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incentive to prepare themselves. If student aid programs provided these young people with information and even a commitment of funds earlier in life, it could encourage them to prepare academically while addressing the financial constraints. Baum noted two promising approaches. Individual development accounts could be created in which savings of low- and moderate income families would be matched by public or private entities. Or federal and state funds could be deposited into education accounts for young people from low-income families who cannot afford to put money away in tax-exempt college savings plans. Earmarking these funds every year as students progress successfully through school would encourage academic success and help move our less-privileged youth into the so-called ownership society, Baum told lawmakers. Moreover, these early commitments of funds and information about aid could be combined with the personal mentoring and support systems that have proven to promote access to higher education for low- and moderateincome students, she observed. On the subject of student loan debt, Baum suggested waiving payment obligations for borrowers with incomes below 150 percent of the poverty level, making sure that payments do not exceed more than about 10 percent of income for the typical borrower and requiring higher percentages of income from borrowers with higher incomes than from those with lower incomes. She also suggested forgiving one year of debt for every year of public service performed by former students, and raising Stafford loan limits so students would feel less need to supplement their federal borrowing with higherinterest private loans.

according to Stonehill officials who noted in a statement: Our mission states that the college educates the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts, and leads with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world. By becoming test optional, we reaffirm our commitment to carrying the whole-person view through to our admission processlooking at candidates holistically, not summarizing them based solely on test scores. Data collected by Stonehill show that factors such as depth and

breadth of coursework, class rank, grade point average, teacher recommendations and personal essays are far better indicators of students who will succeed at Stonehill and contribute to our community. The Massachusetts-based National Center for Fair & Open Testing, known as FairTest, now counts more than 700 bachelors degreegranting colleges that have made standardized test scores optional, including Bowdoin, Middlebury, Bates, Holy Cross, Providence and Connecticut colleges.

Up to Their Ears
The following New England colleges and universities graduated students with average debt of $25,000 or more in 2005. The table also reveals how the average debt of graduates at these institutions has grown since 2001. Average debt of graduates
Chester College of New England Daniel Webster College University of New England Becker College New England College Mount Ida College University of New Haven NE School of Communications American International College Rivier College Bryant University Sterling College Saint Josephs College (Maine) Roger Williams University Franklin Pierce College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Salve Regina University Bentley College Maine Maritime Academy Nichols College Simmons College Quinnipiac University Maine College of Art University of Hartford Boston Architectural College Fairfield University Curry College Smith College 2000-01 $10,000 36,958 17,500 8,303 22,519 NA 16,868 12,000 17,125 16,555 20,479 18,464 17,687 19,002 19,308 17,500 18,875 17,811 15,650 14,867 19,820 17,170 23,634 19,192 NA 19,873 7,000 19,546 2004-05 2000-01 $40,695 $10,000 37,945 36,958 37,507 17,500 33,046 8,303 31,753 22,519 31,105 NA 30,399 16,868 30,000 12,000 29,700 17,125 29,375 16,555 29,222 20,479 28,251 18,464 28,195 17,687 28,147 19,002 28,036 19,308 27,384 17,500 27,332 18,875 27,132 17,811 27,000 15,650 26,626 14,867 26,300 19,820 25,794 17,170 25,743 23,634 25,553 19,192 25,387 NA 25,081 19,873 25,051 7,000 25,023 19,546

Testing Out
Stonehill College is the latest New England institution to go test-optional. Giving applicants the choice of whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores is mission-consistent,

8 NEW ENGLAND BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION