According to several University administrators, in recent years the University has shifted away from offering merit-based aid to accepted undergraduate applicants. At this time, this editorial board supports the change because it frees up funds for need-based aid, which is being rightfully prioritized by the University. However, this board does not endorse a permanent abandonment of merit-based aid and hopes that the University returns to offering more merit-based scholarships as soon as funds become available.In an e-mail to the Justice, Vice President for Enrollment Keenyn McFarlane stated that while the number of accepted students offered merit aid has declined by 16 percent since 2006, during the same period, the number of students matriculating with merit aid declined by 78 percent. However, Mr. McFarlane also pointed out that the average SAT score of accepted students and matriculating students has remained stable over the same period.

As Mr. McFarlane expressed and as Dean of Student Financial Services Peter Giumette stated at an Oct. 21 forum concerning the revised admissions policy, the shift away from merit aid will hopefully allow the University to devote increased funds toward ensuring that all students that should be granted admission to this university will be able to attend.

The massive decline in the number of matriculating students that were offered merit-based aid suggests that the University may have been offering smaller packages of that type of aid over the last 4 years. However, due to the stability of the SAT scores of matriculating students, to an extent we agree with the sentiment expressed by Mr. McFarlane in an interview with the Justice that this change does not appear to create a difference in the quality of incoming classes.

However, we would like to point out that SAT scores are not the sole criterion for evaluating students for merit-aid scholarships. A student with excellent SAT scores does not necessarily constitute the same caliber of student as one who deserves merit-based aid. One of the main reasons for the University to offer merit-based aid is to attract students who have excellent SAT scores in addition to tremendous promise both academically and non-academically.

This board understands that this shift removes a major matriculation incentive for many excellent applicants to this university that, according to financial aid standards, do not require need-based aid. While we agree that offering additional need-based aid is currently the correct course of action, we urge the University to maintain an open-minded view of the situation. Stable SAT scores are not a perfect measure for evaluating the quality of incoming classes. We cannot wrongly assume that merit-based aid is no longer necessary; it may still be able to attract students who not only received SAT scores within or above our averages but have a great deal more than the average student to contribute to the University. The fact is that Brandeis still must compete with top-tier schools for attractive applicants, and merit-based aid is a useful way to do so.