Last week the New York Times ranked Smith fourth on a new list of the most economically diverse, top colleges. To qualify as a top college, schools needed a four-year graduation rate of over 75 percent. The New York Times then ranked these schools by their “College Access Index.” This measure reflects the average net price for students from households with an income of $30,000 to $48,000 a year as well as the percentage of enrolled students receiving Pell Grants. The federal government provides Pell Grants for students in the bottom 40% of the national income distribution.
Audrey Smith, Vice President for Enrollment at Smith, stresses that in order to recruit students from a variety of economic backgrounds, “the most important thing we can do is to insure that we get good information about financial aid to students, so that they understand that our published price is not what they will be expected to pay.” Smith promises to meet the full demonstrated need of all students who apply for financial aid.
Although the use of Pell Grants as a measure of economic diversity causes this ranking to focus on domestic students, Smith also makes an effort to enroll international students from a variety of backgrounds. According to Audrey Smith, “about 15% of our student body are international citizens and we offer generous financial aid to half of them.”
Fostering an economically diverse campus does not end with enrollment. Many students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have additional difficulties adjusting to college life. Student Financial Services emphasizes that because of Smith’s “long history of serving low-income students, our faculty and student services are well prepared to work with students to insure their success at Smith.” Some of the programs available to help students of all economic backgrounds include Praxis funding for unpaid internships and the “Suit Yourself” program, through which students can borrow professional clothing to wear to job interviews.