Aid in the Midst of a Crisis...

As a private collegiate institution in the midst of the current United States economic crisis, Albright College is faced with the issue of student enrollment. This issue comes not as a result of academics or anything of that nature, but it stems from the price of tuition. Unlike public universities, private colleges cannot rely on government funding, which immediately becomes an issue for post secondary hopefuls and parents alike. While Albright does offer great financial aid packages, a lack in overall school funding, due in part to the current economic recession, can give students quite the uphill climb.

The issue of enrollment is certainly one that must be faced by Albright College, a private institution in Reading Pennsylvania. Why is Albright College affected? Here are a few statistics: Tuition at Albright College is $31, 940, Room costs about $4,919, Board costs a total of $3,939, and tack on a comprehensive fee of $800. Grand total: $41, 598 for one year of study (as of the 2010-2011 school year) at Albright College. According to an article printed in the New York times, dated April 29, 2009, two - thirds of students receive financial aid, which could quite possibly be problematic for schools like Albright. The more influential that the economic recession is on financial aid distribution, the less that students are less likely to receive. With a bill of around $40,000, students may think twice about pursuing an education at Albright College.

Teresa Gilliams, a professor of English at Albright College, calls this issue "Troublesome", claiming that having "no access undermines educational ability." Dr. Lawrence Morris, another professor of English at Albright, agrees saying "that's rough". He added that a problem with financial aid also can stem from constant campus upgrades to the campus. Campus upgrades are also funded by student financial aid, which requires more money, and can add to a students' tab.

While the instructors feel that this issue is certainly no small deal, some students agree that this issue can be severly problematic. Shannon Branch, junior, admits that she relies on financial aid to fund her post secondary education, and spoke of an issue with her aid during the fall smester of 2009. "...last year, I normally get the PHEAA Grant, but the process was delayed because they (the school's financcial aid department) weren't sure if they were going to receive those monies from the Federal Government to give to students ." Branch cites that until the money was finally released she had an outstanding balance because they had no idea as to whether or not she would've received the aid. Shannon believes that if the recession worsens, more of the same is likely to occur.

Albright College is just one of the many private schools that is faced with the threat of a lack of enrollement. An article from The Miami Herald dated February 28, 2010, states that some schools had to dig into savings in order to provide students with sufficient financial aid. If this pattern remains, schools may be forced to move to far more drastic measures.