Collegeville’s Ursinus College is one of several colleges nationwide trying to entice students who have been accepted, but not yet responded, with larger discounts, writes Ron Lieber for The New York Times.

This has raised questions over the ethics of dangling financial discounts in front of people who have already committed to other schools. But some schools use these tactics because they feel like they have to.

Often, once the May 1 deadline comes around, the numbers from deposits and future payments are not enough to cover the institution’s budget.

According to Dave Tobias, vice president and dean for enrollment management, Ursinus had hit its numbers by the deadline, but still had excess capacity. This prompted the school to offer seats to more students who might benefit from them.

However, The National Association for College Admission Counseling’s ethics rules state that colleges must not “knowingly offer financial aid packages to students committed to attend other institutions, unless the students initiate such inquiries.”

According to Tobias, the knowingly part is what creates the fine line. “It’s something we wrestle with regularly, and I’ll be very honest with you, I don’t think it’s anything that anybody feels good about,” he said.

Read more about the new approach at The New York Times by clicking here.

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