Editorial: Increasing eating club aid

Since 2007, the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office has provided a larger board allowance for juniors and seniors in an effort to offset the higher costs of eating club membership when compared to University meal plans. According to the results of the second Committee on Background and Opportunity survey (COMBO II), however, financial barriers remain an obstacle for a significant number of students interested in joining an eating club. The University must take further steps to reduce these financial barriers and ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to join a club if they so choose.

For the 2009–10 academic year, the board allowance (strictly for upperclassmen) was $6,960 — the mean cost of club membership excluding social fees. This mean cost only covers the full cost of membership at Terrace Club. This suggests that students on financial aid who wish to join other clubs could face bills of up to $1,300, which for many may present a significant financial barrier.

The method for calculating the board allowance should be altered from the mean cost of eating-club fees to the median cost. This would ensure that financial aid would cover the total cost of club membership for at least half of all club members, instead of the current minority in Terrace.

In addition, the financial aid office’s policy of not including social fees and sophomore dues in its calculation of students’ financial aid packages represents a fundamental inconsistency in the University’s approach to the eating clubs. By agreeing to increase board allowances for upperclassmen, the University is acknowledging the important role that eating clubs play in campus life and recognizing the need to allow all students the opportunity to join a club regardless of their socioeconomic status. Yet agreeing to cover general membership fees but not social fees or sophomore dues is inconsistent with the University’s rationale for the current policy. The University cannot place value on club membership while ignoring social fees or sophomore dues, since all are equally mandatory for membership in a club if students wish to join in their sophomore year.

If the University’s goal is truly to provide all undergraduate students with equality of opportunity when choosing dining options, the financial-aid policy must accurately reflect this goal. By including social fees and sophomore dues in financial-aid calculations and using the median cost of membership instead of the mean cost, the University could better reduce financial obstacles to club membership and guarantee equality of opportunity in dining choices.