Vassar College has been awarded the Cooke Prize for Equity in Educational Excellence, which recognizes schools "making strides in enrolling low-income students and supporting them to successful graduation."
Since 2006, Vassar has been taking steps to create a more socioeconomically diverse student body by increasing their financial aid budget, which is now $60 million. This has driven the cost of attendance for low-income students down to around $6,000.
The Cooke Prize for Equity in Educational Excellence awards the winning school $1 million. Vassar President Catharine Hill says the school will apply the award "to programs for lower-income students, 'first generation' students (the first in their family to attend college) and undocumented students, so-called 'DREAMers.'"
Hill added that currently, a person's ability to earn a bachelor's degree depends on their family's race and income. "This must change for our country to live up to its principles of social advancement for all," she said.
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