The College Board recently revealed that it will allow certain universities, including Penn, to request the names of high-achieving students from low-income zip codes and high schools - a timely announcement.
While some may be leery of the move and consider it to be a violation of students' privacy, the College Board seems ready to assure the correct use of the information, limiting the number of schools with access to its lists to those who have shown dedication to recruiting low-income students. The information will be used to inform students of opportunities and financial aid at the selected schools.
Penn's access to this information will hopefully encourage the submission of applications by students who qualify for financial aid under the new initiative, which provides loan-free aid packages to students whose families earn less than $90,000 a year and provide full tuition, as well as room and board, if the income totals less than $40,000.
So kudos to Penn for qualifying for the restricted pilot program. And more importantly, the Admissions Office deserves applause for encouraging more students to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Increasing the number of low-income students in the Ivy League not only benefits these talented, hardworking new additions but also the rest of the community, allowing for more diverse worldviews on our campuses.
Students who work hard to meet the criteria for Ivy League admission deserve all the help they need to pay for the education. Penn's new initiative brings that help. These lists bring the students.
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