Enrollment algorithms used by colleges intentionally reduce scholarships and may lead to crises of student loan debt, college dropout, and racial inequity
As colleges look for any advantage in the fierce competition to enroll students, hundreds of institutions have turned to algorithms … Tweets: @hypervisible , @justinhendrix , @justinhendrix , @justinhendrix , @alexcengler , @alexcengler , @alexcengler , and @justinhendrix Tweets: Hypervisible Dot Pdf / @hypervisible : “If it is not already clear, when industry representatives talk about using enrollment algorithms to build a better mousetrap, the students are the mice.” https://techpolicy.press/... Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix : For a @BrookingsInst analysis, Engler reviewed webinars, documents, and academic studies on services such as AB, Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Rapid Insight, Capture Higher Ed, and Othot that sell such systems to colleges and universities to optimize net tuition: https://techpolicy.press/... Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix : .@AlexCEngler reports that vendors that optimize financial aid offers for universities employ algorithms to “intentionally reduce scholarships, and in doing so, may contribute to the crises of student loan debt, college dropout, and racial inequities.” https://techpolicy.press/... Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix : Really hope you will read and share this- colleges and universities hire these algorithmic services to “optimize” financial aid offers to maximize tuition, according to @AlexCEngler, referring to potential students as game to be trapped. https://twitter.com/... Alex Engler / @alexcengler : 🚨New from me: At least 700 US colleges use algorithms to drive enrollment.🚨 The algos often target the lowest scholarship necessary to enroll a student. The goal is to “build a better mousetrap.” The result: higher debt & lower college completion. https://techpolicy.press/... Alex Engler / @alexcengler : Excited to publish in @techpolicypress for the first time - thanks @justinhendrix! @jamesseddon was also invaluable for his edits of the op-ed and the paper https://twitter.com/... Alex Engler / @alexcengler : In a new report in @BrookingsGov, I detail how these algos work, and why, despite being very valuable for colleges, they are hurting students. In short: optimizing for enrollment is very different than optimizing for student success. https://www.brookings.edu/... Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix : Do you have kids applying to college? Standing between them and the school of their dreams is often a company using algorithms to optimize financial aid offers- to the benefit of the school's net tuition, says @AlexCEngler in a new report for @BrookingsInst: https://twitter.com/...