October 14, 2009

ITHACA -- It's common for college students to get financial assistance or scholarship money to help pay for school.  But one Southern Tier university is paying students not to go to school.
     Ithaca College officials overenrolled by a few hundred students this school year.  So they invited 1,900 incoming freshmen to take a year off and get a $10,000 credit toward financial aid.  Thirty-one students took it.
     To help deal with the overflow of students on campus, the college built a temporary residence hall for a hundred students.
     Eric Maguire, vice president of enrollment management says and idea to house students in a local hotel was taken off the table.
     “Rather than invest that money in a hotel, we decided to invest that money in our students.  Thus, this gap year option was born. I think it's a little bit different, created, and outside the box, but at the same time, I think it helps our students with affordability,” said Maguire.
     IC also offered upperclassmen a $2,000 credit to move off campus this year.

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