University of Notre Dame announced a change in its admissions policy, now allowing students living in the country without legal permission to apply to the school and receive financial aid.

The university never had an official ban on these students, but required them to have student visas in order to enroll, Inside Higher Ed reported on Aug. 22. This created an obstacle, since many of the students are brought to the United States by their parents. But the policy has also attracted questions of how it’ll be implemented.

In the 2013 first-year applicant pool, 3,936 students were admitted to Notre Dame out of 17,647 applicants, according to the university’s admissions website. The new aid policy only applies to admitted students.

“In making the decision to admit academically qualified men and women who are undocumented, we will strengthen our incoming class and give deserving young people the chance for a Notre Dame education,” Don Bishop, associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment, said in an Aug. 22 Notre Dame news release.

A September editorial in The Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper, called Notre Dame’s decision fair to all students, but pointed out several concerns, including the cost of a Notre Dame education itself — a barrier to students living the country without legal permission from low-income families.

The editorial also points out several questions with the policy’s logistics.

These students aren’t eligible for federal financial aid, and can only receive privately-funded financial aid. Even students who can receive government aid graduate from Notre Dame with significant debt, according to the editorial.

Private scholarships may not be enough to make a Notre Dame education feasible for these students, the editorial argued.

Tuition and other fees at Notre Dame on average cost $44,605 for the 2013-14 academic year, according to the university’s admissions website. Room and board cost $12,512 on average, according to their website.

The question, according to the editorial, is whether Notre Dame will distribute more financial aid to these students to compensate for the fact that they don’t receive government aid. Notre Dame has not publicly addressed this and the ethics of giving extra aid, according to the editorial.

Other issues the editorial mentioned included whether the university will address assimilating these students into the Notre Dame population, their eligibility for the university’s student health insurance and if the school will help them find jobs and give them information on pathways to citizenship.

Admitting these students, the editorial says, is an important symbolic gesture that may remain purely symbolic if the university doesn’t explain the ways it will support these students.

But, the editorial suggests admitting these students can help the Notre Dame community understand what needs to be done to guarantee that all people in the United States will have access to education.

“Even more importantly, by working, playing and praying with us, undocumented students will help Notre Dame continue to grow into a more understanding and welcoming place,” the editorial said.

Published on September 12, 2013 at 2:45 am

Contact Natsumi: najisaka@syr.edu