Opportunity scholarships for all, whether they need it or not
Should the Opportunity scholarship be converted from “a scholarship for all” to “a scholarship for those who actually need it?” According to a discussion about the Opportunity Scholarships, that seems to have been the thrust that Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson was trying to get at in a committee hearing with Board of Regent’s director Tad Perry.
From tonight’s Argus Leader:
South Dakota might need a college scholarship program based on financial need, but the Opportunity Scholarship isn’t it, Tad Perry of the Board of Regents says.
and…
The Opportunity Scholarship was created to encourage high school students to master a challenging curriculum and then choose a South Dakota university, college or technical school. It’s based on courses taken, grades earned and staying in state, not on income.
“This is obviously not a means-tested scholarship program,” Knudson said. “That seems to me to be out of step with the main thrust of scholarship programs across America” which are designed to help lower and moderate-income students.
and…
“It seems to me it would be more meaningful to a middle-class kid than a wealthy kid,” Knudson persisted.
Since the amount involved isn’t going to matter to those of significant resources, should the opportunity scholarship add some means testing to it, so it goes to those who can really use it?
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Comments
First, #1 is absolutely correct on the type of scholarship it is. The state saw fit to have a scholarship to encourage students have a certain level of achievement. If the state changes its mind, so be it.
As for the state universities. I just checked Augie. The tuition there is about $20,000/year. USF is about $17,500/year. The tuition at SDSU is about $2,650. I am sure other private and state schools will have similar figures. The difference tells me there must already be a subsidy for state schools.
Any student who wishes a post-secondary education in this state can get one. Even without any grants, students can get the loans necessary. If a student is able to get the Opportunities Scholarship, that $5,000 over the four years is a significant portion of the tuition. Of course there are other costs involved, but a person who truly wants it can get it.
1. Anonymous….just a comment for you!
While I would agree that we should not fix something that is not broken…I would venture to say that the “poor” do not have it easier.
My Grandaughter attended college in Aberdeen. Her grants and Scholarships were not enough to cover the tuition. She took out a student loan and worked part time. It still wasn’t enough.
Since then, she’s transferred to DSU (tuition is lower) and now she’s expected to make payments on her student loan, pay her rent, utilities and support herself in a cheap apartment…working two part time jobs and attending college. No, the poor do not have it easier.
Her parents make about 13,500.00 a year (family of five). Needless to say, I send her money every two weeks to help her make ends meet. If there is an easier way for her to attend college…tell me how.
I applaud her efforts to better herself and am very proud of her. Just wanted to let you know, that the poor do NOT have it easier.
The scholarship should remain for those who WANT TO PUT IN THE EFFORT of taking the additional, higher-level classes at the high school level. It is important to remember that there are many scholarships out there. The Opp. Scholarship is for those who have put in the effort- no matter their financial situation.
Jeannica:
I doubt your granddaughter attended NSU. I suspect the tuition and costs are about the same there as DSU. She must have been attending a private school in Aberdabber.
It has been my experience that if she has student loans and is going to school full time, the payments are not expected. Many of the loans today accrue interest from the beginning of the loan. Others are subsidized and the government pays the interest while the student goes to school. Something is not adding up.
Your granddaughter could attend classes at DSU for about $10,500/year including a dorm and a meal plan. This is probably less than living off campus, but I do not know for sure. I have few doubts that if her high school counselor was competent she could have gotten several grants, scholarships, etc.–especially if she was a good student in high school.
I agree she should be commended for working so hard to get it done. Things that she has to work for will mean more for her when she does get them. I have been there and done that. I also suspect she needs to spend some time at the DSU financial aid office.
5. DuggerSD.
Your whole gig seems to be about supporting the bureaucracy and forgetting about the people.
My hunch is, that’s not your heart and soul, it’s just your convenient default position, and the one for which you have been fed the most talking points. It’s pretty much an excuse for not working harder to help the people whom you know need your help.
I think you are kind of a dick for that, actually.
But other than that…
I agree with #4. There is talk about offering the scholarship as a $6,000 scholarship, lowering the number of hours from 15 to 12, and lowering the required ACT test score from 24 down to 23. As long as we keep lowering the bar of academic requirements in our state, we are not going to provide students with any incentive to excel. I truly think it is sad that some folks think that honoring mediocrity should be our song..that it should be so easy for people to get things for free that it sets the tone for very poor work ethic and for little challenge to the students of this state. FAFSA grants are easy to obtain for those who truly struggle with getting the money to go to college. Let’s keep the Opportunity Scholarships somewhat prestigious. I have been an educator my entire life and I can honestly tell you that students will rise to meet ehallenges and high expectations while feeling a strong of accomplishment at the same time.
Bill, as is usually the case, you cannot argue based upon facts. Instead, you have to resort to the gutter. I see nothing in my post that is innacurate. I see nothing in your post worthy. I sort of miss the days when you went crying and left this blog because people were mean to you. Why don’t you offer something besides your inane, petty insults? Like I said in the other one, it appears your diaper needs to be changed as you are full of yourself.
I do think lowering the credit hour requirement to twelve makes sense. As it is now, the program is not flexible to accompdatw a dropped class, a light load due to an internship, or a student athlete who takes 14 one semester and 16 the other. Students have adequate incentive to take enough hours: to graduate. After four years, the scholarships run out whether they’ve graduated or not.
#9
I can see where the lowering the requirement to 12 hours deserves some consideration. I would be against lowering the academic bar in the ACT, however. The purpose of the award is to encourage excellence. And getting the award does not mean the student will have it all through his/her college career. I have two sons who earned it in high school and lost it when they got to the university. Something about actually reading books and attending classes got them. Both of them had a rude awakening. I wonder if there are any statistics for how many students keep the scholarship and or lose it.
What are schools these days teaching??? Any sub par idiot should be able to take 15 hours class load a week and not jeopardize his/her scholarship. I am truly worried about the quality of our schools after reading #9’s comment. Students in high school should have to read, manage time, have test taking skills, know upper level math, science, take foreign languages, and write high quality papers for English, government, etc. They should be able to balance that with FCCLA, sports, church, plays, music. Small schools have the advantage there as students” wear so many hats “in the course of a week. Just about every student I know is taking 16 to 19 hours a semester in college. They may not be Opportunity Scholars, based upon the ACT score, but many are Dean’s List students. So you tell me..if a change is to be made, should it be with the fewer hours or with a lower ACT? I would like to see neither one change, but if there is a change, maybe it should be to require 16 hours and have a score of 23.
The opportunity scholarship is a merit-based scholarship that encourages high schools kids to take college prep classes and rewards strong academic performance. Although the scholarship award could probably stand to be increased, it has been a spectacularly successful program. If Dave Knudson wants a need based scholarship, he should create a new program – not monkey with one that is working.
Our state universities are cheap enough for in-state students that ANY student can get adequate federal grants and subsidized loans to go to school – in fact the poor actually have an easier time.