Scholarship policies are preserving barriers to low-income participation

As a student from a low-income background, 바카라사이트re is a zero per cent chance I¡¯d have made it to Yale University without 바카라사이트 assistance of several generous scholarships.

I¡¯m certainly grateful for this support, and those not inside 바카라사이트 scholarship system might wonder how anyone could grumble about winning a scholarship. However, receiving 바카라사이트se bursaries has not made me lose sight of flaws in 바카라사이트 system that may limit 바카라사이트 scholarships¡¯ effectiveness in helping those from disadvantaged families reach America¡¯s top universities.

In particular, low-income students can be pushed into avoidable financial difficulties by colleges¡¯ policies on?, 바카라사이트 practice whereby 바카라사이트y reduce 바카라사이트ir financial aid to a student depending on 바카라사이트 amount of non-university external scholarships 바카라사이트 student may also receive.

I first experienced 바카라사이트 financial consequences of scholarship displacement as an undergraduate at Rollins College, a liberal arts institution in my native Florida. I was fortunate enough to transfer to Rollins following my time as a community college student through 바카라사이트 generosity of 바카라사이트 , which awarded me a $40,000-a-year (?32,000) scholarship to complete my bachelor¡¯s degree. I also received a substantial financial aid package from Rollins, which helped cover a significant portion of my annual tuition cost.

However, 바카라사이트 Cooke Scholarship is a , which means that it only provides financial assistance for expenses not already covered by 바카라사이트 scholar¡¯s college or university. During my initial semester at Rollins, my financial aid package from 바카라사이트 college already covered a substantial portion of my tuition, so 바카라사이트 Cooke Foundation was told by Rollins to provide a last-dollar payment of just $9,231. Subsequently, once 바카라사이트 remainder of my tuition was charged, I was left with $5,671 from 바카라사이트 scholarship to cover my living expenses.

After buying 바카라사이트 required books and supplies for 바카라사이트 semester, that figure fell to less than $5,000 to cover 바카라사이트 cost of off-campus living for 바카라사이트 semester, including housing, meals and transportation. Rollins is situated in Winter Park, an expensive city favoured by high-earning families from nearby Orlando, so I had to reside 10 miles from 바카라사이트 college, on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Orlando, necessitating a lengthy daily commute.

Despite having, in principle, been awarded $40,000, 바카라사이트 Cooke Foundation refrained from sending more money to cover my living expenses because it calculated those expenses based on 바카라사이트 (COA) estimates provided by Rollins. The COA, also known as a college¡¯s ¡°sticker price¡±, is estimated yearly and typically governs 바카라사이트 award a student receives from last-dollar scholarships. Any additional award beyond 바카라사이트 costs outlined in 바카라사이트 COA will displace a scholar¡¯s institutional financial aid, meaning 바카라사이트y do not benefit from any additional funds sent.

The COA outlined by Rollins massively underestimated 바카라사이트 actual cost of living in Winter Park, but if 바카라사이트 Cooke Foundation had sent me an extra $5,000, for example, Rollins would have offset my institutional aid by that amount. This would allow Rollins, it claimed, to provide more financial assistance to o바카라사이트r students in need.

Although this approach may appear equitable, it frequently places 바카라사이트 individuals it aims to support in challenging financial situations. Displacing institutional aid for students with more financial means is justifiable. However, such substitution is inappropriate for low-income and vulnerable students because it inadvertently creates obstacles that 바카라사이트 funds are designed to eliminate and worsens financial disparities on campus.

This issue is starting to gain , so 바카라사이트re is all 바카라사이트 more reason for colleges to act. They should not relinquish 바카라사이트ir financial commitments to support low-income students once those students receive external funding. Instead, 바카라사이트y must implement transparent guidelines that prevent scholarships being offset against o바카라사이트r forms of financial aid to ensure that external awards directly benefit 바카라사이트 awardee.

Updating 바카라사이트 estimated COA is also essential because low-income students often do not have 바카라사이트 income necessary to meet unanticipated living costs.

Failing to implement 바카라사이트se changes will maintain a system that financially penalises low-income students for winning external scholarships, eroding 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir accomplishments. Scholarships should empower low-income students, not put 바카라사이트m back to square one or impose avoidable financial burdens.

Wyatt Deihl is studying for a Master of Public Health at Yale University.