extra cost because Duke was the place I wanted to go to school. Most prospective students frankly do not have that luxury. But, it has never been easy. I have had a hold on my registration for almost every semester I have been enrolled here because we struggle to pay the expected family contribution by the deadline each semester. Often times, I accept additional loans outside of my original package just so I can register for classes. Our financial aid system must be something we take seriously. I know this because my experience is not uncommon at this university.

Moving to a no-loan policy like University of Chicago, whose endowment of $6.7 billion is akin to our $7 billion endowment, and other highly touted universities is not just necessary but quite feasible. We have measures in place like loan caps and no-loan policies for low-income students, yet they simply do not go far enough to attracting the best students to Duke regardless of their financial need. Of course, students might still need to take out loans, but replacing what would currently be covered in student loans with grant money relieves stress on family and on individual students who feel pressured to go into a high-paying job after graduation rather than pursue their academic and professional passions.