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opinion:
our view
Scholarships
needed for all
The rising cost of tuition at college campuses is an issue
that we all face.
Students around the country have all tried the same methods
to address this issue. We work full or part time, rely on
our parents and apply for grants, loans and scholarships.
The problem many students from lower-income families are facing
is the fact that many scholarships are moving away from a
financial need basis to achievement based decisions, according
to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times.
In a perfect world, any student who desires a college education
would have access to that education. We do not live in a perfect
world and many students need additional assistance.
The federal government offers Pell grants to students from
low-income households and the state of California offers Cal
grants to students who do not receive federal financial aide.
But middle class families are looking for assistance to cover
the rising cost of education because their annual income is
too high to qualify for state and federal grants.
The push has created a new era of achievement-based scholarships,
the Times reported.
Now students may earn scholarships based on performance rather
than the level of financial need, which has caused concern
among some educators that colleges and universities will no
longer offer economic advancement for students from low-income
neighborhoods.
Scholastic achievements are primarily based on standardized
test scores, said the Times. Standardized tests have come
under fire recently for being unfair to students who do not
come from affluent families.
This may not be the best way to score a student’s scholastic
achievements, but colleges and universities have an obligation
not only to low-income, disadvantaged students, but also to
all students to offer a top quality education so society can
progress.
Why should we offer the benefits of higher education to less
affluent students only because they are less affluent? The
nations higher-learning institutions should be recruiting
the best and brightest students from around the nation. That
is what will keep America on the progressive track.
Donald E. Heller, a senior research associate at the Center
for the Study of Higher Education at Pennsylvania State University,
said his research found that about one-fifth of scholarships
and grants from the nations universities and colleges were
awarded to students supported by families with incomes of
more than $100 thousand. The research also found that the
same number of grants and scholarships were awarded to low-income
students.
So how is it that the need-driven program gives more opportunity
to disadvantaged students? According to the Times, it seems
that moving towards achievement-based awards is helping an
unseen portion of students. How many students at Cal State
Long Beach do we know that complain that they have to work
30 to 40 hours a week to afford tuition because their parents
make too much money to receive financial aide, but still cannot
afford the cost of tuition?
Awarding scholarships based on merit is the best way to send
the outstanding students to the college and university level.
Perhaps scholarship money should be divided up and based on
location, giving awards to outstanding students from various
school districts without comparing economic backgrounds outside
of those districts.
For example, if CSULB were to have $100,000 to award in scholarships,
we give $25,000 to Long Beach high schools, $25,000 to Beverly
Hills high schools, $25,000 to Orange county high schools
and $25,0000 to out of state schools, the money would be evenly
distributed and each applicant may be reviewed on scholastic
merit as it applies within his or her school. Students would
be compared to their peers rather than to other schools where
better facilities may or may not be available.
The bottom line is that students should not be given money
for college education just because they cannot afford it.
Is it fair for a student who has outstanding achievements
to not receive a scholarship because another student who has
not performed as well was awarded the scholarship because
his family is economically disadvantaged?
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