This week in college admissions, Notre Dame goes tuition-free for families making under $150,000, research shows weather affects students’ college choices, more applicants are submitting standardized test scores, and a plan to limit out-of-state enrollment at Florida universities fails.
Notre Dame has announced that families making under $150,000 will not have to pay tuition, and families with an annual income below $60,000 will also receive enough aid to cover fees, housing, and food. Families making under $200,000 will have half the cost of tuition covered. The new financial aid guidelines are an expansion of the Pathways to Notre Dame initiative, launched in 2024, which is intended to ensure that Notre Dame will be need-blind and loan-free for all students.
According to a recent study, students who experience bad weather during a college tour are less likely to apply to the school subsequently. Research from Amherst showed that those who toured schools on rainy or very hot days were about 10% less likely to submit applications, compared to those who toured on days when the weather was favorable.
For the first time in several years, more than 50% of students in the current admissions cycle are choosing to submit standardized test scores. The majority of colleges are still test-optional, though many elite universities have revoked test-optional policies. The number of students taking standardized tests has also increased.
The Florida Senate failed to pass a proposal that would cap out-of-state enrollment at 5% at Florida’s top public universities. The proposal would have been costly for universities, as out-of-state students currently make up 15-20% of the student body at the University of Florida and Florida State, and pay higher tuition than Florida resident students.
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