Posted on 09/07/2009 10:27:45 AM PDT by freespirited
PHILADELPHIA — Students who are accepted into Penn State University's prestigious honors college get more than academic feathers in their caps. They get $3,500 annual merit scholarships.
But given the tough economic times, the school is making an unusual request: Would parents consider donating that money back?
The fundraising appeal for Schreyer Honors College leans on parents who have not applied for financial aid for their children, encouraging them to share their good fortune with needier students. It appears to be working. The first appeal to 75 families last year raised about $228,000....
Some schools and states have tightened criteria for merit aid or eliminated it altogether to focus on students with the most need. The University of Texas at Austin plans next fall to withdraw from the National Merit Scholarship Program, which relies solely on standardized test scores to choose semifinalists and has been criticized for steering money to students who don't necessarily need it most.
Still, merit aid helps colleges lure top students and improve their rankings and reputations. Penn State is continuing the scholarships but hoping to persuade recipients' parents to return the favor....
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
/s
Our daughter was a Schreyer student. Pretty challenging program (only 300 students admitted/year). While the money was nothing to laugh at, neither was it anything close to covering her school costs. Sorry, not a fair request. Why not ask ALL students who are not getting aid to give more?
I”m stunned at the University of Texas dropping out of this program. They are opting for more “needs based” students, which will bring down the overall prestige of the school.
Frankly, I associate much of this with devalued grades. The idea that “everyone” should get a college degree is silly!
We need more carpenters, plumbers, truck drivers, etc. than we need lawyers (or maybe MBA’a). In fact, if we paid people by their value to society, plumbers and trash collectors would be paid like sports stars! (An obvious exaggeration with a nugget of truth).
Thus, colleges are inundated with students who are poorly placed, in need of remedial reading and math - on a university level! - and the academic soup is watered down further.
Does that make me an elitist?
I couldn't believe it either, but UT Austin is known for being stingy with scholarships. They haven't offered a dime to our kids, who are/were in the top 5% of their high school class and have State rankings in their extra curriculars. Because of holding state titles, other colleges have their eye on them and have offered minimal scholarships just to get them to apply. UT is going to be hurt because many NMS will go elsewhere but noooo, UT is too into their liberal diversity idealisms. UT Austin is ranked (US News and World Report) at #47 and A&M is at #61 but that might flip flop. Gig 'em Aggies!
I’m thinking you may be the person who pointed this situation out to me earlier this month? If not, someone here did so I started reading about it. It is a shame - the school has had a good reputation but if it becomes the affirmative action exchange program it will be hurt drastically.
I see the current trend towards needs based scholarships continuing so I am doing what it takes to transfer my 9/11 GI bill to my child. Hopefully, the government doesn't go insolvent before that.
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