The following two articles were published in the most recent issues of the Stanford and Princeton alumni magazines. They are a good read if you are curious to learn more about the specifics of the financial aid policies offered at these two schools. Also, if you have ever found yourself asking why an elite university would want to offer such generous financial aid packages, the Stanford article goes into some of the thinking behind the school’s financial aid policy with the provost and director of admissions/financial aid. The Princeton article takes a somewhat broader view, interviewing Princeton alumni who are now serving as the presidents of various universities to get their perspective on how the increasingly generous financial aid offered by the most selective schools will affect other less selective institutions. Both are short pieces and have some information that is good to know!
Farm Aid: http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/mayjun/features/financialaid.html
Financial Aid: Who wins?: http://www.princeton.edu/paw/
