Anyone in the freshman class who has received the Rensselaer Medal also has a scholarship of $15,000 per year. That is $5,000 more per year than anyone in the other classes receives or $20,000 over the course of four years.
Why didn’t the administration increase the scholarship for all students currently attending? I’m sure increasing it would have been an action greatly appreciated by the approximately 20 percent of Rensselaer medalists in each of the classes. Many students complain about the administration’s policies and the high cost of tuition. Changing the scholarship for all students who have earned the Rensselaer Medal would be a positive gesture on the administration’s part.
Tuition costs more this year for all students and not just freshmen. The school is willing to charge everyone equally but not willing to increase the scholarship money equally. The school can’t need the extra money for EMPAC, as Dr. Jackson made it extremely clear that EMPAC has nothing to do with the tuition increase. So why not use the money to give back to its top science and engineering students?
Finally, doesn’t the Institute want students to donate large sums of money in the future? If it does, then it needs to realize that people do so out of pure generosity for their alma mater. If RPI does not show generosity towards the students, then why should these future alumni ever show generosity towards the Institution?
Even more unnerving than not receiving more scholarship money is that RPI has actually sent my parents requests for donations. How can RPI have the audacity to ask for more money on top of what we already pay each year? Well, as far as I am concerned, the $5,000 I am not receiving from the medal is RPI’s donation. And, on top of that, let’s hope that I am inclined to donate money to the Institute in the future, because who knows, maybe I won’t be feeling generous.
