Covering Need-Based Aid Bills “A True Struggle” for Duke, Prof Says

Paying for need-based student financial-aid programs at Duke University is “a true struggle,” one that will “never go away” because of the fiscal constraints facing the institution, the incoming chairman of its Academic Council told colleagues.  But while the effort’s costly, to the tune of about $115 million a year, “we also can’t afford not to have it if we want to keep the types of student we have,” said Don Taylor, a public policy professor. “So what that means is we do afford it. We figure out how to do it.”  Taylor’s recent comments to the Academic Council came as he reported on the year’s activities of the University Priorities Committee, a panel of administrators, deans, faculty members and students that directly advises Duke President Richard Brodhead about budget issues.