More financial support is needed for average college students. A refer to the “Average College Student” meaning a student with average grades (As & Bs), with average parents who make average wage. This meaning that they are not the best nor the worst, but have so much to offer if they had more opportunities and chances with more financial support.
As an average student, I feel we suffer the most out of any group. Scholarship programs mostly help the top students in a class as well as the “underprivileged student”. Some of these students include those whom their parents pay for their grades, and students who did nothing in high school and just go to college instead of just getting a job out of high school or that go to just fill up time. Also, this includes those students who’s parents don’t work and lead them to believe they do not need to either and some are also those students who go to college and just drop out a year or two in, wasting that scholarship because “college didn’t suit them”, but they knew that before they entered. Needless to say, not all the top students and underprivileged students fit into this category, but some do. Were as the “average student” usually goes to college to learn, be educated and get a good job. We know this because they generally pay the most. Why would an average person, who has to pay 30 grand a year to go to a school, go to just avoid getting a job or to fill up time? The average student in my opinion works harder than those students that receive that receive the most financial aid because they are paying for it out of pocket knowing that after college they will have to work the rest of their lives to pay off their education. But, this debt is worth it they say, I say too. This debt comes with a degree.
I feel as though the “average student” is being punished because they have good grades and have parents that make a decent amount of money. Ok, some may say the average student is just that, average, why should we reward average? Well that is simple, because in this day in age average is so hard to accomplish. College students face so many problems and issues that make it hard to be average. Like me, many go into the armed forces or know someone who has. Personally I am not enrolled in the armed forces, but have thought about it and know many that are. I considered that option because it has many benefits, you get paid and still can go to college, yet you may have to fight in the war, which is a major downside. Although my decision to not join did not change the choices for 4 of my closest friends who could not afford college because they are just “average students”. Other factors played a role in their decisions as well; do not let me lead you to believe that money was the only factor. This is not hard for just those who join but also those who know the people who have joined. One of my best friends is stationed 21 hours away from my house. Another just got out of boot camp and leaves for Iraq in 112 days. Well, it is not me that is going; I still have a hard time dealing with it knowing that my closest friends are out fighting a war at the ages or 18 and 19.
A major factor that makes it hard for average students to be average students is the modern day problems. These problems include drugs, alcohol and violence among students. As I read my college newspaper this morning I noticed in the Incent Log, that about 25 possession charges, 15 DWIs, and 18 alcohol related abuse was reported though police and all of which were fined or referred. Personally I do go out on the weekends if I finish all my work. But finishing my work is hard because of these types of incidents. Average students face problems with peer pressure and being able to control their atmospheres. If you can’t study in your room because of noise, it makes it hard to keep up your grades. Also the fact that most students will be tempted to try something also affects how well they perform in the classroom. Being able to reject certain things or be able to accept and still be an average student is extremely hard.
As average student, I feel their are so many things that make it hard to be average, i listed some. I feel as though being average is harder than most think and take into consideration. I also think that the average student would value a scholarship a little bit more than some others because if it were not for that, they would be paying straight out of their pockets, like myself. I think that the "average college student" should be more supported financially through scholarships and grants.
"A's" and "B's" aren't average. They are above average.
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
I am sorry I should have explained more. When I say As and Bs, I didnt mean all As... its meant as possibly some As and mostly Bs, possibly some Cs, which is a GPA of about 2.5 to 3.2. I see above average as all A+s with a GPA closer to 4.0, that is my opinion. I feel I am an average student although in highschool my GPA was 2.8, which I feel was average. I now have a GPA of 3.1 in my freshman year in college, and my classes are hard. I still feel as though I am only average. I am sorry for that misconeception.
I have a few issues with your points...
First, "average" is a C student, or at least it used to be. These days, I think average is getting pretty much all B and C grades, with a GPA between 2.0 and 3.0 on the 4.0 scale.
I agree that there should be a few more scholarships established for the average student. However, the "average" student isn't being punished. It makes perfect sense for students who have great grades or really need the money to be given scholarships. Why should colleges give more money to students who don't have good grades and don't display financial need? I totally understand that these students probably have more financial need than a typical FAFSA will show. So, these students should consider looking into other scholarship opportunities. Do an online scholarship search like fastweb.com or scholarships.com. There are many scholarships out there that have no or low GPA standards.
It's unfair for you to make assumptions that average students try harder in school. How about those students who graduated with high GPAs? Perhaps their parents didn't pay someone for those grades... maybe they actually worked their butts off to get those grades and intend on doing the same in college.
"Modern day problems" as you mentioned affect all students, whether rich, poor, and regardless of their GPA. Drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure should have nothing to do with your argument of average students needing more award money.
My suggestion to you and other "average" students who need more money (because I agree that average students, as well as the majority of all college students could use more money) search for scholarships online. Also, do some volunteer and service work so you can build up your "scholarship resume." Also, study, study, study! The key to not being an average student: choose not to be (I understand you can't choose your family's income, but you can choose to try to get better grades or getting involved in your community)!! Being average is a choice.
I really value your advice. Personally I understand that not all above average students have their parents pay for their grade. I even said that not everyone falls into that category. The point of this blog is to show people that an average student may be doing the best that they can. I have been filling out applications since my freshman year in highschool through fastweb for scholarships and unfortunately have not been awarded any. My sister has been though, so I know it is possible.
I do know that a lot of people work hard for their grades, but the fact of the matter is some do not, and that is my point. A lot of people go to college to get a good education and better jobs, but some go to just fill up time. I know this because I see it everyday, i know of several cases. I do not want to say that everybody is doing the same because that would be ignorant and i am not that, nor do not want to be. I am sorry if i come off that way. Many people do work hard for everything they have, i am one of them. I guess my main point is that not everybody does.
I also agree that students should work harder to get better grades, but in some cases things happen where it is extremely hard and average grades are the best the can achieve. Personally I would have done better if i was not traveling home every weekend last semester. That was not my choice to do, my grandmother had cancer and was dying. I had to go home, and the 10 hour bus trip every weekend put a strain on my grades. Personally i talked to my teachers and they understood but unfortunately scholarship programs and schools do not look at factors like that. My point being that for some people average is the best they can do for their situation at the time.
About me thinking that average students working harder than other groups. What is implied there is that some the students who pay for their education out of their pocket will work or try harder than those who don't. Once again i am saying that not all students are like this, because their not, but some are. Personally i am paying for college out of my pocket, and i know i will be in debt for years and i am ok with that. But i work harder because i know that if i don't do good it would be a waste of my own 120 grand. Its like if you buy yourself an expensive item, aren't you going to take better care of it than if someone else bought it. Once again not everyone is like this, but some are. I know that you are probably thinking well if you are given a scholarship then you wont work as hard. That isn't true because as an average person i know what it feels like to pay for things. I know that a scholarship would be my one shot and if i screwed it up it would be a waste of 120 grand given to me.
So my point of all this is basically that i think there should be more scholarships/grants offered to students who has different things to offer, including the average student.
I don't think I fit into the average student category, as I have a 4.0 (courtesy of my school having awful curriculum that's not challenging), my dad makes too much money for me to get financial aid, etcetera. But at the same time, I'm going to have issues paying for college.
Why? My dad wants to quit his job at the end of this year, because he's tired of working out of state. And no matter how many scholarships I apply for, I don't win any. None. Nothing, zip, nada. And I'm seventh in my class. Got into my top college, did great on the SATs, despite sleeping through them (they're a joke!!!!) and I'm involved in tennis, the Spanish Honors Society, and my school's Academic Team.
And yet no one wants to give me a scholarship. At all. It's really frustrating me. I can't get scholarships for my heritage, because my family has been in the states for three too many generations. I can't get anything for my asthma because I'm not athletic enough. I can't get anything for any essays I write because I'm a bad essay writer. I don't write essays...I write novels...
I'm of the opinion that scholarships are just hard to come by nowadays. Oh, and...sorry for the rant...I tend to do that...
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
I am glad you decided to comment. I understand how you are feeling. My parents make a fair share amount of money but they are not in the right position to fund me, nor would I expect them to. It is my education not theirs but thats my opinion once again. But I am suprised with your GPA you are having a hard time. Colleges themselves usually reward high grades through their admissions prosess, or so I thought. Your response really does show the need for more scholarships, not for just average students, but for anyone that FASFA thinks does not need aid. I think FASFA is not taking into consideration that they are looking at what are parents are making, and a lot of times students do not rely on their parents, although they can not claim themselves as independent. That is not everyones case. I think the major problem here is that FASFA and shcolarship programs look for the same things in everybody, when the should be looking at individual persons and compare. And I do not mind the rant, I do the same thing and I understand.
I'm going to a really small college that doesn't have much in the way of scholarships. I was graced with a $3000 renewable scholarship from them, because they're trying to help everyone, but...I still need $26,000 a year...it's NOT fun...
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
College has always been a stuggle for average families to pay for. Colleges set their rates at the maximum amount they can get away with and still fill all their desks and dorm beds. If they are turning away a lot of kids then from their perspective, their rates are not high enough and they are leaving money on the table. They know there are plenty of parents who are desperate to see their kids educated and are willing to mortgage the family home to make it happen.
Everytime more financial aid is made available, colleges simply raise their rates to transfer that money into their coffers. The colleges know those parents are just as desperately willing to mortgage the home as ever. Nothing gets any better for the students because while they are getting more aid the colleges are demanding higher tuition. The schools are still wringing every single dime they can get away with out of the students and the parents. If aid goes up again then tuition will follow it up again.
Education is not really that expensive. A K-12 education costs about $8 to $10K per student per year. I can't think of any reason why college tutition has to cost much more than that. Colleges often have very large class sizes and that should lower the cost. They pay professors a little more but not that much more.
The main reason I think that colleges charge so much is that they are generally administered by liberals who believe strongly in social engineering. Their goal is to wring as much money as possible out of anybody who can come up with it so that they have lots of money to re-distribute to those who they in their sole elitist judgement deem deserving and needy. A very large percentage of the time, need is defined by skin color. Private schools can do as they please but in my opinion many state schools are engaging in a wealth redistribution function that would be more appropriately taken on by the State Legislature.