In a year marked by changes in leadership and goals, a move toward more affordability seems to be the natural next step. The University must seize this opportunity to change the world's perception of GW - an image predominately shaped by its price tag.
The problem with GW's reputation is not necessarily its high price tag. The bigger concern is making sure that GW gains the academic reputation it needs to justify the price tag. Making GW more affordable is an important and laudable goal, but should not the the main one.
A few years back, as I was trying to decide which college to attend, my college adviser warned me that I would be taking a risk with GW - GW had the potential to become a top tier school, but it wasn't there yet.
GW's merit scholarships often attract students who would otherwise be taking out loans at more prestigious universities, but as many honors students point out, they often find themselves defending their choices.
Instead of increasing their funding of student organizations, the Board of Trustees should be concentrating on more academic aspects of GW - funding more student faculty research, lowering the cost of summer housing for GW students so that students can afford to spend the summer doing prestigious unpaid internships, and investing more in the career center.
Education is an investment - people will invest in their GW education, but only if they expect that it will pay off.
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