...It's prime college-visiting season for the high school class of 2009, which next fall will send the greatest number of graduates on to college in American history. But the souring economy and the crisis on Wall Street are shrinking families' college savings, and some parents wonder whether they will be able to afford tuition at the schools their youngsters are looking at. Around the country, students deciding where to apply may have to scale back their dreams. Some private schools worry they could lose business to public universities. Already, federal loan applications are up, and some schools are seeing more aid inquiries...
...Every generation has its altruists. But many Millennials, born in the late 1970s or early '80s, are displaying a notable urgency to make social change, even as their peers seek high salaries through traditional paths of law and business...
Baylor University in Waco, Tex., which has a goal of rising to the first tier of national college rankings, last June offered its admitted freshmen a $300 campus bookstore credit to retake the SAT, and $1,000 a year in merit scholarship aid for those who raised their scores by at least 50 points. Of this year’s freshman class of more than 3,000, 861 students received the bookstore credit and 150 students qualified for the $1,000-a-year merit aid, said John Barry, the university’s vice president for communications and marketing...
...The credit crunch and bank meltdown that are roiling markets will test any university plan. And successful institutions will learn quickly if they have done their homework... (paid subscription required)
