According to the Princeton Review, in 1996 the average annual cost to attend a public university is expected to be $6,903 and $17,686 for a private college. The class of 1999 can expect to pay an average of $8,221 for a public college and $21,064 for a private university. No matter how much time a student devotes to earning money for college, it is almost impossible to accumulate this kind of money without assistance from parents, relatives or scholarships.
In June, I will graduate as valedictorian from the College of Business at Utah State University. I plan to attend law school in the fall, and because my grades and LSAT score are high, I have the opportunity to attend almost any law school I choose. Although my parents are not wealthy, I still am ineligible for any need-based scholarships.I understand need-based scholarships are designed to help educate an equal percentage of poor or minority students, and I support this idea. As a result, however, the current scholarship system doesn't always award students for hard work and excellence, but rather for need. Because merit-based scholarships reward effort and personal perseverance of students from all social classes, they are for both the rich and poor. More merit-based scholarships will encourage students to do well in school, regardless of need, and give them incentive to strive for excellence.
I propose universities and colleges around the nation re-evaluate their current scholarship systems. Rather than taking funds from current need-based scholarships, only new funds should be allocated to merit-based scholarships.
In the future I hope to see an equal number of merit-based and need-based scholarships. This transition will continue to assist the students who are in need, but more importantly, it will encourage more students to excel in academics in order to qualify for a merit-based scholarship.
Ryan R. Warburton
Logan