With student loan debt soaring, the University of Notre Dame has unveiled a new “no-loan policy” for undergraduate students, while also expanding its need-blind admissions policy to include domestic and international students.
Holy Cross Father Robert A. Dowd, who took office as the school’s 18th president July 1, announced the “Pathways to Notre Dame” initiative during his Sept. 13 inauguration address.
The school said in a statement that as part of the “historical financial aid commitment,” student loans will be replaced by gift aid in financial aid packages for full-time first-year and transfer undergraduate students entering the school in fall 2025. Families can still opt to augment the packages with federal student or private loans.
Additionally, the school will extend its need-blind policy – by which an applicant’s financial circumstances are not included in admissions decisions – to all prospective students, regardless of their country of origin. Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are among the top schools that also have need-blind policies as part of their admissions processes.
“We want an undergraduate student body that reflects the rich diversity of the Catholic community in and beyond the United States, which requires a Notre Dame education be both accessible and affordable,” said Fr. Dowd, according to a Sept. 13 news release issued by the university.
The initiative is effective immediately.
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