ok so this will probably be a huge debate but go for it

do you think scholarships are biased? do you think that there are more opportunities for minorities than for whites? having have applied for scholarships in the last few years i have found that there is more money out there for minorities than whites.

affirmative action went into place to right the wrongs of discrimination of minorities and women that went on in the past. i have found that it apparently doesn't apply to white women, even though we were discriminated against also.

yup, i completely agree. i didnt get squat when i put down that i was white. but as soon as i put asian, they were coming out of the woodwork!!!!

I agree with what you said though I really dont wanna get into the whole thing right now. :teehee

donna all i'm going to say is :hystericlaugh

OK, yeah, I can see this sparking a huge debate....I'll try not to offend anyone

I understand your statement about white women being discriminated against (who hasn't at one time or another) but they were not discriminated against on the mass scale that minority women are.
Here's a prime example (which has been proven to be true, I'll see if I can't hunt down the article): You walk into a job, and ask for an application, fill it out, and hand it back in. A minority woman with an unusual name does the same thing. Now, more often than not, you'd get called back over a minority woman with an unusual name.
I hate to sound cliche, but living as a minority woman, it's definitely hard out there....being a minority is hard period, but men have it a lot easier than the women.

I think part of the reason that it seems so many minority scholarships are out there is because, esp. in the urban populations, most of the people who live a little above, at, or below the poverty line are minorities (note that I didn't say all).
But they also have high standards that make a lot of the minorities not eligible, like grade averages and such, so it's not just open to anyone just because they're a minority....there are certain criteria to be met.

ETA if just being a minority was enough to get me a scholarship, I wouldn't have had to drop out of college because I didn't have any money

OK, yeah, I can see this sparking a huge debate....I'll try not to offend anyone

I understand your statement about white women being discriminated against (who hasn't at one time or another) but they were not discriminated against on the mass scale that minority women are.
Here's a prime example (which has been proven to be true, I'll see if I can't hunt down the article): You walk into a job, and ask for an application, fill it out, and hand it back in. A minority woman with an unusual name does the same thing. Now, more often than not, you'd get called back over a minority woman with an unusual name.
I hate to sound cliche, but living as a minority woman, it's definitely hard out there....being a minority is hard period, but men have it a lot easier than the women.

I think part of the reason that it seems so many minority scholarships are out there is because, esp. in the urban populations, most of the people who live a little above, at, or below the poverty line are minorities (note that I didn't say all).
But they also have high standards that make a lot of the minorities not eligible, like grade averages and such, so it's not just open to anyone just because they're a minority....there are certain criteria to be met.

nope, i saw quite a few that you just had to be a particular race. no grades or money situation looked at at all.

true. i'm going on my personal experience. if i just put in to a website such as www.fastweb.com that i'm a woman and that i'm such and such major there are a lot more scholarships that pop that have criteria that you are a minority or make a certain amount of money.

the FAFSA is the same way. i'm mid-class but if my mom hadn't passed away i would've had to take out loans to pay for school. the fafsa only offered us like an extra 1,000 a year because we "made so much money". that's not fair. just because we make more than 30,000 a year doesn't mean that we have the extra income to pay for college on our own.

Wouldnt grades be for everyone anyway not just minorities? Just because you need good grades doesnt mean it isnt fair. Everyone can get good grades if they want not just white people it just takes hard work so I dont think grades should have anything to do with it. :shrug

well said stacey

nope, i saw quite a few that you just had to be a particular race. no grades or money situation looked at at all.

I can't account for all of them....but I can honestly say that from my experiences in applying for hundreds of them, there's usually a catch...
There are plenty of scholarships out there that aren't minority based....I guess I'm just not seeing a problem with the ones that are.

Wouldnt grades be for everyone anyway not just minorities? Just because you need good grades doesnt mean it isnt fair. Everyone can get good grades if they want not just white people it just takes hard work so I dont think grades should have anything to do with it. :shrug

As for the grades thing, I meant that for some of those minority scholarships, you have to have really high grades, not low ones.
I didn't say minorities weren't capable of making good grades....



the FAFSA is the same way. i'm mid-class but if my mom hadn't passed away i would've had to take out loans to pay for school. the fafsa only offered us like an extra 1,000 a year because we "made so much money". that's not fair. just because we make more than 30,000 a year doesn't mean that we have the extra income to pay for college on our own.

FAFSA is such a joke....they royally pissed me off....my can't make ends meet unless both of the worked, yet we made 'too much money'. I'd just love to know where all this extra money is....

I've never had to put down my ethnicity for any scholarships I've applied for. But I've only applied for ones within my university,so that is most likely why.

[QUOTE=*Married2USAF]



As for the grades thing, I meant that for some of those minority scholarships, you have to have really high grades, not low ones.
I didn't say minorities weren't capable of making good grades....

[QUOTE]

I know you didnt say that they werent capable of making good grades... I was just saying that with most scholarships you have to have good grades anyway otherwise why give them to kids who dont seem like they care. :shrug Just saying that I dont think the grade thing should have been part of it since it's probably like that for most scholarships regardless of race. :)

I know you didnt say that they werent capable of making good grades... I was just saying that with most scholarships you have to have good grades anyway otherwise why give them to kids who dont seem like they care. :shrug Just saying that I dont think the grade thing should have been part of it since it's probably like that for most scholarships regardless of race. :)


I think the reason they make it about grades is exactly what you pointed out....so that the scholarships actually get handed to out people who appreciate and will use them wisely.
Yeah, it makes for less people who are eligiable, but it's also a two-way safety measure.
It keeps people who wouldn't use the scholarships wisely from getting them, and it keeps the scholarships from being used unfairly (as in, hey we're going to give you this scholarship just because you're a minority).
I don't think race alone should merit you the right to be handed something free....to be assisted, yes, but not just given something.


It's funny that you should mention the grades thing, because when I was looking for scholarships back in 2004, I came across one that was for 'average' students.....like, they only had to make a 2.5 GPA or something. A guy started the scholarship because he didn't make really high grades, and he said he was tired of being disqualified because of it. I don't remember the name of it, but it was really interesting. :lmao

It would be ideal if scholarships were based solely off merit and not ethnicity/skin color. Race shouldn't be a factor. If it's a privately funded scholarship, then they can do what they want, but if the scholarship is funded by a public institution, then it needs to be color blind.

I think the reason they make it about grades is exactly what you pointed out....so that the scholarships actually get handed to out people who appreciate and will use them wisely.
Yeah, it makes for less people who are eligiable, but it's also a two-way safety measure.
It keeps people who wouldn't use the scholarships wisely from getting them, and it keeps the scholarships from being used unfairly (as in, hey we're going to give you this scholarship just because you're a minority).
I don't think race alone should merit you the right to be handed something free....to be assisted, yes, but not just given something.


It's funny that you should mention the grades thing, because when I was looking for scholarships back in 2004, I came across one that was for 'average' students.....like, they only had to make a 2.5 GPA or something. A guy started the scholarship because he didn't make really high grades, and he said he was tired of being disqualified because of it. I don't remember the name of it, but it was really interesting. :lmao

:giggle Well I hope he works really hard for that money. :teehee

It might be true that there are more scholarships available for minority groups. However, research shows that in the US white adults are more likely to posess a degree and earn a higher income, as illustrated by the article below. I suspect that by targeting minority groups, authorities are trying to even out those statistics, so to speak.

Census report: Broad racial disparities persist (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15704759/)

Differences in income, education, home ownership continue, data finds

WASHINGTON - Decades after the civil rights movement, racial disparities in income, education and home ownership persist and, by some measurements, are growing.

White households had incomes that were two-thirds higher than blacks and 40 percent higher than Hispanics last year, according to data released Tuesday by the Census Bureau.

White adults were also more likely than black and Hispanic adults to have college degrees and to own their own homes. They were less likely to live in poverty.

“Race is so associated with class in the United States that it may not be direct discrimination, but it still matters indirectly,” said Dalton Conley, a sociology professor at New York University and the author of “Being Black, Living in the Red.”

“It doesn’t mean it’s any less powerful just because it’s indirect,” he said.

Home ownership grew among white middle-class families after World War II when access to credit and government programs made buying houses affordable. Black families were largely left out because of discrimination, and the effects are still being felt today, said Lance Freeman, assistant professor of urban planning at Columbia University and author of “There Goes the ’Hood.”

Home ownership is key
Home ownership creates wealth, which enables families to live in good neighborhoods with good schools. It also helps families finance college, which leads to better-paying jobs, perpetuating the cycle, Freeman said.

“If your parents own their own home they can leave it to you when they pass on or they can use the equity to help you with a down payment on yours,” Freeman said.

Three-fourths of white households owned their homes in 2005, compared with 46 percent of black households and 48 percent of Latino households. Home ownership is near an all-time high in the United States, but racial gaps have increased in the past 25 years.

Black families have also been hurt by the decline of manufacturing jobs — the same jobs that helped propel many white families into the middle class after World War II, said Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP’s Washington office.

Among Hispanics, education, income and home ownership gaps are exacerbated by recent Latin American immigrants. Hispanic immigrants have, on average, lower incomes and education levels than people born in the United States. About 40 percent of U.S. Hispanics are immigrants.

Asian Americans, on average, have higher incomes and education levels than whites. However, they have higher poverty rates and lower home ownership rates.

The Census Bureau released 2005 racial data on incomes, education levels, home ownership rates and poverty rates Tuesday. The data are from the American Community Survey, the bureau’s new annual survey of 3 million households nationwide. The Associated Press compared the figures with census data from 1980, 1990 and 2000.

Among the findings:

Black adults have narrowed the gap with white adults in earning high school diplomas, but the gap has widened for college degrees. Thirty percent of white adults had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2005, while 17 percent of black adults and 12 percent of Hispanic adults had degrees.
Forty-nine percent of Asian Americans had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2005.
The median income for white households was $50,622 last year. It was $30,939 for black households, $36,278 for Hispanic households and $60,367 for Asian households.
Median income for black households has stayed about 60 percent of the income for white households since 1980. In dollar terms, the gap has grown from $18,123 to $19,683.
Hispanic households made about 76 percent as much as white households in 1980. In 2005, it was 72 percent.
The gap in poverty rates has narrowed since 1980, but it remains substantial. The poverty rate for white residents was 8.3 percent on 2005. It was 24.9 percent for black residents, 21.8 percent for Hispanic residents and 11.1 percent for Asian residents.
Thomas Shapiro, professor of law and social policy at Brandeis University, said the “easiest answer” to narrowing racial gaps is to promote home ownership, which would help minority families accumulate wealth.

“The wealth gap is not just a story of merit and achievement, it’s also a story of the historical legacy of race in the United Sates,” said Shapiro, author of “The Hidden Cost of Being African American.”

Shelton, of the NAACP, called for more funding for preschool programs such as Head Start, improving public schools and making college more affordable.

“Income should not be a significant determining factor whether someone should have an opportunity to go to college,” Shelton said.

Sonia, you always seem to say it better :D

















We're not worthy. :hail :lol

I try my best :D

true. i'm going on my personal experience. if i just put in to a website such as www.fastweb.com that i'm a woman and that i'm such and such major there are a lot more scholarships that pop that have criteria that you are a minority or make a certain amount of money.

the FAFSA is the same way. i'm mid-class but if my mom hadn't passed away i would've had to take out loans to pay for school. the fafsa only offered us like an extra 1,000 a year because we "made so much money". that's not fair. just because we make more than 30,000 a year doesn't mean that we have the extra income to pay for college on our own.

i hate fafsa so much.... i went on there and applied for scholarship.... at the time i applied for school accorrding to fafsa my mother made only $22 usd over the amount needed to be accecpted for three fucking grants... and nothing else.

so my mother and me are stilling paying of school and we have 2 loans (both are cosigned) one fucking grant that didnt give much (it was around 600- 800 usd) and stanford loans and perkins loans, not to mention the cost for student housing.... then the school told me that my financial aid was more than the school ... and over a period of three months i only saw around 2000 usd that was given to me by financial aid that fucking went right back to helping pay off my school.


NOT TO MENTION THE NEWS YESTERDAY SAID THAT COLLEGE TUTION IS ON THE RISE AGAIN!!!!!!!:tease :vent :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

My husband is African American and has two college degrees...He didnt get these "mysterious" minority scholarships...I think that sonia said it right...Plus, when some people are passed over for a scholarshi[ based on grades and things that they always say its because im a white this or that?

My husband is African American and has two college degrees...He didnt get these "mysterious" minority scholarships...I think that sonia said it right...Plus, when some people are passed over for a scholarshi[ based on grades and things that they always say its because im a white this or that?

I think anyone who gets passed over for something can always use the race excuse. :shrug

i am not trying to say that i didn't get a scholarship simply because i'm white. i have discussed this issue with financial aid advisors and they have said that at least for university scholarships that if it is between a minority and a caucasian that have the same qualifications they would choose the minority. that may be that one particular person but you can't deny that it happens. some of the other scholarships that i was almost eligible for you had to have had 120 hours of community service over your last 2 years in high school. i don't know about you but that was a lot for me to complete. i had to work and study. i did a few extracurriculars as well.

i am in no way saying that there aren't minorities out there that are willing to work and use their scholarship money wisely. i have known plenty of minorities though that get scholarships and blow it because they aren't paying for school just like white students do.

someone i went to school with applied for two scholarships once as a white and once as native american (he's 1/16) and when he applied as a white student he didn't even get any acknowledgement but he applied as native american and he got it. too many schools need to meet their "quota" and they will do ANYTHING to get the students in their school even if it means handing out scholarships that aren't deserved

I had more than 120 hours of communtiy service in High School, I actually won an award for it...There are TONS of scholarships that have stipulations on them...Some are for children of disabled vets, some are for children of handicapped children...Maybe at the time all your school has available are those scholarships...I had a choice, either take the grants they give and be happy or if i wanted a campus job they would take some of my grant money away...So, there are rules for everything...

the FAFSA is the same way. i'm mid-class but if my mom hadn't passed away i would've had to take out loans to pay for school. the fafsa only offered us like an extra 1,000 a year because we "made so much money". that's not fair. just because we make more than 30,000 a year doesn't mean that we have the extra income to pay for college on our own.

I talk about this to students everyday. I work in a Financial Aid office at a community College in PA. look btw my dad and I we only make 22k a yr. and I still didnt get a dime from the gov't I had to pay out of pocket. But the reason is b/c thier are those who have nothing, they need the money more then I do. the gov't see's who can struggle and who just can't make it. The gov't only gets a certain amount of funding for grants and scholarships. Tehy give it to those who CAN'T go to school w/out it. Granted it I have seen some stu's who get more then they need! which pisses me off. and then i see stu's who get full grants for school and they mess it all up b/c w/failing from classes. The gov't is not perfect but it does give those who dont have a chance another chance. I could go on and on about this but i have to get back to work lol

I deeply dislike "quotas". I can understand giving everyone a fair chance, BUT I want my doctor to have gotten in to medical school b/c he/she had the grades and merit for it, not just b/c of their skin color. If the merit is the same between a white and minority candidate, I have no beef w/that. But if the minority candidate is less qualified and chosen strictly b/c of their ethnicity, that's not good. I would feel the same way if it was in the reverse as well.

someone i went to school with applied for two scholarships once as a white and once as native american (he's 1/16) and when he applied as a white student he didn't even get any acknowledgement but he applied as native american and he got it. too many schools need to meet their "quota" and they will do ANYTHING to get the students in their school even if it means handing out scholarships that aren't deserved

Usually the only way you get into med school is with grades...

I talk about this to students everyday. I work in a Financial Aid office at a community College in PA. look btw my dad and I we only make 22k a yr. and I still didnt get a dime from the gov't I had to pay out of pocket. But the reason is b/c thier are those who have nothing, they need the money more then I do. the gov't see's who can struggle and who just can't make it. The gov't only gets a certain amount of funding for grants and scholarships. Tehy give it to those who CAN'T go to school w/out it. Granted it I have seen some stu's who get more then they need! which pisses me off. and then i see stu's who get full grants for school and they mess it all up b/c w/failing from classes. The gov't is not perfect but it does give those who dont have a chance another chance. I could go on and on about this but i have to get back to work lol

very very true. its like the welfare issue i posted about earlier--there are those that need the aid but are at that line that they make too much to get enough aid. i agree there are people out there that need the money more than me too. i think the gov't needs to take a look at what a student NEEDS in reality and not just give them whatever...that sounds harsh but like you said there are people like you that needed aid too but the gov't didn't have enough to go around because they do over fund some people. that's the thing about any scholarship or grant that you see students fuck it up with the money they get....basically what i'm trying to say is i agree with you

I know it was a poor example, but it was the only thing I could think of at the moment.:)

Usually the only way you get into med school is with grades...

lol unfortunally most of those who are in NEED of grants and scholarships are the minorities and that is why. But i don't really believe in Affirmative action anymore. nothing should be based on race any more. But we do need to give those you need a chance the opportunity to excell in life.

I just wish the Gov't didnt aid so much to some and nothing to others. but like someone else said thier are SOOO many different schalorships out there. many are funded by regular people like you and me trying to help the younger generation.

I deeply dislike "quotas". I can understand giving everyone a fair chance, BUT I want my doctor to have gotten in to medical school b/c he/she had the grades and merit for it, not just b/c of their skin color. If the merit is the same between a white and minority candidate, I have no beef w/that. But if the minority candidate is less qualified and chosen strictly b/c of their ethnicity, that's not good. I would feel the same way if it was in the reverse as well.

All students have to go through the same selection process to actually get into uni and once there they have to pass the same exams though - scholarships just provide the funding to get into the class in the first place. A university will not want to select a student who is not capable of completing a course as it will reflect badly on that year's statistical record, so NOONE is chosen strictly because of their ethnicity.

sonia--are you talking about in the UK?

nope, i saw quite a few that you just had to be a particular race. no grades or money situation looked at at all.


:yes

I think in this day and time it's ridiculous to have "minority" specific scholarships quite honestly. All I can say is where I live I'm more of a minority then any black woman. Shit happened a long damn time ago. Time to let it go.

sonia--are you talking about in the UK?

No, the UK's completely different.

thanks sonia.

thanks sonia.

Did I miss something?

no saying thanks for clearing up what you were talking about in your post--about it being the UK or not

aah ok :)

Well I didn't read much into this, but I think that getting a scholarship, or into a school, or a job because you are a minority is BS and not right. Everything should be based on merit. I think it's ridiculous for schools and jobs to have basically minority quotas, which they do. My dad was affected by affirmitive action...he had a job lined up with the state as a game warden, and was told that they were only waiting on an opening to hire him, and once there was an opening, they told him that they couldn't hire him because he was white, and they needed to hire so many minorities before they could hire anymore white people. Tell me how that is fair. From my experience, all affirmitive action has done is make people think they deserve something to be handed to them because they are a minority, when in actuality no one deserves to have anything outright handed to them, people need to work hard to get where they are or where they think they should be.

so I'm just gonna say how I feel on this topic and I'm NOT coming back to read responses...you gotta prob. PM ME...

As a Mexican American Woman I can tell you that I have not been handed shit in my life and I have had to work damn hard for EVERYTHING i have...sorry to say but it seems like the only ones complaining about this specific topic are the :quote non-minority:quote

There are negatives and positives to EVERY RACE and I swear I am soooooooo freakin sick of hearing about race in every damn topic!!!! one did'nt/doesnt have it harder than the other...we have all had to deal with a lot of bullshit whether we are black, brown, white or blue for all i care...maybe affirmative action is wrong, maybe its not...but I will say this...minorities are not just handed money (believe me, I was passed up on PLENTY of scholarships...to "white women"? Dont know and dont care...I was passed up and thats all that mattered to me)...and if they're being handed jobs, its the company who gave them that jobs fault...and the company should be blamed...would you really want to work for a company that was already discriminating you anyway?

This was taken from The U.S dept. of Labor website http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/ofccp/aa.htm

Affirmative action is necessary to prevent discrimination and to address stereotypical thinking and biases that still impede employment opportunity.

I think in this day and time it's ridiculous to have "minority" specific scholarships quite honestly. All I can say is where I live I'm more of a minority then any black woman. Shit happened a long damn time ago. Time to let it go.

What about native americans living on the res? how can they 'let it go' when it stares them in the face everyday?

so I'm just gonna say how I feel on this topic and I'm NOT coming back to read responses...you gotta prob. PM ME...

As a Mexican American Woman I can tell you that I have not been handed shit in my life and I have had to work damn hard for EVERYTHING i have...sorry to say but it seems like the only ones complaining about this specific topic are the :quote non-minority:quote



I really started to feel that way too....

[QUOTE=Caimbrie;537261 All I can say is where I live I'm more of a minority then any black woman. Shit happened a long damn time ago. Time to let it go.[/QUOTE]

Ok I don't feel like posting a big ass post right now on my feelings regarding scholarships for minorities and why they exist because I'll be here all night, but all I have to say is that to me this statement was completely uncalled for. I'm not an African American woman and don't have ancestors who were slaves, but if I was I would be incredibly offended. But I AM a Mexican-American woman who's part of a group that has been unbelievably discriminated against in the past and STILL is, and no I will NOT get over it. US society has not gotten 'over' discrimination, racism and discrimination is StILL very much alive in this country, and if it wasn't for that, things like Affirmative Action wouldn't even exist. I refuse to let the past repeat itself, and if I just 'got over it' that's exactly what would happen.

Ok I don't feel like posting a big ass post right now on my feelings regarding scholarships for minorities and why they exist because I'll be here all night, but all I have to say is that to me this statement was completely uncalled for. I'm not an African American woman and don't have ancestors who were slaves, but if I was I would be incredibly offended. But I AM a Mexican-American woman who's part of a group that has been unbelievably discriminated against in the past and STILL is, and no I will NOT get over it. US society has not gotten 'over' discrimination, racism and discrimination is StILL very much alive in this country, and if it wasn't for that, things like Affirmative Action wouldn't even exist. I refuse to let the past repeat itself, and if I just 'got over it' that's exactly what would happen.

:thumbsup

Ok I don't feel like posting a big ass post right now on my feelings regarding scholarships for minorities and why they exist because I'll be here all night, but all I have to say is that to me this statement was completely uncalled for. I'm not an African American woman and don't have ancestors who were slaves, but if I was I would be incredibly offended. But I AM a Mexican-American woman who's part of a group that has been unbelievably discriminated against in the past and STILL is, and no I will NOT get over it. US society has not gotten 'over' discrimination, racism and discrimination is StILL very much alive in this country, and if it wasn't for that, things like Affirmative Action wouldn't even exist. I refuse to let the past repeat itself, and if I just 'got over it' that's exactly what would happen.

:thumbsup

I was talking to my stepdad this evening about this. (He is african-american btw...) but here is what he said about this.....

If you need money for college, you need money for college. Race has nothing to do with it. So what, just because you are a minority, that makes you special and you deserve money because of it?? BS

The conversation went on, but that is a whole other debate!! :lmao

Well, I went to school on full scholarships and I am from a heavily populated African American town and I beat out everyone else, white and black. I think that many scholarships are based on intelligence and economic status. That said, I am a teacher and I have taught at the lowest ranked school here as well as the highest and economic status and school district play a huge role in getting into college.
Many students at the high ranked school, who are going to USC and Princeton, are at a 9th grade level and students at the low ranked school can barely go to junior college because of money but they are more advanced or equal to the ivy league students. My point is that many scholarships are offered to minorities, or at least it seems that way, because they are offered to people of low socio-economic status-the majority of which happen to be minorities, but not all-I am an example. It would be impossible to base decisions solely on grades because teachers and school districts mainly determine the quality of education-and that follows the money. This, of course, is not the case for all situations; it is just what I have seen from being a student, scholarship winner, member of a poor town as well as a high school senior teacher.

:yes

I think in this day and time it's ridiculous to have "minority" specific scholarships quite honestly. All I can say is where I live I'm more of a minority then any black woman. Shit happened a long damn time ago. Time to let it go.


As a white women who lived as the minority (as far as numbers are concerned in terms of town population) my entire life, I never once thought for one second that I was more downtrodden than an actual national minority. You (the general public) should never let racism or discrimination go; ignorance, however, should be let go.

This is why I became a teacher....

I have another question:

So those of you that don't feel there should be scholarships directed towards 'minorities', do you also feel scholarships for veterans are wrong? How about scholarships for people who play sports? Or people from certain organization? Or people of certain religions? Or people with disabilities? Or people with certain talents? And so on and so on.....

why is it that the subject of things like this is always directed toward things that are geared to help minorities along in certain areas of life? What about perks that people get for having served in the military, or for having played a particular sport, or for having been part of a special organization? Because I can guarantee you there are HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of scholarships that do not even take ethnicity in consideration. And I can tell you this is a FACt because I have in the past myself research scholarships and ran into plenty I did not qualify for, the same for DH. He's gotten a couple of scholarships, and neither of them had anything to do with his race, they didnt' even ask what it was. One was because he was a student pursuing a trade and the other because he was past military. So does that mean that now he got an unfair scholarship because he got preference because of these things?? And the military one? they didn't even care what his grade point average was, he just got $1000 JUST because he was in the military, nothing else. Doesn't that seem unfair too?

Some food for thought.....

Everyone wants and sometimes needs some help with certain things like education, and if there is a scholarship that wants to give me money for being a woman, for being Mexican, for my husband having been in the military, WHATEVER, than so be it. It just helps me that much more in my journey. And I don't feel it to be unfair at all.

And just to make my point, I went into Fast Web, the same website that was mentioned earlier and I put in information. I put in that I was a white non-hispanic 18 year-old, going in as a Freshman at SDSU and I had NO affiliations marked. No affiliations to sports or organizations or religion or ANYTHING. And these entire first page had about 20 scholarships on it, and not A SINGLE one had ANYtTHING to do with race or ethnicity. These first 7 are examples, and the next 11 also had nothing to do with race. There was another 93 matches I didn't go through all of them, but I can guarantee that most of them had nothing to do with race.


New "Change the World!" Scholarship $1,000
The "Change the World!" Scholarship is available to students who have an idea of how to change the world. You must answer the questions listed on the sponsor's website in under 250 words per question.

New "Dream Deferred" Essay Contest on Civil Rights in the Middle East $2,000
The "Dream Deferred" Essay Contest on Civil Rights in the Middle East is available to students who are 25 years old or younger and live in the Middle East or America. You must submit an essay of 600-2,000 words addressing one of the questions listed on the sponsor's Web site. You must reside in an Arab League member state, Iran or the United States and essays may be submitted in English, French, Arabic or Farsi.

New "My Job {fill-in-this-blank}!" Contest $2,000
The "My Job {fill-in-this-blank}!" Contest is available to students who are 14 years of age or older and have access to the Internet. In order to enter the contest, you must create a profile on the sponsor?s site and submit videos and/or blogs and/or photos that document a unique job-related experience or story.

New "My Turn" Essay Competition $5,000
The "My Turn" Essay Competition is available to high school students who submit an essay similar in format to the weekly "My Turn" column in NEWSWEEK. Judges look for direct personal experience and observation with a fresh, original point of view. Your essay should share an opinion, experience or personal feeling, be engaging, moving or thought provoking, and should appeal to a national readership.

New "When an Apple a Day Isn't Enough" National Essay Contest $2,500
The "When an Apple a Day Isn't Enough" National Essay Contest is open to children and young adults between the ages of nine and eighteen. You must compose an essay explaining how the ability to obtain health services affects your life and the lives of those around you to enter this contest. Your essay must no be longer than 800 words and will be judged based on your understanding of the issue, originality, clarity and effectiveness of style.

New "Win $5,000 - No Essay Required" $5,000
The "Win $5,000 - No Essay Required" contest is available to current students who are over the age of 15 and have completed a FastWeb search. You must also be a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. You will earn one entry into the contest for every friend that you refer to FastWeb using the online form.

New 2006 Women's Travel National College Essay Scholarship $2,000
The 2006 Women's Travel National College Essay Scholarship is available to female undergraduate students who are enrolled full time in a four year university. You must be a U.S. citizen and be under the age of 27 at the time of application. You must also submit an essay of 750-1,000 words on the following topic: Vacations aside, where do you want to travel, and why?

That's what I'm not understanding....why so many are complaing about the minority scholarships that are out there to HELP minorities....there are tons of scholarships out there with criteria like that- military service, first generation, veteran status, income, grades, immigrant, social clubs, affiliations....is there a problem with these scholarships too?

yep, i agree with you.

look at the awards on those scholarships: that wouldn't cover housing, books, tuition (even close) or gas money to and from my university. the awards are scarce. the competition is fierce. hell you CAN get an award for just about everything but let me just say this: try going to school on a low-mid-income with only receiving 1,000. i've got friends that are attempting to do this and many times those scholarships are maybe for a year--you get the money once. i've got friends that are in college for 6 years because they HAVE to work because they CAN'T make tuition otherwise and they can only take 3 or 4 classes (we have semesters and we get 3 credit hours for each class, sometimes more sometimes less depending if its a lab or not but many labs are only 3 hours) i go to a public state run university. its not private in any sense of the word. if those scholarships only cover one or 2 semesters and the student is only taking 3 or 4 classes a semester and it takes 120 to graduate from MOST but not all majors--particularly the sciences--you do the math.

Count yourself lucky! In the UK they introduced tuition fees when I started uni. We don't have the option of drop out of classes or extend the duration of the course. You have to manage your schoolwork and a job and complete your degree within the scheduled time - normally 3 years. I studied for my first degree at med school, where I had 35-45hr weeks in class, on top of juggling assignments and holding down 3 jobs. Scholarships are unheard of - one person had a scholarship in my year and I was the one awarded it during the MSc course. The scholarships in the UK may not take minorities into account but they are few and far between. At least in the US there are plenty to go around and your courses are flexible - if you're determined it is possible to complete your degree.

First of all scholarships are NOT GAS MONEY...And I agree with whats been said here by Shorty and the rest...No one who says that its wrong and couldnt get money for school, did you apply for the merit based ones, community service ones, academic ones? Are you making this an issue cause you couldnt get another one...

My husband is African-American and WORKED HIS BUTT OFF to get into the Citadel and go on Academic Scholarships...So to sit there and say its easier for Ethnic groups to go to college IS BS...

And for the response about being the minority where you live...ITS NOT BASED ON THAT...its based on the college...Elizabeth City College in NC was going to give me a Minority Scholarship, so does that make me a bad guy, seeing that is a Dominate african american school?

hey jenny do NOT make this into me having a personal vendetta it was started as a DEBATE and a place for people to get their ideas out there. there is no need to sit there and tell me that i'm bitter for not getting a scholarship. i got one that only provided 500 for the whole year. it was an example when i used gas money. its not supposed to be used for beer or alcohol either but i can PROMISE you that people use it for that. here in texas you get a scholarship check and that's it you can do whatever the fuck you want with it.

oh and another thing...tuition needs a fucking cap on it so they don't raise it here in texas 14% a year!!!!!

Scholarships are a gift. They are not required, usually not mandated, but usually set up by an association or company that has some kind of special purpose. Who gives a shit if John Doe wants to set up an "all white" scholarship or if there is a scholarship for Asians or one for snowmen!!! Hell, I have seen scholarships for people who are LEFT HANDED! And in my opinion, I could care less! Scholarships aren't mandated or required...

Financial aid and grants are a completely different story. And those go by your INCOME, not race or anything else.

So I guess I am not really seeing the issue here. If you don't have the money for college, don't go! I didn't have the money when I was 19... and I chose to do a different route. And here I am now at 26 years old finally going back.... I think it's a bit pompous to assume that people are "owed" scholarships. Our government doesn't pay for college... it helps out the people with the very lowest incomes, and that's pretty much it. And while that may suck, thats the way it is.

And to be honest, I think kids should have to work while they are in college anyways.... getting a Master's is one thing, but just attending college, I think they should be providing for themselves and helping pay their own tuition. But that's just my opinion. ;)

the only reason i'm not working is because i'm lucky/unlucky my mom passed away (unlucky) and we won a lawsuit because she died from medical malpractice (her doctor failed to mention that the medication that she was on that she shouldn't have been on because she was NOT insulin dependent could cause her liver to burst and her brain hemorrage) so i have money allotted to me for college.

I agree with Rileysmom, if you dont have the money and you dont want to take loans out then people should wait...I had grants and I have loans, but I wouldnt take a second of the time i had back. And I agree, there are TONS of crazy scholarships out there and the only thing mentioned here was the ones based on race...

I agree with Rileysmom, if you dont have the money and you dont want to take loans out then people should wait...I had grants and I have loans, but I wouldnt take a second of the time i had back. And I agree, there are TONS of crazy scholarships out there and the only thing mentioned here was the ones based on race...

you can get a $200 check for going to prom in a duct tape tux and dress. they did a true life episode on mtv about it.

i'm sorry for yelling at you jenny. there are many many ways to pay for college.

i guess i have a problem with those that think they are ENTITLED because they are a minority. i was not directly attacking anyone, your husband, his family or the minorities that i know that are here working their asses off to keep their scholarships. its difficult because i've spoken with people who have admitted that they are more or less REQUIRED to give the scholarship to a minority if they won't meet their quota for minority awards. this is WRONG under any circumstances. this is usually the case in university specific awards.

the only reason i'm not working is because i'm lucky/unlucky my mom passed away (unlucky) and we won a lawsuit because she died from medical malpractice (her doctor failed to mention that the medication that she was on that she shouldn't have been on because she was NOT insulin dependent could cause her liver to burst and her brain hemorrage) so i have money allotted to me for college.

I'm sorry about your mom. That's a bittersweet gift. But, I wasn't saying that you (a collective you) should work just to work. Just saying that if people need the money for college, they should get a job to help pay for it. :shrug

I worked 12 hours a day M-F at the YMCA during the summers when I was in college...Now, i dont agree with the people that go to college and dont work at all for anything and then sit around and complain...

Harrison..Its ok, but i know of the kind of people you mentioned...On my campus it was most of the women, since they were always up in arms about things...

I worked 12 hours a day M-F at the YMCA during the summers when I was in college...Now, i dont agree with the people that go to college and dont work at all for anything and then sit around and complain...

Harrison..Its ok, but i know of the kind of people you mentioned...On my campus it was most of the women, since they were always up in arms about things...

i guess i did kind of make it a blanket statement :oops

I think it's borderline racist to say that the "non-minorites" are the only ones complaining (it's like saying "well you white people are upset that us "minorities get money because we're a minority and you don't"). Every fucking one of us is a minority in one place or another in the United States. I don't think scholarships based on race or gender is right. Veterans and what not.. that is a whole different thing. It's ok to have a united nigro fund but people would flip out if there were a united caucasian fund, there is something wrong with that to me.

I'm done.

ETA: For the record. I in no way have ever expected to get special scholarships because I am a woman who was once greatly discriminated against for having a Vagina (not me myself.. I mean in the past). I'm not just talking about race.

I think it's borderline racist to say that the "non-minorites" are the only ones complaining (it's like saying "well you white people are upset that us "minorities get money because we're a minority and you don't"). Every fucking one of us is a minority in one place or another in the United States. I don't think scholarships based on race or gender is right. Veterans and what not.. that is a whole different thing. It's ok to have a united nigro fund but people would flip out if there were a united caucasian fund, there is something wrong with that to me.

I'm done.

ETA: For the record. I in no way have ever expected to get special scholarships because I am a woman who was once greatly discriminated against for having a Vagina (not me myself.. I mean in the past). I'm not just talking about race.

Yes but it's organizations that choose to basically donate or gift money where they see fit. How would you feel if instead of making a donation to your favorite charity, you were required to evenly dispurse it among all the charities... It's a gift from a person, a company, an organization etc. Who are we to dictate who THEY want to donate THEIR money to?

Yes but it's organizations that choose to basically donate or gift money where they see fit. How would you feel if instead of making a donation to your favorite charity, you were required to evenly dispurse it among all the charities... It's a gift from a person, a company, an organization etc. Who are we to dictate who THEY want to donate THEIR money to?


I understand it, I just don't agree with it :) It's not a matter of right or wrong, it's just my opinion.

I was given a women in technology scholarship (I was the only female in electronics in my vocational highschool) and I chose to have it given to someone else based on how strongly I feel about not getting a scholarship based on my gender. Yah people think it's stupid but I went to the college I planned on going to anyway... didn't finish thanks to my ex husband but that's another thing. I did use my 3 american dream scholarships I won because of essays though ;)