2008 Woodie Awards
Hillsdale, heritage inseparable for college legacy students (pt.1)
College attracts legacy students with scholarships, 'shared history'
Mary Petrides
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Students who wore Hillsdale College bibs and booties as babies and knew their way around campus before freshman orientation are probably legacy students; that is, their parents or grandparents graduated from Hillsdale.
Though administrators said that they don't have a recruiting plan for children of alumni, the college revamped its Alumni Legacy Scholarship last year to attract more of these students. The scholarship grants $1,000 per year to students whose parents or grandparents graduated from the college.
In the past, the alumni board awarded legacy scholarships to two or three students. A student could be related in any way to an alumnus, which was defined as an individual who attended the college for at least four semesters.
"Very few students actually benefited from it," Hasted said.
About 30 legacies currently attend the college.
Though more students now benefit from the scholarship, Hasted said he would like it to increase to 10 percent of tuition cost or 20 percent of total cost in the future.
The Financial Aid Office works closely with the alumni office to advertise this scholarship through mailings to Hillsdale students.
Rich Moeggenberg, director of student financial aid, said that the financial aid office often has a harder time finding legacy students if they do not qualify for merit-based or need-based financial aid.
"We're trying to put together an airtight system," Moeggenberg said. "My concern in financial aid is that I don't miss anybody."
To generate more funding for such scholarships, Hasted designed "The 'Dale" legacy apparel, which went on sale in the bookstore this fall. Ten percent of the cost of each item, which includes T-shirts, sweaters, hats and bumper stickers, goes toward the college's legacy endowment.
Director of Admissions Jeff Lantis, '86, said the college does not specifically recruit legacy students because there is no good way to do so.
Lantis said the admissions office has sent mailings to Imprimis readers who are likely to have high school or college age children. He said they have tried to keep track of births announced in the Hillsdale Alumni Magazine, but this method isn't very effective as addresses often change between birth and age 18.
"Legacy students are great to have on campus because of the heritage and history they have as a family." Lantis said. "The support they bring and give to the college is important."
Most legacy students said that their parent's attendance at the college influenced their decision to attend as well.
"[It's] kind of like a special bond," said sophomore Christine Timlin, whose father, Patrick Timlin, graduated from Hillsdale in 1983.
Sophomore Michael Black spent his first year at Christendom College in Virginia. He said that, when he decided to transfer, "it was automatically Hillsdale."
Black's parents, Diane Grubert Black '82 and Brian Black '83, met and dated at Hillsdale.
"[They] are all thrilled to have me here, like big time," he said.
"Most times, virtually always, nine times out of 10, with rare exceptions, [being a legacy] has an influence on the student," Lantis said. "There's a shared history."
Though administrators said that they don't have a recruiting plan for children of alumni, the college revamped its Alumni Legacy Scholarship last year to attract more of these students. The scholarship grants $1,000 per year to students whose parents or grandparents graduated from the college.
In the past, the alumni board awarded legacy scholarships to two or three students. A student could be related in any way to an alumnus, which was defined as an individual who attended the college for at least four semesters.
"Very few students actually benefited from it," Hasted said.
About 30 legacies currently attend the college.
Though more students now benefit from the scholarship, Hasted said he would like it to increase to 10 percent of tuition cost or 20 percent of total cost in the future.
The Financial Aid Office works closely with the alumni office to advertise this scholarship through mailings to Hillsdale students.
Rich Moeggenberg, director of student financial aid, said that the financial aid office often has a harder time finding legacy students if they do not qualify for merit-based or need-based financial aid.
"We're trying to put together an airtight system," Moeggenberg said. "My concern in financial aid is that I don't miss anybody."
To generate more funding for such scholarships, Hasted designed "The 'Dale" legacy apparel, which went on sale in the bookstore this fall. Ten percent of the cost of each item, which includes T-shirts, sweaters, hats and bumper stickers, goes toward the college's legacy endowment.
Director of Admissions Jeff Lantis, '86, said the college does not specifically recruit legacy students because there is no good way to do so.
Lantis said the admissions office has sent mailings to Imprimis readers who are likely to have high school or college age children. He said they have tried to keep track of births announced in the Hillsdale Alumni Magazine, but this method isn't very effective as addresses often change between birth and age 18.
"Legacy students are great to have on campus because of the heritage and history they have as a family." Lantis said. "The support they bring and give to the college is important."
Most legacy students said that their parent's attendance at the college influenced their decision to attend as well.
"[It's] kind of like a special bond," said sophomore Christine Timlin, whose father, Patrick Timlin, graduated from Hillsdale in 1983.
Sophomore Michael Black spent his first year at Christendom College in Virginia. He said that, when he decided to transfer, "it was automatically Hillsdale."
Black's parents, Diane Grubert Black '82 and Brian Black '83, met and dated at Hillsdale.
"[They] are all thrilled to have me here, like big time," he said.
"Most times, virtually always, nine times out of 10, with rare exceptions, [being a legacy] has an influence on the student," Lantis said. "There's a shared history."
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