Cornell’s latest initiative to increase transparency around the cost of college, Save Your Seat, earned national attention this week after thousands of high school students nationwide received personalized financial aid estimates directly to their inbox. Cornell is working to remove barriers and prove that college is affordable.
“In talking with families about aid, we’ve learned it can be challenging for them to understand which financial aid resources listed on college websites will apply to their specific situation,” says Beth Davenport, Cornell’s director of financial aid. “That’s why Cornell is preparing an estimated financial aid summary, generally offered only after students apply, months ahead of time.”
The estimates are possible because of Cornell’s guaranteed merit scholarships, calculations published by the Department of Education, and analysis of decades of data from aid packages given to students.
Both local and national news coverage highlighted the new Save Your Seat program.