Recent discussions of the faculty’s confidence in NYU President John Sexton have spotlighted student finances — specifically financial aid.

According to the “NYU Facts” webpage released by the Board of Trustees in a recent all-university email, financial aid for undergraduates has increased 138 percent over the past 10 years since Sexton became president. In the same period, tuition has risen by 91 percent.

NYU spokesman John Beckman said the university spends about $190 million per year on financial aid in the form of grants or scholarships.

Nearly all of NYU’s financial aid is need-based and merit scholarship applications are not available for incoming freshmen, according to the NYU website.

The website also states that only 1 to 2 percent of entering freshmen receive merit-based scholarships, which range from $1,000 to $25,000, and those are determined by their admission application.

Beckman recognized that NYU does lose some students because of a lack of financial aid.

According to a U.S. News & World Report, 54.2 percent of NYU students receive some financial aid, but only 5.8 percent of students’ needs are fully met.

Steinhardt senior Esther Akinwande said NYU should do more to help students afford tuition, so that when they graduate they will give back to the university instead of paying off their student loans.

“NYU should do what [Stanford University] does,” Akinwande said. “If your parents make less than $100,000, then you are basically fully covered.”

But the difference between NYU and Stanford is the amount of endowments they receive. Last year, Stanford collected $17 billion while NYU was only given $2.7 billion.

Beckman stated that unlike Stanford and other private universities that can rely on endowments for financial aid, NYU is a tuition-dependent institution. Two-thirds of the university’s budget comes from tuition money.

Executive vice president of finance and information technology Martin Dorph added that only 5 percent of NYU’s endowments go toward the university’s budget each year.

“If we had substantial growth in the endowment and many more donors wanted gifts used for financial aid, we could do more in that area,” Dorph said.

Other sources of financial aid include philanthropic gifts and fundraising revenue.

Beckman said financial aid is the main reason for the university’s fundraising efforts.

“Over the last 10 years, we have seen some important gains,” Beckman said. “In 2002, NYU raised $27 million for financial aid, [and] in 2012, it raised $112 million.”

Some students recognized the efforts NYU is making to increase financial aid. Steinhardt freshman Micah Lewis said he cannot complain about his financial aid, but knows there are other students struggling to pay. As a result, he hopes to one day return the favor.

“I [hope] that being under certain faculty and developing certain skills, I will get a job and be able to support myself, be successful [and] give back to the school.”

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday April 10 print edition. Adjoa Hackman is a contributing writer. Additional reporting by Isaac Marshall. Email them at [email protected].