I Know: Scholarships Matter

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, I began an ongoing conversation about the importance of scholarships at Adelphi.

Did you know that at Adelphi the average family income for 25% of undergraduate students is less than $30,000 a year. The average family income for 44% of undergraduates is less than $60,000 per year. These students are able to enroll and succeed for several reasons. First, Adelphi has kept tuition about 25% less than neighboring private institutions. Second, students receive state and federal assistance, mostly in the form of loans which have to be repaid in the future. Third, contributions from alumni and friends allow us to provide scholarship assistance to talented and financially needy students.

Student financial aid is one of our highest priorities. It was interesting to see in the recently completed first-ever comprehensive campaign for Adelphi that the amount raised for student scholarships was twice what we had planned (resulting in $20 million in commitments for scholarships). We know that Adelphi’s alumni and friends want to support student access and success. This is of great importance to the University because endowment and expendable funds for student financial aid allow us to reduce the amount of financial assistance we provide through the discounting of tuition, which results in lost income we cannot use for quality improvements, and student loans.

In order to continue serving those students whose need for financial assistance is greatest, and who often are the first generation in their families to attend college, we must continue our commitment to low tuition and robust scholarship offerings.

Robert A. Scott
President of Adelphi University