THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

WITH THE ELIMINATION OF NEED-BASED LOANS AND EXPANSION OF FINANCIAL AID PACKAGES, EMORY STUDENTS CAN AIM HIGHER THAN

EVER.

Maya Caron 23B wants to be a doctor. Ben Damon 23Ox wants to impact policy. Rosseirys De La Rosa 22C wants to support her family. Every student comes to college with a dream.

At Emory University, financial aid programs help make these dreams a reality. Through Emory’s need-based aid— using scholarships, grants, and the Emory Advantage program—students can make the most of their time on campus.

This winter, Emory announced it will eliminate need-based loans as part of undergraduate students’ financial aid packages, replacing them with institutional grants and scholarships beginning this fall for the 2022–2023 academic year. This expansion of the Emory Advantage program will give more students the opportunity to graduate debt free, reflecting the university’s commitment to making an Emory education accessible to talented students regardless of their financial resources.

“For Emory to fulfill our mission of serving humanity in all that we do, we are continuing to invest in making an Emory education affordable to talented students of all financial backgrounds,” says President Gregory L. Fenves. “By eliminating need-based loans for undergraduates, our students have the opportunity to earn their Emory degrees with less debt as they embark on their extraordinary journeys after graduation.”

For students such as Rosseirys De La Rosa, financial aid makes college possible. The senior from Lynn, Massachusetts, is majoring in anthropology and human biology with a minor in African American studies. Through a combination of the Emory University Grant (awarded to students with demonstrated need) and the Emory Advantage Loan Replacement Grant, along with federal aid, De La Rosa has been able to maximize her experience. Her sophomore year, she conducted research on the DNA of Indigenous peoples in Uruguay, inspiring her to want to pursue a PhD after graduation.

“Not having to worry about using my job to pay off loans, buy books and groceries — there is no way I could have healthily done that, get good grades and still be an active member of the Emory community without financial aid,” says De La Rosa. “I am forever grateful because not having to worry about my financials at school allowed me to do all these amazing things that have given me a well-rounded education at Emory.”

For Maya Caron, a junior from Deltona, Florida, 1915 Scholars has been a boon to her education. The program provides mentorship for first-generation college students, who often receive need-based aid, to help them get from admission to Commencement.

Caron says she had never heard of Emory before a high school counselor suggested she apply. With ambitions of being a doctor, Caron says she knew she didn’t want a lot of undergraduate debt because of the cost of medical school. Caron receives need-based scholarships and grants from Emory, as well as federal grants to help fund her education.

“Without financial aid, I would not have been able to attend Emory,” says Caron, who is a business major. “Then I’d have to take out loans for med school. That would be a big stressor.”

Being at Emory has allowed Caron a myriad of hands-on learning opportunities, most notably conducting research through the Emory College SIRE program. Under the tutelage of Miranda Moore, an assistant professor focusing on health care delivery in Emory School of Medicine, Caron researched patient perceptions of different primary care models.

She also worked as a certified medical assistant at a hospital during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and shadowed a physician’s assistant. She is currently studying for the MCAT and taking prerequisite courses for medical school. With her business education, she plans to open an internal medicine practice.

With the expansion of Emory Advantage to eliminate need-based loans as part of undergraduate students’ financial aid packages, the loans will be replaced with institutional grants and scholarships beginning this fall for the 2022–2023 academic year.

“Because Emory meets full financial need for our undergraduate students, we provide a pathway to help our students and their families make an Emory education affordable,” says John Leach, associate vice provost for enrollment and university financial aid. “Emory joins a handful of elite institutions in replacing need-based loans with grants—thus giving our undergraduate students the opportunity to graduate debt free.”

Students such as Ben Damon, a first-year student from Austin, Texas, benefit from this investment. Damon took a gap year before coming to Oxford College. He was drawn to Oxford for the strong liberal arts curriculum and close-knit community. A combination of Emory grants and scholarships, an Emory Advantage loan replacement grant, and federal aid made it possible.

“The college application process was stressful, but Emory was appealing to me because I’d heard good things about Atlanta and the academic profile fit what I was looking for,” says Damon. “I was looking for a collaborative environment and a strong foundation in liberal arts, so I didn’t have to make a decision about my major right away.”

Damon is on the philosophy, politics, and law track, and is considering law school or business school. In the meantime, he is keeping busy as a first-year Student Government Association senator on the budget and health and wellness committees, treasurer of chess club, and events coordinator for Oxford’s ballroom dance organization.

Nearly 42 percent of Emory’s undergraduate student body receives need-based financial aid. Investing in more need-based aid reflects one of the tenets of the 2O36 campaign: student flourishing. As part of the campaign, the university is hoping to raise $750 million for student scholarships.

“Through the student flourishing initiative, we are making further investments to nurture the whole student and ensure both their professional and personal success,” says Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda. “We realize that students’ financial well-being can impact their Emory experience, which is why we are making scholarships such a central and critical part of our 2O36 campaign. We are fulfilling our promise to make Emory more accessible for all families, regardless of their socioeconomic status.”

When students have their financial need fully met, they perform better in the classroom. They also gain greater freedom to participate in extracurricular activities, research, service-learning, and internship/externship opportunities that give them an edge upon graduation. It helps students discover their passions and figure out where they can make a difference in the world.

— Kelundra Smith

Ranked Among Nation’s Best

According to the 2023 edition of US News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools” guide, Emory’s graduate and professional schools and programs continue to rate among the best in the country. Here’s a look at the top rankings:

• The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing master’s program ranks No. 2 in the nation. The school’s doctor of nursing practice program ranks No. 6.

• Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health ranks No. 4 in the nation.

• Goizueta Business School’s fulltime MBA program ranks No. 21, while its Evening MBA program No. 11 and its Executive MBA program No. 16.

• Emory School of Medicine ranks No. 22 nationally among research-oriented medical schools.

• Emory School of Law School ranks No. 30 in the nation.

• The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering PhD program, a joint effort between Emory School of Medicine, Emory’s Laney Graduate School, and Georgia Tech, ranks No. 2 in the country.