The current financial aid process requires a vast amount of time and effort from colleges, students, and the government. There is a lack of transparency hindering students from considering college due to their pessimism towards the exorbitant costs and their unawareness of financial aid options. This paper explores the factors that impact prospective students’ decisions to matriculate at Colorado College using a probability distribution model. With admissions data from 2009-2012, I will simulate a simplified rule in which 25% of family income is allocated for tuition and Colorado College pays the difference. Using this new rule, I will analyze the composition of students who are then likely to matriculate and determine the feasibility of the rule. This 25% rule eliminates a significant amount of stress, wasted time, and effort for all components of the financial aid process while maintaining a feasible amount of aid donations.
