The Mount Holyoke Class of 2024 would like to share our views on the recent revision of financial aid packages for remote students. We all can agree on how diverse Mount Holyoke College is and has always aided the needs of its students. a particular group of students has gone to incredible lengths to pursue their educational dreams, they have been treated dismissively and have at times, been outright ignored. These students have made every effort to attend this institution, and they are barely being given the dignity of clear communication or the respect of being met halfway. Each member of our class has found our way to Mount Holyoke as a stop in our search for a better tomorrow. We were attracted to this school by promises of a deeply caring international community, and we are disappointed to see our new friends abandoned. We see the possibility of a future Mount Holyoke where our international peers have been forced to abandon their education; and through this grim vision, we are driven to demand equitable treatment for our foreign peers.

Many international first-year students at Mount Holyoke have been unable to receive a student visa due to the global pandemic shutting down U.S consulates around the world. While every student at Mount Holyoke has been offered the opportunity to be on campus, an international student bound by visa-related issues is restricted to remote education. Additionally, despite MHC’s efforts to create a dynamic online educational experience, online classes, unfortunately, have many downsides such as disrupted sleep cycles, minimal productivity levels, and mental health-related issues. While the financial aid office reduced the amount owed towards room and board for students studying remotely, grant aid was reduced proportionally so that students studying remotely are still billed the exact same amount, while still having to support themselves entirely in their home countries. We consider this a gross neglect of the reality of many students. While living on campus at Mount Holyoke it is assumed that all of our living and learning expenses are being paid. We have little to no need for resources not already covered by our tuition and room & board. While living off-campus, students do not have all of their daily necessities covered by Mount Holyoke and need money to pay for many things including rent, food, internet access, healthcare, transportation, and more. The amount that the school calculates as the family contribution is often the very most a family can afford to pay for the entirety of a student’s necessities. Many students, especially international students, first-generation and low income, are counting every penny to be able to afford their education. Several thousand dollars is an insurmountable barrier to their continued study at Mount Holyoke. Moreover, international students will have to consider the factor that surges in exchange rates around the world due to the COVID-19 crisis impacted the rise in their total tuition and cost of living in their home countries. This is an extremely significant factor in many student’s financial situations that has arisen with the rise of the COVID-19 crisis. At the time many international students (especially, ED I and II applicants) accepted their offers to MHC exchange rates were comparatively lower then what they are now.  To demand that a student pays their full and entire bill to the school, while they are simultaneously paying for additional living expenses, is placing an untoward financial burden on many students and their families as they are transitioning to college life. 

This immense financial burden placed on students and families could have had the potential to be manageable, had it been properly communicated. Many families faced with the understanding that they could not support their child’s additional cost of education would have chosen to defer for a year before resuming the Mount Holyoke education that is worth their hard-earned money. In such a way, students could have held onto their Mount Holyoke dream. Unfortunately, clear communication was not forthcoming. Students were only notified of their financial aid offers after the deferral deadline had passed and the extension of the deferral deadline was not well communicated. This ultimatum leaves students with the choice to either sacrifice their education, or to sacrifice their families’ financial stability. The stress of managing finance is cruel to force on a student, and holds the potential to severely limit their higher-education experience. With these practices Mount Holyoke is potentially choosing a future for itself that does not include the valued perspectives and diversity brought by international, first generation and low income students. As a school that values diversity, MHC is lagging behind in supporting access to higher education for the above groups of students. 

When a student chooses to attend a college they are choosing to entrust their dreams, aspirations, and future to said institution. In return, this college promises to nurture, uplift, and make space for the student to become the best version of themselves. It is a most profound honor to Mount Holyoke College that these students have entrusted their futures to the dream of Mount Holyoke. It is with deep love for our new home that we demand equitable treatment for all of our peers. 

Thank You for Your Consideration,

The Student Collective for FAIR Study at MHC and the MHC alumna 

Please fill out this poll below if you are a current student at MHC to provide insight around the financial aid situation for this academic year. 

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