Recently some of you have expressed concern that I was attacking athletic scholars and scholarships. This article was not written to do that. This article points out the need for accessable post secondary education without the monetary objective. I only make the point about the different types of scholarships out there and I mention scholarships that are given due strictly to on field performance and scholarships given only for one's performance on the field and not in the classroom.
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In a capitalist society, normal people need to be very competitive for business just like fortune 500 companies in the market place. We need to arm ourselves to the teeth with skills, experience and education. Without education, people don’t advance and society doesn’t progress. If it wasn’t for self education, man would not have come up with the wheel, the aqueducts, or the Ipod. The problem with the modern American education these days is that post secondary education costs so much. Students are stressing about scholarships, others are unable to get financial aid from the government and a few are burying themselves in student loans. I feel that not only should we have a right to a free and public primary and secondary education but we deserve a right to free or reduced post secondary education in order to progress in society instead of remaining socially sedentary due to lack of funds.
Why society needs post-secondary education
Why does a society need a post-secondary education? The answer is progression. America has prospered on progression. We have revolutionized government during the revolution, we have revolutionized production with the concept of the assembly line and we have revolutionized the way the world sees freedom. All of these revolutions were made through progression and education. If the entire country had access to a high level post-secondary education, we would be more educated and much more prosperous than we are now.
What is available now
There are billions of dollars in scholarships now and getting one is no easy feat. Scholarships are highly competitive and encourage academic competition. There are several things I dislike about the scholarship application and allocation process. For the most part, scholarships are a good thing but I can’t stand when a scholarship discriminates against anyone based on race or sex. I can’t stand it when I search for scholarships and I come up with results that say "women only scholarship" or "minority scholarship." The thing about this that really makes me angry is that if there was a "white only" scholarship or a "men only" scholarship, it would be seen as racist or sexist. I believe that we should be past the point where different races need to be treated differently and we are past the gap in the sexes. There should be no scholarship that bars people based on race or sex. We are all equal so we all should have equal opportunities.
Another thing about scholarships that really gets to me is that in some places people are given scholarships simply for playing sports. Dont get me wrong, many athletic scholarships consider grades and character and I support that but some of them out there are given specifically for a student to go to the college and play sports. No matter how good or bad one's grades are, this person has a better chance at going to school than the student who has shown more potential to contribute to society all through high school in the forms of grades and academic co curricular activities. The ideal scholarship would be one based on a students desire and proof of which in the forms of grades and ACADEMIC accomplishments to attend college and contribute to society, not based on what sports one played, nor based on what race one is. With more scholarships like this, more people who can prove a desire to better themselves and the world will have access to college as opposed people who have bad grades and write good essays.
The other option is federal aid. The problem with this is that for some it just isnt enough. I have seen a lot of these scenarios in the middle class where a student doesnt get much from the government because they make too much to qualify for any significant ammount of financial aid. For underprivledged students this is great and offerers the opportunity to attend college. I hope someday that federal aid will be available to more people especially those who make too much to recieve aid now but make too little to finance school on their own.
Something needs to be done now
It is evident that something needs to be done about the unnecessary expenses of college but the question is what. We need to lower tuition rates so students can concentrate on classes and not on where they are going to find their next dollar. College should not be made available only to the gifted, lucky or athletic. It should be available to all those who show the determination and drive to broaden their minds and prospective. It shouldn’t come to the point, especially in America, where students have to compete in order to learn. This only means that those who are not competitive enough can’t attend school due to lack of funds. Instead of spending money on wars and fat other things that we dont need, the government should use money to offset the costs of tuition and books to everyone who is in college and is in good academic standing. Colleges should also lower tuition and stop charging students ludicrous fees such as out of state tuition. (On that note; why should I have to pay 10 thousand dollars more to attend school in a different state when it is going to cost me that much just to move there?)
America is the land of opportunity. There should be no more tuition hikes in colleges and everyone should have an opportunity to further the education without worrying about how to finance it. Something needs to be done about these high tuition rates, be it government intervention (setting aside tax dollars to help out college students in good academic standing) or colleges lowering tuition and not nickle and diming us for stuff that some of us won't even use. Everyone with the desire to learn should have an affordable chance to attend college and not worry about the next dollar. Not only will this improve the quality of life but it will make our contry more prosperous and innovative.
As someone who tutors student athletes, allow me to say that those athletes earn every penny of those scholarships, at least at my college. They do get a lot of help, yes, and they do get a lot of money, but they also have to work twice as hard. They have less time to do work, are more exhausted at the end of the day, and generally have to behave themselves more than the average student.
Furthermore, those athletic scholarships allow students who might normally be unable to attend college to do so as a reward for outstanding performance just as academic scholarships do. Just with academic scholarships the only thing required to keep them is to do well academically. With sport scholarships, they have to do well academically AND atheletically. It's certainly not an easy path to take.
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Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. --Mahatma Gandhi
My Blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kablock
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Good argument but please explain how athletes have to behave better than the average student. As a recent high school graduate (class of 2008) I have seen athletes act just as well as a normal student and in some cases worse. I can understand the fact that atheletes must behave in order to keep playing but anyone can live up to those expectations. Also dont get me wrong, athletes do earn the money they get but I am speaking mainly of the free rides that some colleges offer just because of a student's athletic ability.
You do bring up a good point about performing academically and athletically.
Athletes are under media scrutiny and are supervised by a team of people much of their day. The average student is supervised by an RA when not in class. Athletes have four to six hours of supervision by coaches, physical trainers, weight room staff, etc. They have to mind their P's and Q's. They are constantly reminded that they are representatives of the university.
I was a student athlete in college. And I agree with kablock; at the Division I level, student-athletes have an incredibly rigorous schedule. It is so hard to get all the work done between practices, competition, and traveling.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
You know you guys are right atheletes are under constant scrutiny. I know it can be hard between practice and school but athletics is not the only point I make. When I mentioned the athletic scholarships I speak about the scholarships given that are based on performance on the field. I fully support the scholarships that look at the athelete both on and off the field.
From what I understand, most atletic scholarships mainly look at performance in that sport when awarding them, and I'm ok with that. I've talked to plenty of guys who've told me how stupid they feel for messing around in classes during hig school, how they never thought they would ever be able to go to college, and how lucky they feel. Plus, when they get to college, they have to keep their grades up not only to stay on the team but also to keep their scholarship. This means they usually have to work twice as hard.
I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm just trying to shoot you down, but I'm very proud of the student athletes I work with because they work harder than the average student on campus. Therefore, they deserve every penny they get in my book.
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Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. --Mahatma Gandhi
My Blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kablock
My PhotoBlog: http://takingpictures.wordpress.com
I know it's not the only point you make, but it's one on which I can speak from experience, so I thought it useful to add my two cents.
With regard to your other points, I am a big fan of affirmative action in schools/communities where it is necessary. We didn't start out with a level playing field, and it is still very uneven, so these scholarships help get us there. The point of scholarships is that they reward the exceptional. In far too many communities of color, it is the exception rather than the rule that students go to college. When the numbers are commensurate with whites, we can say that the playing field has leveled. Until then, these distinctions are necessary. If someone is having trouble getting scholarships, they should make themselves more exceptional.
Also, there are white-only scholarship at HBCU's (historically black colleges and universities).
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
There is too much fraud and waste. In some htings loans vs grants. Govt should give more grants than loans. Students should get a stipend straight from govt.
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That is exactly the point I am trying to make. The most efficient way to secure a bright future for the next generation is to help finance college education instead of expecting us to "borrow" money and in some cases pay interest.
Thanks for your input.
Loans are one way of helping people to finance their education. Without loans, I would not have had the opportunity to go to college. What's so bad about borrowing money for education? I'm willing to invest in my future. It's worth it to me.
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That is exactly the point I am trying to make. The most efficient way to secure a bright future for the next generation is to help finance college education instead of expecting us to "borrow" money and in some cases pay interest.
Thanks for your input.
...I can’t stand when a scholarship discriminates against anyone based on race or sex. I can’t stand it when I search for scholarships and I come up with results that say "women only scholarship" or "minority scholarship." The thing about this that really makes me angry is that if there was a "white only" scholarship or a "men only" scholarship, it would be seen as racist or sexist. I believe that we should be past the point where different races need to be treated differently and we are past the gap in the sexes. There should be no scholarship that bars people based on race or sex. We are all equal so we all should have equal opportunities. "
We shoudl have equal opportunities, but we don't. That's part of the reason why some scholarships are directed towards minorities- to even out the opportunities available. I don't see a problem with this. Take into consideration the discrimination that minorities and women face everyday. I've had students complain to me because they wanted a male chemistry instructor, even though I'm one of the best in our department. I was made fun of in elementary school for being Native American. I've been judged my entire life because of my race. There's also still a social barrier between my culture and college. Native Americans were still giving up land as early as 100 years ago, and even my parents did not believe that women (or anyone) should go to college. I no longer have contact with them because I chose to go to college. The Native culture is still not very trusting of the government. African Americans are still very heavily discriminated against today as well, and so are other minority groups. It's not easy being a minority. It's hard. I don't see any problem with having assistance directed towards minority groups because we aren't handed as many opportunities as other races.
Even if we did have the same opportunities, a scholarship is a gift and the giver has the right to choose the recipient. I don't see the fact that your parents don't give me money or gifts as discrimination because it's their money. They can choose what to do with it. The same goes for scholarships. I've seen men only and caucasion only scholarships as well, and I saw no problem with it.
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I understand that a scholarship is a gift and can be given to everyone but should people bar others from even applying based on race. This racial and sexual discrimination gap needs to be closed and that includes the exclusive scholarship opportunities as well.
It's not discrimination any more than your friends and family not awarding me gifts. Anyone who chooses to give away money should have the right to choose who receives it.
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Minority in most schoarships isnt a woman......
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How can we find out what is wrong and what is right
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Teacher Education Student.