Columbia preserves need-blind policy

The faculty of Columbia College voted unanimously yesterday to continue its need-blind admissions and full financial aid policies next year. The decision, which was accepted with great enthusiasm from student, faculty and alumni supporters, will preserve the university's present policy of accepting qualified applicants regardless of their need. It also ensures full financial aid through student, alumni and faculty fundraising for academic year 1992-93. The future of need-blind admissions is currently tenuous at the University, as continuing increases in tuition have not been matched by federal funding for financial aid. Columbia freshman Matt Weinstein, student council representative for the admissions and financial aid committee, said the new plan made students responsible for raising $50,000, faculty for $125,000 and alumni for the remainder. And according to Weinstein, fundraising has begun, with students already having raised $2,000 in a telethon. "For the first time in Columbia's history, really, the students, faculty and the alumni came together as one cohesive unit, which I thought was pretty incredible," Weinstein said. Madeleine Zelin, chairperson of Columbia College's admissions and financial aid committee, said that she is pleased with the faculty's approval of the proposal. "Certainly what this vote shows is that faculty, students and alumni feel enormously committed to the need-blind and full financial aid policies, and that there's a wonderful community at Columbia that is willing to turn rhetoric into reality," Zelin said yesterday. Zelin added that faculty support for the measure was crucial, as the proposal demanded that faculty assume a greater time commitment to tutoring and other methods of support. However, Student Council President Randa Zakhary said that while she is pleased that the proposal passed, she is disappointed with the administration's lack of effort to spare the need-blind admissions policy. "It's definitely a symbolic moment for Columbia College, and an embarassing moment for the administration," Zakhary said. "They abandoned their responsibility."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.