Alumni Donors Expect Children to Be Enrolled, Study Finds

Parents often make gifts to their alma maters largely to increase the chances of their sons and daughters gaining admittance, reports Slate.

A study by Jonathan Meer of Stanford University and Harvey S. Rosen of Princeton examined giving data for 32,000 alumni of an elite research university from 1983 to 2006. They did not name the institution.

The researchers found that parents give at roughly about equal rates until their children reach high school — at which point parents of high-achieving students (i.e., those likely to apply to elite schools) start to give much more than the parents of mediocre students.

Furthermore, donations from parents whose children are denied admission often dry up immediately. That finding and other research persuaded the scholars to conclude that half of giving by alumni is not altruistic but selfish.

The scholars also say university officials implicitly lead alumni to believe that if they give big, their children will gain admission.