Also, a number of AIAS members in BArch programs have reported the loss of financial aid in their fifth year, because standard undergraduate programs only support four years of study. This presents a problem that needs to be addressed regardless of the NAAB decision. A possible solution to help reduce the cost of architecture education and ensure equal access is the development of a scholarship database geared specifically to architecture students.

While a five-year MArch may appear to alleviate many cost issues, students in these programs are finding that it actually requires quite a bit of summer study to complete the program in the allotted five years. Unfortunately, summer study takes place when most students are working to support themselves during the school year. On the other hand, a graduate degree program may offer more opportunity for aid in the form of scholarships, low-interest federal loans, and teaching-assistant positions.

Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.