Prospective students are attracted to Tufts for its cultural diversity and range of opportunities. But just as students come to the University from all different ethnic backgrounds, a recent study has shown that a range of economic situations also shape students' individual college experiences.
A study by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education recently identified the percentage of students at the nation's 26 top colleges and universities who receive federal Pell Grants to serve as an indicator of the economic diversity of the student body. As Pell Grants are generally available only to families whose annual incomes are below $35,000, a smaller proportion of recipients in the student body indicates greater enrollment from upper and middle class homes.
According to study, "the nation's highest-ranked universities still enroll mostly the middle and upper classes," and Tufts, with ten percent of students receiving Pell Grants, appears to fit this mold. Using this measure, Tufts offers much less economic diversity than Cornell, where 27 percent of students are Pell Grant recipients, but considerably more than Harvard's, where six percent of the students receive Pells.
Yet the University's level of socioeconomic diversity does come as a surprise to some students. Sophomore Stephanie Preston came to Tufts "from a small private school where everybody was the same" and does not receive any financial aid. Preston said that she was surprised by how many of her friends come from families with much lower incomes and also, on the other end of the spectrum, how many students have families with "a lot more money [that] I wouldn't even begin to know what to do with."
Unlike many students who are hard-pressed to meet the price of full tuition, Preston does not feel that Tufts is a financial struggle for her family. She does not have to work or pay for her cell phone and textbooks. She relies upon on a monthly allowance of $300 for normal expenses.
A majority of students receive no aid toward Tufts' $36,465 price tag, yet the student body is generally regarded to represent a good cross-section of different backgrounds. In the 2001-2002 academic year, 45 percent of Tufts students received financial aid from the University in the form of grants, loans, and federally subsidized campus employment. The average per student award was $20,766.
Students say that they rarely notice the difference among students' socioeconomic backgrounds, though, and almost never discuss them between friends. "It's not talked about a lot," Preston said. "It's not a big deal between all of us."
Differences in socioeconomic backgrounds can affect campus opportunities for some students, however. Preston said that she had considered joining the equestrian team with a friend, but then decided against it when the friend discovered it would be too expensive.
Students' economic backgrounds, especially those from lower-income families, occasionally become bigger than not being able to participate in an extracurricular activity. One of Preston's friends will be unable to return to Tufts because of high costs.
But, while financial situations can be limiting, students from low-income families are not necessarily doomed to an inferior college experience, according to sophomore Andrew Lannaman. "For the most part money hasn't been a factor in the things I've wanted to do," he said.
Opportunities sometimes must be prioritized, but students say they make do with resources available. "I haven't really missed out on anything too major," sophomore Rebecca Aguime said. Aguime said she considers Tufts a financial struggle for her family, but she said does not consider it an overwhelming issue.
"It's just sort of harder," she said. "I want to live here over the summer but my parents are freaking out."
For the most part, students find a way to make their budgets cover the expenses most important to them, according to sophomore Shahatra Allen. "It comes down to what your priorities are," she said. "If you are willing to strain your budget then you can always find a way if you really want to do something."
This was the situation for many students this semester that had to decide whether or not they wanted to continue with the Third Day Gospel Choir. The half-credit course, offered each semester by the music department, recently started charging an $87.50 fee for travel expenses so the group could tour at the end of March.
Many students were driven away by this new expense, which they said outweighed the enjoyment of being a part of the group. "I had already taken all of my arts credits, and gospel choir wasn't like something I needed," sophomore Vanessa Matthew said.
"The money was the main factor I didn't go back," agreed Lannaman. "I was just doing it to be a part of a gospel choir, I wasn't doing it for a credit and I don't want to spend over $80 for that."
Opportunities missed today may be worth the benefits of attending a respected university in the long run, Allen said. "All things considered, I'm better off then some others," she said. "But in any case, my education is worth it."
On the other hand, students' socioeconomic differences may persist well after the end of their college days, Lannaman said. Different socioeconomic backgrounds may remain an issue down the road when some students find themselves paying off their college loan debts, and those who had an easier start are keeping what they earn.
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