Colleges try to ease burden on families in tough economy

The grim economy has made getting a college education a bigger challenge for many suburban families, and some area schools are trying to help out.

Northern Illinois University in DeKalb has launched a new financial aid program designed to ensure that students from working-class families can pay for college. Benedictine University in Lisle, meanwhile, has frozen tuition at its current level through the spring of 2010.

Representatives of both schools say the actions are direct responses to the downturn in the economy.

"It's tougher now for a lot of families to save what is needed for a college education," said Earl "Gip" Seaver, NIU's vice provost. "There are a lot of people in the area who make just enough money that they won't qualify for the aid they need, but can't afford tuition without it. It's important that we do what we can to prevent these families from being shut out."

The NIU program, called Huskie Advantage, will provide "gift aid" to eligible freshmen entering the school in the fall of 2009. The aid will go to students from lower-middle-class families whose income puts them above the poverty level but isn't enough to cover college tuition.

The aid will cover any portion of a student's tuition that's not covered by the combination of an Illinois Monetary Award Program, or MAP, grant and a federal Pell grant. In the fall of 2008, freshmen paid an average of $6,150 in tuition at NIU.

NIU officials offered an example based on a recent case. A student, after earning MAP and Pell grants, still had to come up with $1,960 to enroll at NIU, but his parents couldn't come up with that money. Huskie Advantage would cover the balance.

The university estimates that Huskie Advantage will help 900 to 1,000 students each year.

The leaders of Benedictine University, meanwhile, decided earlier this fall to freeze tuition at its current level through spring of 2010 for existing undergraduate students. Next year's freshmen won't seen a tuition increase until 2011.

"Times are difficult, and our president and board felt that taking this action could be the difference for many students in the decision to enroll here," Benedictine spokesman Phil Brozynski said.

Since 2001, tuition increases at the small Catholic university have averaged about 5 percent each year. According to a report by the College Board, a nonprofit organization that tracks college costs, tuition at private four-year schools across the country is about 6 percent higher than last year. Benedictine's tuition for the 2008-2009 school year is about $21,600.

Brozynski said the freeze won't result in any cuts in programming or services.