Future Fourth-Year Students: Accommodated!

            Announced earlier this semester, the new setup of the Fourth Year on Campus Scholarship program threw many student plans askew.  A handful of students, who initially planned to apply for a subsidized fourth year on campus, were aggravated by the changes, having organized their courses of study on a four-year-on-campus basis at the beginning of their Yeshiva careers.  These students, caught in the middle of the program’s transitional stage, reported their problems and found the administration receptive to their complaints.  Dr. John Fisher, Director of Enrollment Management and Robert Friedman, Director of Student Finance, worked to arrange special accommodations for these students, who can now comfortably remain on campus next year with their anticipated subsidies.

            Simeon Botwinick (YC ’11), one of the affected students, remarked, “Although I knew I couldn't absolutely count on receiving a fourth-year scholarship, the fact that I knew I would at least have the chance to compete for one was a heavy factor in my decision to stay four years on campus.  I was shocked, then, when I found out halfway into my third year that the scholarship would no longer go above 50% tuition.”  Already receiving at least a half-tuition scholarship, Mr. Botwinick was frustrated that his four-year-double-major-with-Honors plan was hampered by the scholarship program’s changes so late in his college life.  “Of course,” he noted, “I was extremely thankful for the aid I was already receiving.  But I was still disappointed not to be able to compete for more, especially since I had always thought I’d be able to do so.”

            The administration proved eager to allay student frustrations.  Mr. Botwinick emailed Dr. Fisher, who forwarded the message to Mr. Friedman, who replied to Botwinick within a day.  Mr. Friedman informed Mr. Botwinick that his current scholarship would be increased by 6%, as long as he officially applies for the award. Pleased with this outcome, Mr. Botwinick noted, “If I was shocked at the removal of the fourth year scholarship, I was even more shocked at the speed of the response I got.  Dr. Fisher and Mr. Friedman addressed my concerns immediately, and I was extremely impressed with their obvious concern over the students who felt slighted.”

            Other students were similarly satisfied with the administration’s willingness to help.  Daniel Poliak (YC ’11) worked to organize a student response to the scholarship program changes.  “The rules were changed for good reasons,” he said.  “However, people like us were caught in the middle.”  Mr. Poliak, from the beginning of his years at Yeshiva, planned to finish the Honors Program in four years, a program of study very much encouraged—required, essentially—by the Honors Program’s new setup.  “I anticipated that I would have the opportunity to apply for the Fourth Year Scholarship previously run by the provost, and we were notified too late, in the first half of November, of the change in eligibility.” Mr. Poliak concluded, “It was reassuring to find the administration attentive to our concerns.”

            Dr. Fisher explained that he and his colleagues tried to identify others, particularly third-year students, negatively affected by the changes.  The process of awarding bigger scholarships to these students, he said, was less formal.  Just about everyone agreed that something had to be done to help them.  Dr. Fisher also noted that he anticipates an increase in the pool of donors’ money used for student scholarships.