Staff Editorial | Affordability looms as major issue for College

This week, Vassar welcomed President-elect Catherine Bond Hill to the campus and community that will be her new home. As we lose a leader who has become an icon of this institution’s values, we await news of President Hill’s plans. During her visit, Hill stressed that she would listen to campus voices while constructing a long-term plan for Vassar, paying heed to what students consider the greatest challenges of this liberal arts institution. She also offered a glimpse of her priorities at her meeting with students. Chief among her concerns is the affordability of institutions like Vassar. According to Hill, the success of a college hinges upon its accessibility and affordability, and the strength of a college depends on its ability to attract and sustain a campus of social, ethnic, and intellectual diversity. On this subject, The Miscellany News is in firm agreement.

With the future of federal aid unclear and the costs of higher education consistently climbing, affordability is at the forefront of students’ minds. It will become increasingly important that the College take steps to secure its own future. By providing sizeable and consistent financial aid and carefully reviewing the cost of attending Vassar, the College can recruit and accept from the largest pool of qualified students, with the goal of creating an economically diverse student body. When visiting the campus this past weekend, Hill assured students that she is committed to making Vassar a viable option for all qualified and talented prospective students.

This college often touts the high level of students (approximately 56 percent) who receive financial aid, but we would expect a progressive financial aid policy from the sixth most expensive institution of higher education in the country, according to a recent Time Magazine study. A statistic less advertised is the average level of debt graduating seniors leave with, approximately $18,000.

The true challenge will be whether Vassar can protect its current aid systems and raise additional funds while keeping inevitable increases in tuition to a minimum.

But we must also recognize that affordability is a chimerical giant, affecting a broad array of issues challenging this college. It is no secret that affordability and increased diversity go hand in hand. Increasing the number of students from diverse backgrounds enrolled in the College is the most direct way of combating campus homogeneity. Improving the College’s accessibility for students of various backgrounds is a first step to attaining a diverse community—but it is by no means an end in itself.

Substantive, respectful debate is an integral component of the process of building a diverse community. The tone of such debate is largely decided by student conduct, but the administration cannot deny its part in shaping this dialogue. As a leader, Hill must be conscious of the import of student voice, but also the need for administrative support in times of controversy.

It is not enough that Vassar accept students from varied social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds: the school’s environment must be conducive to making sure everyone feels comfortable to express his or her own opinion in a public space. This is no doubt a difficult process without an easy answer, but we hope that Hill will work through these issues with students to create a zone where ideas can be challenged and created.

Of course, affordability and diversity are not the only challenges Vassar will face in the coming years, but they are perhaps the more significant ones for a new president to tackle. Vassar must remain a place where free minds can think openly and creatively; a commitment to affordability and diversity can only benefit the entire community.