Recommendation Report:

How Would More Financial Aid Awards Given by the

University of New Haven Effect Success and Enrollment Rates?

Author: Halle Ellal

Date Submitted: 2 December 2019

Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 3
Abstract ................................................................................................................................ 4
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 5
Methods ................................................................................................................................ 5
Results .................................................................................................................................. 6
Federal Aid ....................................................................................................................................7
Data ..............................................................................................................................................7
Comparison to Columbia University................................................................................................9
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 9
Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 10
References........................................................................................................................... 11
Executive Summary
For this report, I was asked to evaluate the different financial aid options available to students
attending the University of New Haven. From this prompt, I recognized a few issues that arose:
• Students are not aware of the different financial aid packages available
• The application for federal student aid is very confusing and can be often missed
• Communication between the university and students is minimal
• Overall student enrollment rates are low because those individuals accepted to study at
the university cannot acquire funds to attend the university

Both primary and secondary research were completed assess the problem. Students were
interviewed about the different financial packages they received. There were also multiple web
searches completed to distinguish if there was financial aid opportunities that the school offered
but were not easily found by prospective students. From these methods, some information was
attained concerning enrollment rates as well as what different students at the university were
awarded upon entering their first semester:
• There are 6 different types of federal financial aid opportunities that are given to students
who demonstrate the need for financial aid.
• The current enrollment rate is 88% at the University of New Haven, however the
graduation rate is only at 49.6%.
• The overall amount of students that are receiving financial aid from their institution is
increasing as the years progress.
• The amount of federal aid heavily depends on economic status of your household,
siblings in college, and the grades achieved while in high school.

Reviewing this research, I recommend that the University be more open to setting up family
plans with these students who feel as if they cannot attend due to monetary restrictions. I also
think that students planning to enroll at the University be able to disregard filling out the FAFSA
and make the financial aid office more accountable for recognizing that students need financial
help outside of the academic scholarships that are awarded prior to the beginning of the student’s
education.
Abstract
This report discusses the possibility of adding more financial aid opportunities provided by the
government to help both the success and enrollment rates for each college, specifically the
University of New Haven. The current problem now comes from high school graduates that do
not have the funding available to attend college, not realizing that there are many different ways
to attain said funds. What is not mentioned in this report is how the wealth class of someone’s
household (low-class, middle-class, high-class) could also determine how much money students
receive from the government. There are many instances in which living in a middle-class home
shows that enough money is available to a student according to income when, in reality, other
life events have taken precedence over this money and it is no longer available for use for
secondary education. Some major results came from interviews conducted with students enrolled
at this university to see what kind of aid they receive. There is data showing that 4-year
accredited universities have increased the amount of students that receive financial aid, but the
rates could be better by implementing more financial aid packages for students that do not
receive a lot of money from the government.
Introduction
Over the years, the graduation rate of college students has fluctuated due to many factors. One
factor that seems to stand out amongst the rest is students not having the ability to continue their
education because they cannot attain the funds yearly. There are some students that have the
capability to pay for college tuition up front; there are some students that rely on student loans
and receive help from their caretakers; there are some students that claim independence and have
to rely on their own credit to attain the funds to continue their education; there are students that
receive a high school diploma and decide they cannot afford a college degree. This has become
an issue because, in modern times, it is essential that young people venturing into the workforce
acquire a degree for a majority of jobs available. The competition is high for positions of all
types within different businesses, and a potential employee is frowned upon for not having that
piece of paper claiming they graduated. The research completed for this report is compiled from
multiple online resources and previously published reports on different topics such as statistics
found about graduation rates over time and different financial aid opportunities directly offered
from campus. Federal student aid (FAFSA) is recognized as a factor that contributes to the
financial package a student receives, but there was no research completed on the number
breakdown for determining how much money the government can give out depending on house
income. The amount of financial aid awarded by economic status is what the government decides
based upon an internal system which is hard to find information on since it is a confidential
aspect. This report will explain the methods used to conduct the research followed by the results
that were found to be relevant to the research question. The conclusion will directly follow the
results in which the results are analyzed and all options are considered for the decision to include
more general financial aid packages. At the end of the report, the recommendations will be listed
for different colleges to refer to when considering what other types of financial aid can be
offered at their institution to make it more inclusive to students that deserve the college
education but cannot obtain funds to attend. Overall, there is a possibility that the University of
New Haven can begin to construct financial aid packages for students that may not demonstrate
financial aid based upon the data inputted by FAFSA but still need assistance. This can be
completed by doing more outreach programs to these students and hopefully help these students
continue their education until graduation.

Methods
The research I put into this report is based upon primarily secondary online research looking up
current policies put in place for financial aid. These sources are mainly government funding
websites such as collegeboard which also controls nationwide testing for the SATs. Other
research done consisted of looking at different packages that colleges have to offer to their
students for a direct comparison and statistical relation to the cost of tuition. It is also understood
that, besides academics, there are student athletes that are able to attend college at an affordable
cost due to certain athletic scholarships. Another aspect of financial aid that needs to be
addressed is federal aid granted by the FAFSA, which is based solely on income of the student’s
family or personal income (if an independent). The websites I used were helpful because they
contained information directly from the government concerning the different packages they
offered. Some websites were specifically directed at parents of the students, and some were
directed specifically toward students.The primary research completed for this report is a series of
interviews conducted with individuals who are all enrolled as full-time students at the University
of New Haven. I asked questions about the different packages offered to them and if there are
any changes being made to the packages as tuition increased each year. Within this data, I also
included my own personal financial packages and income as a contribution to the federal student
aid I was offered at the time. These students were interviewed a week prior to the completion of
the report. These interviewees were credible because they are currently full-time undergraduates
and actively accruing financial aid every semester. The questioned I asked are referenced in the
“results” section under the “data” sub-heading.

Results
One thing to remember is that if students are awarded grants, then they do not need to be paid
back like other types of loans awarded to students. The same goes for all scholarships that the
student receives. If a student is given the opportunity to take out a loan, however, these funds do
have to be paid back to the government and may or may not accrue interest while the student is
in school. The current enrollment rate is 88% at the University of New Haven. The graduation
rate for this university, however, is only 49.6% as a part of quota taken in the 2016-2017
academic year. A graduation rate is represented as a percentage and shows the time it takes for a
student to complete their degree in the given time (in this case, a 4-year program). Students that
do not finish their degree within the allotted 4 years could have encountered different obstacles
including poor grades, and, of course, the money needed to continue their education. One
problem the university has faced is that they are constantly pushing away students that enroll and
then cannot attain the funds to attend. Students recall while filling out all the paperwork and
forms to attend the school, they had no guidance whatsoever and needed to remember to check
for notifications daily so nothing was late. Mail would be sent to their homes every once in a
while, but it was nothing that helped them apply for financial aid and all the possibilities for aid
the school actually had to offer. Another problem is that emails are sometimes sent to students
and are easily misplaced. There is usually only one email sent prior to tuition being due, and it is
up to the student to remember to check their e-pay and not miss the deadline. This then turns into
a hold on the account and students have to miss classes at the beginning of the semester. There
are often changes made to a student’s tuition as well, based on the add/drop ability to switch
classes which may add or take away lab fees. This capability could potentially make a huge
difference in the loan taken out by a student. This results in an overall lack of communication
between the university and its students.
Another concern that has recently been raised is that the education someone receives needs to
be “worth” the tuition a student is paying for a given degree. According to the website,
University of New Haven has been reviewed for its academics and can attest to the fact that
many students have attained jobs post-graduation, which makes it worth it to the student to earn
a degree.
The application process for financial aid can be difficult for some people applying to college
as well as not easily accessible, especially for low-income families who may not be able to use a
computer. With the era of technology constantly evolving, all processes are completed online
which can negatively impact some students from filling out financial aid forms in a timely
manner. In a study completed, throughout the years 2003-2004, 1.8 million students that were
able to receive aid from FAFSA did not apply due to a complicated application process
(“Recommendations for Reforming Federal Student Aid”). With this data, changes can be made
to make this process easier or allow people to be more aware of how to complete it.

Federal Aid
Grants and loans are the major forms of federal financial aid currently for full-time
undergraduate students. The largest program is the Pell Grant, which is used specifically for
students that strictly demonstrate financial need. Again, this cannot be filled out if people do not
know about it. There is also the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, which is
for students who also need exceptional financial aid; however priority is given to students that
also apply for the Pell Grant. There is also a Federal Work-Study option where students find jobs
through the school and the students are paid to help with the cost of tuition.
There are many loans that are given to students by the government as well which are funds
that need to be paid back. These include the Federal Perkins loan, a subsidized Direct Stafford
loan, an unsubsidized Direct Stafford loan, and a Direct Parent PLUS loan. Both the subsidized
and unsubsidized Direct Stafford loans are common to the University of New Haven; they are
both an option when students are able to accept their financial aid packages for the year. The Pell
Grant is also a common form of financial aid at the university, but the Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant is not. If students are not qualified for the initial Pell Grant, then
the supplemental grant just mentioned is easily overlooked.

Data
If you look at Figure 1 below, this chart shows the percentage of full-time undergraduate
students that received financial aid at a 4-year accredited college for a series of years between
2000 and 2017. The highest percentage seen in this chart was from 2010-2011 at private for-
profit institutions at 91%. The lowest was between 2000-2001 also at private for-profit
institutions at 64%. Overall, the trend has increased across the three categories of colleges,
assuming that there has been some effort made to award financial aid to more students. These
percentages could increase further, however, if different packages were created.
Figure 1: The percentage of full-time undergraduate students that received financial aid from a 4-year
accredited university for a set of years at public, private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cuc.asp

There were interviews also conducted with three students that are currently enrolled full-time
at the University of New Haven. Each person was asked what kind of scholarships they had
received entering the university as a first-time college student as well as the federal aid they had
received. The rest of their funding was then assessed (whether they used loans, personal
finances, etc.) and whether they had siblings currently enrolled in a college or not.
Below is a list of the names of people that completed an interview as well as the responses I
received from each one:
o Halle
▪ I received the Presidential Scholarship upon coming to the university
which guaranteed me $20,000 each academic year I was enrolled as a full-
time student.
▪ I was also awarded an unsubsidized federal loan in the amount of $3,700
according to my FAFSA.
▪ I have received other academic scholarships awarded by the university
semesterly as they are awarded by the One-Stop office.
▪ The rest of the loans are through Sallie Mae which is a third-party
company. I have encountered having a hard time finding a co-signer with
good credit as unfortunate life events came upon my family which could
have discontinued my enrollment at the university.
▪ I do have other siblings in college currently.

o Lindsay
▪ She also received the Presidential Scholarship.
▪ She received an unsubsidized federal loan in the amount of $4,000
according to her FAFSA.
 ▪ She also was awarded the Dean’s Scholarship while she has been enrolled
at the university.
▪ Her parents are responsible for her loans for the rest of the funding for
tuition.
▪ She has no siblings currently in college.
o Payton
▪ She received a scholarship awarded through the high school that carried
over to whichever institution she decided to attend.
▪ Her parent works at the school, so she only has to pay for room and board.
▪ She also has a sibling currently in college.

Comparison to Columbia University

The first thing I noticed when researching Columbia University is that their website
mentions that they meet “100% of demonstrated need.” Their website is broken down to pertain
to all students, even those that do not demonstrate full-need. A net calculator is also available on
their website so students can calculate for themselves how much they should receive and if that
university is a viable option for them. The average amount of money given in grants to students
who attend Columbia University is $52,073 which covers most of the cost for tuition. In the
“Loans” section of the university’s financial aid website, it claims that students are expected to
not need to take out any funds to attend. This statement can be very promising to prospective
students nervous about student debt, and there could be a way for the University of New Haven
to adopt the same financial principles.

Conclusion
Overall, I believe that it can be made possible for the University of New Haven to expand
their financial aid packages and offer money to more students to finish their degree or, even,
begin their education at this institution. The fundamental principles of a financial aid system
need to be recognized before any changes are implemented to make sure they don’t conflict with
the overall goal of helping students succeed. These funds could help to increase the graduation
rate and thus give the school itself a better rating. From the interviews conducted, and the
responses I received back, this is not a representative sample because everyone had received the
same scholarship according to high school grades and nationwide test scores. For Payton,
however, she had a different aspect, which was that her parent works at the university so tuition
is waived. This helps immensely with loans that the other two interviewees have to find other
ways to make up for the funds. For me personally, my loans every year have exceeded $30,000
and most of it is because of being considered a “middle-class” household. The web-searches
completed were directed more so towards students that demonstrate financial need and what
kinds of options there may be for loans. The interviews conducted highlighted students that do
not demonstrate need-based qualities according to the FAFSA, but still had trouble taking out
loans and hoped for more funding from the university. Money is always the first concern for
many families, and more aid would ease this worry and make applying to college not as stressful
and allow more people to attain a college education. A degree in this day and age is preferred to
work many places, so with this degree even more people will be knowledgeable for the positions
they apply for and create more opportunities for businesses as well.
Recommendations
Below are a list of recommendations created to be implemented by the University of New Haven
and, hopefully, start an outreach to other universities nationwide:
• The university should make student/family-friendly payment plans more apparent on the
school website to show that they are available.
• There should be overall better communication methods between the university and the
students about when tuition bills come out. These notifications should also include
aspects such as deadlines for inter-university scholarships and other awards that can be
attained as the year goes on.
• Automated calls could also be sent out to preferred phone numbers as a reminder to
check emails about financial packages.
• Students should be allowed to utilize their personal email as well as the school email to
get these reminders. Sometimes one email could be set up for notifications versus the
other and therefore would be another form of communication.
• Students should be able to skip the FAFSA application altogether and have the
government go straight to the IRS for every eligible student. The FAFSA application
directs people to the IRS anyways to obtain information without filling out the entire
application. If emails are not checked frequently, this deadline could pass and federal aid
is now not available to the student.
• The university should create financial packages specific to students that show income that
should be able to cover the cost of tuition but still need aid because there are other factors
that can effect this money and no longer can be used for school. These packages can be
compared to those offered by Columbia University.
References
“Are College Graduation Rates Important?” Value Colleges, Value Colleges, 2019,
https://www.valuecolleges.com/resources/faqs/are-college-graduation-rates-important/.
“CollegeBoard.” Fulfilling the Commitment: Recommendations for Reforming Federal Student
Aid, Collegeboard, Sept. 2008, https://secure-
media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/advocacy/homeorg/rethinking-student-aid-
fulfilling-commitment-recommendations.pdf.
“Financial Aid.” Find Out How Affordable a Degree Can Be, University of New Haven, 2019,
https://www.newhaven.edu/admissions/financial-aid/.
“Financial Aid Processing Team Report.” StudentsFirst-Report-FinancialAid, 2017,
http://www.ct.edu/files/pdfs/StudentsFirst-Report-FinancialAid.pdf.
“NCES.” The Condition of Education - Postsecondary Education - Finances and Resources -
Sources of Financial Aid - Indicator May (2019), U.S. Department of Education, May
2019, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cuc.asp.
“6 Types of Financial Aid for College.” EducationConnection, Education Connection, 2019,
https://www.educationconnection.com/financial-aid/.
Primary Source: Interview → Payton; senior full-time undergraduate at the University of New
Haven
Primary Source: Interview → Lindsay; junior full-time undergraduate at the University of New
Haven
Primary Source: personal information → Halle; senior full-time undergraduate at the University
of New Haven