Did these kids ever hear of financial aid?

bcamp393 · 06-14-2005, 07:22 PM

When I went to college I applied for financial aid and received plenty of scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for college. And if these kids are as smart as they say they are, then they will get plenty of scholarships from their schools (like a Presidential scholarship which is given to students who get over a 1300 on the SAT, which basically pays the entire tuition except room and board). These kids will goto college, it's not like losing this show will ruin their lives.

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Positive K · 06-14-2005, 07:38 PM

What I'm wondering is why these kids want to go to such expensive colleges. Their state universities and public colleges would love to have them ... and they would get financial aid/scholarships based on academic performance in high school and not on their family's financial need. I have a full tuition scholarship for four years to a public in-state university and it's just great. I'm going into my last year here and I love it. Even though my grades/test scores/school activities/etc. probably qualified me to go to "better" (I use that term loosely) schools I really like being at a larger college with a lot of people from all over the region. It's a good experience.

I think you can get a good education just about anywhere, the college doesn't have to be expensive or really selective or anything, you just have to want it and you have to take advantage of any opportunity that you get. And by the same note you could go to an Ivy League school and not get a good education if you just slack off and waste your parents' money!

oneTVslave · 06-14-2005, 07:49 PM

Hmm, I guess watching a show about people filling out loan applications wouldn't be something anyone wanted to watch.

I think they are just interested in increasing their odds. If you come from a financially challenged family, every dollar helps. Why pass up the opportunity to have your college tuition given to you instead of having to pay it back in loans for the next 20 years?

**Mariner** · 06-14-2005, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneTVslave

Hmm, I guess watching a show about people filling out loan applications wouldn't be something anyone wanted to watch.

I think they are just interested in increasing their odds. If you come from a financially challenged family, every dollar helps. Why pass up the opportunity to have your college tuition given to you instead of having to pay it back in loans for the next 20 years?

Scholarships are rare these days. There is just not that much money. If you go to an expensive school, you can borrow only so much from the federally guaranteed programs. After that you have to borrow from the school itself (if it has a big enough loan program) or a private lender. The other thing about financial aid is that it tends to screw the middle class. The way the formulas work most kids from middle class families don't qualify for scholarships and the formula assumes that middle class families can afford to spend way more of their income than they actually can on tuition, room and board, and books.

I'm still paying my last educational loan 14 years after I graduated from the program I borrowed the money for.

bcamp393 · 06-14-2005, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneTVslave

Hmm, I guess watching a show about people filling out loan applications wouldn't be something anyone wanted to watch.

I think they are just interested in increasing their odds. If you come from a financially challenged family, every dollar helps. Why pass up the opportunity to have your college tuition given to you instead of having to pay it back in loans for the next 20 years?

yeah, but these kids act like on the show that if they don't win they won't have an opportunity to go to college, which is just not the case.

**Mariner** · 06-14-2005, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcamp393

yeah, but these kids act like on the show that if they don't win they won't have an opportunity to go to college, which is just not the case.

I respectfully disagree. They are saying they won't be able to go to the expensive schools they got into or it will be a big hardship for them and their family. Scot, for instance, said last night he'd work five jobs if he had to.

rikyrah · 06-14-2005, 10:36 PM

My sister is a single mother with 2 children who works 2 jobs.

Her daughter is a National Honor Society Member who got into her state college.

She got NOTHING in scholarships, and if she wants to go to the state school, she'll have to take out ALL LOANS.

Sure, it's an education for only 15k.

but, multiply that times 4 and she'll have a debt load of 60 THOUSAND when she graduates. She'll be 60k in the hole before she even starts out in life.

And, my sister isn't alone.

I was just reading a report in the New York Times within the past 3 weeks about how the new 'formulas' for financial aid papers had screwed over hundreds of thousands of families in this country. They opened the story with a family who had NOT changed their income, or their circumstances, or the price of the school - and yet the family's financial responsibility had jumped SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS from last year to this year.

Because of the Republicans, nearly 81,000 students will be squeezed out of Pell Grants this year.

So, I don't blame these kids.

Why should they have to be stuck behind the 8-ball of debt. And why should elite colleges be only for rich kids - that's fundamentally un-American to me.

SheezaLuLu · 06-15-2005, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rikyrah

Because of the Republicans, nearly 81,000 students will be squeezed out of Pell Grants this year.

Why should they have to be stuck behind the 8-ball of debt. And why should elite colleges be only for rich kids - that's fundamentally un-American to me.

Applying for financial aid and scholarships is tedious and time-consuming...not entertaining. So this concept is really fun! I notice that only 2000 kids applied as opposed to the gazzilions that apply to the vacant entertainment shows

AND....I see they are already getting the 'romance' element in tho' ...

But geez...these kids are really bright and fun (cute too!)...even Davis is entertaining and not nearly as idiotic as some of the contestants on other shows I have been watching this season...

One question tho'...since this is not a political show or a forum for politics, I bristle at the "let's blame the Republicans for what is wrong with the Universe".
GO Mellissa!!!!!

JLuvs · 06-15-2005, 04:31 AM

When I was in college I was elligible for nothing.

Since I was in the States, but not an American citizen at the time, it ruled me out of a lot of the scholarships that I would have even had a shot for.

Then I went back to the UK and was not elligible of scholarships because I had lived out of the country for too long a period of time.

Any aid that I received was minimal and I only was given that scholarship every year, the equivalent of about $1000, because it was a memorial fund that was set up in my Aunt's memory and the school board figured she would love to have me attend the school in honour of her.

If I was in high school and had a GPA like theirs I would seize the opportunity.

Broadway · 06-15-2005, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheezaLuLu

One question tho'...since this is not a political show or a forum for politics, I bristle at the "let's blame the Republicans for what is wrong with the Universe".

Did we miss your question?

Like it or not, because of the Republican bills that have been passed in the last 4 years, there is a lot less educational funding in place and available scholarships have gone down. It's a simple fact.

And I would suggest that the reason these kids are all saying that they want to go to Yale, Harvard, Stanford, etc.... is because they're on a reality show where having high goals is rewarded and applauded. I'm sure it would be a little out of place to have one of the contestants say that their collegiate aspirations are to go to their local community college. Some of them very well may end up there and very well may obtain a stellar education, but that aspiration just doesn't come with an overachieving student that has been taught to dream big.

06-14-2005, 07:22 PM	#1
bcamp393 FORT Regular Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 92	Did these kids ever hear of financial aid? When I went to college I applied for financial aid and received plenty of scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for college. And if these kids are as smart as they say they are, then they will get plenty of scholarships from their schools (like a Presidential scholarship which is given to students who get over a 1300 on the SAT, which basically pays the entire tuition except room and board). These kids will goto college, it's not like losing this show will ruin their lives.

06-14-2005, 07:49 PM	#3
oneTVslave daydream believer Join Date: May 2003 Location: in the hizzy Age: 37 Posts: 3,727	Hmm, I guess watching a show about people filling out loan applications wouldn't be something anyone wanted to watch. I think they are just interested in increasing their odds. If you come from a financially challenged family, every dollar helps. Why pass up the opportunity to have your college tuition given to you instead of having to pay it back in loans for the next 20 years? __________________ Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. - Albert Einstein

06-15-2005, 04:31 AM	#9
JLuvs RENThead Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Commuting for Work Posts: 4,580	When I was in college I was elligible for nothing. Since I was in the States, but not an American citizen at the time, it ruled me out of a lot of the scholarships that I would have even had a shot for. Then I went back to the UK and was not elligible of scholarships because I had lived out of the country for too long a period of time. Any aid that I received was minimal and I only was given that scholarship every year, the equivalent of about $1000, because it was a memorial fund that was set up in my Aunt's memory and the school board figured she would love to have me attend the school in honour of her. If I was in high school and had a GPA like theirs I would seize the opportunity. __________________ Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. -Bono

06-14-2005, 07:38 PM	#2
Positive K FORT Fan Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Riding the Josh Palmer love train Age: 25 Posts: 160	What I'm wondering is why these kids want to go to such expensive colleges. Their state universities and public colleges would love to have them ... and they would get financial aid/scholarships based on academic performance in high school and not on their family's financial need. I have a full tuition scholarship for four years to a public in-state university and it's just great. I'm going into my last year here and I love it. Even though my grades/test scores/school activities/etc. probably qualified me to go to "better" (I use that term loosely) schools I really like being at a larger college with a lot of people from all over the region. It's a good experience. I think you can get a good education just about anywhere, the college doesn't have to be expensive or really selective or anything, you just have to want it and you have to take advantage of any opportunity that you get. And by the same note you could go to an Ivy League school and not get a good education if you just slack off and waste your parents' money!

06-14-2005, 10:36 PM	#7
rikyrah FORT Fan Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 366	My sister is a single mother with 2 children who works 2 jobs. Her daughter is a National Honor Society Member who got into her state college. She got NOTHING in scholarships, and if she wants to go to the state school, she'll have to take out ALL LOANS. Sure, it's an education for only 15k. but, multiply that times 4 and she'll have a debt load of 60 THOUSAND when she graduates. She'll be 60k in the hole before she even starts out in life. And, my sister isn't alone. I was just reading a report in the New York Times within the past 3 weeks about how the new 'formulas' for financial aid papers had screwed over hundreds of thousands of families in this country. They opened the story with a family who had NOT changed their income, or their circumstances, or the price of the school - and yet the family's financial responsibility had jumped SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS from last year to this year. Because of the Republicans, nearly 81,000 students will be squeezed out of Pell Grants this year. So, I don't blame these kids. Why should they have to be stuck behind the 8-ball of debt. And why should elite colleges be only for rich kids - that's fundamentally un-American to me.