Financial Future Update Summer 2014

History major praises access, activities

Grinnell College was Alexandra Odom ’16’s first choice. The fact that the College also gave her the best aid package cemented the deal. “I think the fact that Grinnell admits students on a need-blind basis is extremely beneficial for students like me, because I wouldn’t be here without it,” Odom says.

Grinnell admits domestic students without considering their family’s finances and meets 100 percent of demonstrated need. The College Board of Trustees voted in February 2013 to continue those policies until fall 2015, when it will vote on whether Grinnell is on a sufficiently sustainable path to keep that approach.

Odom’s aid package at Grinnell includes a grant from the College, scholarships, three loans, and work-study. Half her work-study goes toward her tuition and fees and half goes to her account for personal expenses during the year.

“I work at the [Spencer] Grill. I work as a technology consultant. I’ve managed a football team. I worked as a timer for the swim team,” Odom rattles off with a grin.

She isn’t eligible for Pell grants or other federal aid because her family’s income is too high.

Odom, of Baltimore, was offered merit aid to attend her state university in Maryland, but her family was still expected to come up with another $21,000 per year. That wasn’t realistic.

But not all the family’s reservations were financial.

“I would have gotten lost in the shuffle at a big university,” Odom says, “and there would not have been nearly as many opportunities or connections or relationships as there are here.”

So, having carefully weighed her options, she enrolled at Grinnell, where she majors in history.

In spring 2014, Odom was named a Mellon Mays Fellow for her last two years at Grinnell. The fellowship offers mentoring from a faculty member, a modest stipend, and some loan repayment for underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and academic careers.

Grinnell, with its academic excellence and innovative programs, offered a range of experiences that simply wasn’t offered elsewhere, Odom says. “There are so many opportunities at Grinnell.”

Some of Odom’s activities focus on her career plans. She’s a member of the Student Educational Policy Committee for the education department and of the Careers in Education Professions program. She’s also a peer tutor in Ni Ka Na, the program that tutors K-12 students at the Meskwaki Settlement.

She has attended many of the events, speeches, and workshops offered on campus, including resume review sessions and social media information sessions offered by the Center for Careers, Life, and Service.

Grinnell’s access program and the donors who fund them made those opportunities possible.