2003
The Voice: Winter 2003
Scholarships increase for new freshmen
by Sally Jongsma
Dordt College scholarship awards will increase significantly for next year’s incoming freshmen. Distinguished
scholars, those given the highest academic awards on campus, will receive $9000 next
year, up from $7500. Other academic scholarships and activity grants will increase from
$500 to $2000 per year.
“As the cost of education rises, we want to help people afford a
college education,” says President Carl E. Zylstra. Tuition at Dordt College this year
is $14,700, lower than at many comparable institutions, but still a significant investment.
And competition for students is as great as it has ever been. For
Dordt College to be able to offer the range of programs and services
it does, it needs to maintain a student body of 1350 to 1500
students. Offering scholarships helps attract those students.
“We need to be able to offer incentives to students with good academic
ability so that they see Dordt College as an attractive option,” Zylstra says.
He is convinced that Dordt needs to remain financially competitive with similar colleges
and with state universities. He hopes the scholarship increases will be especially helpful
at a time when state universities are implementing double-digit cost increases.
“We know people are looking at the quality of our education, what we
stand for, and what our campus culture is like, but we also know
that they look closely at what it costs,” says Zylstra. The increased scholarship
dollars plus the fact that Dordt College has one of the lowest tuition
rates in Iowa makes it competitive.
“We’re seeing a significant change in the admission process,” says Quentin Van Essen,
executive director of admissions. Even five years ago, it was not uncommon to
receive applications from students who had not applied anywhere else. They knew they
wanted to come to Dordt, often because their parents or church members had
come here. Today that rarely happens. Most students narrow their search by applying to two or three schools. Very few come without visiting campus, and
financial aid and the affirmation a scholarship brings play an important role in
their decision.
Although Dordt College has a loyal constituency, the increasing evangelical identification of many
in its historical support base has changed the way students look for colleges.
Other private and church-related institutions also are reaching out beyond their traditional constituencies
with intensive and targeted marketing programs and higher scholarship offers. But Dordt feels
strongly that the contribution it can make to the lives of its students
and their role in society is a significant one. So it is committed
to finding ways to attract good students who are interested in learning more
about how a Reformed worldview can con-cretely shape the way they live and
work as Christians in this world.
“In economic times like these, income increases do not always keep pace with
cost of living increases,” says Zylstra. He believes the new scholarships will help
bridge the gap. The top Dordt College awards are comparable to those offered
by institutions of similar size and mission. In addition to the increased amount
for Distinguished Scholar Awards, National Merit Finalist Awards rose from $5000 to $6000.
Presidential Scholarships now range from $3000 to $6000, up from $2500 to $5000;
Honors Scholarships range from $1000 to $3000, up from $500 to $2000; athletic
awards range from $500 to $6000, up from $500 to $4000; and music
scholarships range from $500 to $4000, up from $500 to $2500. Alumni grants
and institutional grants are also being increased.
Director of Financial Aid Mike Epema says that in real dollars spent in
relation to today’s incomes, the cost of a Dordt education is not much
different than it was twenty years ago, despite the much higher price tag.
“We know college is expensive, but we’re doing everything we can to help
make it affordable,” Epema says. He is particularly happy that Dordt offers more
scholarships to students with mid-range GPAs than many similar colleges do. In fact,
Epema and Van Essen estimate that two-thirds of next year’s freshmen will benefit
from the increased amounts available. Epema already offers students a strong financial aid
package that includes scholarships, loans, and work. But he is thankful for the
increases so that the debt portion doesn’t get unmanageably high.
Zylstra reminds parents and students that a college education is an investment. “I
ask parents if they think that if their twenty-one year old child didn’t
go to college he or she would be debt free. They smile. Most
have or would consider a significant loan for a car or a boat
or a house. Education is also such an investment.”
Although a few students leave Dordt with little or no debt, the average
student has taken out loans of about $16,000. The range, says Epema, runs
from zero to $26,000, depending on what students spend, how much they earn,
or how much their parents contribute. Epema believes that by increasing scholarship amounts
those numbers will not rise as dramatically.
