Faced With Rising Costs, Wesleyan University Drops 'Need-Blind' Financial Aid Policy - Kathleen Megan, Hartford Courant

For decades, Wesleyan University has been one of a few dozen elite colleges that pledged to consider applicants while remaining "blind" to financial need, and promising to meet the financial need of any student admitted. But pressed by fiscal realities and a desire to maintain educational quality, the university is backing away from its blanket "need-blind" policy. In a small percentage of cases, qualified applicants will be refused admission because they need scholarship money the university can't afford to hand out. The move reflects powerful economic forces that are reshaping higher education institutions across the land. Colleges and universities are quietly reassessing generous financial aid policies that were developed before the recession. http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-wesleyan-financial-aid-1002-20121006,0,1957928.story