The Condescension of “Skin in the Game”

I read with excitement the announcement from President Ian Baucom that Middlebury College would be tuition-free for students from families with annual incomes up to $175,000.

To my dismay — but certainly not my surprise — mixed in with celebratory posts over various social media platforms were those, included below, that suggested this plan could actually be harmful to those students. A concept that appeared repeatedly was that qualifying students would have no “skin in the game.” They essentially suggest that if students don’t have a legally binding financial burden to the College or government, they may not value their education to the same degree. While some of these comments may come from not knowing the difference between tuition-free and a full cost-of-attendance scholarship, the sentiment is still the same.

“I kinda think letting them pay a little…and having some skin in the game will help them take FREE in a more accountable way,” one social media user commented.

Based on my brief investigation, this policy would mean that nearly 80% of American families would have a prospective student qualify for this financial aid plan (assuming, of course, that they are admitted). We obviously know that the Middlebury student body does not represent the bell curve of our country, and while this initiative alone does not make getting to Middlebury any easier, it is a major step in enriching the experience of those with need who are on campus and attracting those who might otherwise not apply.

“With any luck there won’t be too many well-qualified poor students applying.”

According to Middlebury’s Student Financial Services, 50% of Middlebury students receive financial aid, thus the other 50% of students pay a sum of money annually to the College greater than the United States median family income. I acknowledge some of these students may have circumstances where they are not eligible for institutional financial aid for reasons beyond total assets, and I suspect some wealthy parents with a certain philosophy may set up “loans” with their child that they may or may not have to pay back some day. With that said, there are likely hundreds of students at Middlebury who won’t owe a dime to anyone when they graduate simply because they were born into a family that, at the time of matriculation, was objectively wealthy.

“I simply believe everyone should have some (even if just a little) skin in the game for fairness and community cohesion.”

Invoking the concept of fairness as an argument against something offered to lower-income students is both insulting and tired. It diminishes or denies the existing disparity in privilege and opportunity, and it punches down. First-generation and low-income students are some of the hardest working at Middlebury, in and out of the classroom. This is an assertion that I stand by. They already know the opportunity they’ve been given and the ground to make up to achieve their goals. What these students don’t need is another kick in the shin as a branch is extended to them. A branch that represents one less thing to worry about as they write papers, complete problem sets and study for exams. Many students will never know this struggle. Many, frankly, do not care to understand it, and, in effect, will continue to perpetuate these unproductive and harmful beliefs. The same beliefs that have recently been used to argue against student loan forgiveness at the Supreme Court.

“Since I was successful I paid 100% for my daughter. If I had been less so, now she would go for free.”

I sometimes think back to one evening my senior year, when I lost $40 from my pocket in the snow walking up from the Mahaney Art Center. Car repairs on my 1997 Camry, gas, J-term course materials and my cell phone bill had left me with less than $100 in my bank account — the lowest since I started as a dishwasher in high school. I sat in my dorm room for most of that weekend, too sad and embarrassed to be social, too miserable and distracted to do any work. I scrolled on my phone and saw the photos my classmates posted as they returned from their holiday vacations in the Caribbean or the slopes in Europe, while I received another email about federal loan disbursements for the upcoming semester.

But hey, I guess it’s only fair because I had skin in the game.