home > imperatives >
The Four Strategic Imperatives
3
Financial Aid—$166 million
Because ability, not ability to pay, should determine who receives a Dartmouth education
The Case
Dartmouth remains one of the few institutions of higher learning that is both need blind in its admissions process and meets 100 percent of each student's demonstrated need. The financial aid program allows Dartmouth to attract some of the brightest students in the nation, who in turn create the dynamic campus community for which the College is known. Currently Dartmouth ranks third - ahead of all other Ivies - in U.S. News and World Report's comparison of average aid awards. To sustain this competitive edge and strengthen future applicant pools, we must keep the Dartmouth Experience financially within reach of every student we admit, regardless of economic downturns and their impact on the College's endowment.
The Need
To invest $150 million in our endowment for undergraduate financial aid and $16 million in graduate fellowships.
The Impact
Investment in this area will secure a higher percentage of the financial aid budget in perpetuity, reducing the stress on the College's operating budget and allowing for more flexibility and security in its planning. Most important, a robust financial aid program will allow the College to remain competitive in its quest for outstanding students, and let students choose Dartmouth by how it fits them, not by their families' pocketbooks.