The lack of diversity in secondary education has recently been coming to light all over the country, with protests and outrage coming from Yale, University of Missouri, Occidental, Ahmerst, Claremont McKenna and Ithaca. For some students, the problem begins right at the application process. The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success has partnered with 83 schools across the country, including Harvard, Brown, Cornell and Princeton, to provide all students with the same opportunities to attend college.
Courtney McAnuff, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Rutgers, sat down with Fair360, formerly DiversityInc to give some more insight as to why the program is necessary and what its goals are. Mr. McAnuff has been involved with The Coalition since its very early planning stages several years ago.
Research shows that high-achieving students from low-income families consistently apply to non-selective colleges or universities simply because they don’t think they can afford it. According to Mr. McAnuff, the problem can be a lack of information about financial aid. “When you see a tuition bill of $40,000 or $50,000 and you’re only making $30,000 it’s staggering,” he explained. “It’s not something you think will happen to you without a clear understanding of financial aid.”
