Scholarships awarded based on merit are commonly viewed as additional exclusive benefits.
Title: Scholarships for the Elite: How the Wealthy Take Advantage
By: Abby Amoakuh
Last Updated: Oct 24, 2024 at 04:24 PM
Reading Time: 4 minutes
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It's no surprise when prosperous individuals like Grace Beverley, Ronan Farrow, and Bill Clinton secure scholarships. However, the reason might not be what you think: they are typically not the gifted minority from struggling backgrounds, but they come from affluent families, just like many scholarship recipients.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of scholarships go to wealthy white children, and it's not limited to countries with high educational costs, like the USA. This trend is evident in countries like the UK as well. So, why is this happening, and what does it say about our education system?
Defining Merit-Based Scholarships
Merit-based scholarships, also known as talent aid, are financial awards given to students based on their academic excellence, athletic talents, or exceptional skills in areas like playing an instrument or coding. The issue originates from the way we measure these 'skills': wealthier students usually have better access to tuition, private coaching, mentoring, and equipment to excel in academics and extracurriculars.
Moreover, the majority of financial aid offered each year are merit-based, rendering only a small fraction need-based, intended for students faced with financial hardships.
The Hidden Inequality
While low-income students may showcase natural talents in singing, sports, or academics, they lack the resources for training, guidance, and mentoring that the wealthier students receive. This means that well-off students are more likely to secure merit scholarships due to their better resources, further perpetuating this seeming meritocracy.
Students with fewer resources might have part-time jobs, attend underfunded schools with limited extracurricular opportunities, or lack awareness about scholarships. Furthermore, being talented in academics or sports might not be enough to secure a scholarship if the student doesn't have access to proper resources to bring out their full potential.
The Root of the Problem: Universities
Universities grant aid depending on the income brackets, as many merit scholarships are unfunded-meaning they are derived from tuition revenue and given as discounts. Additionally, institutions aim to attract well-rounded and talented students, so merit-based scholarships are the primary method for achieving this.
The distinction between need-based and merit-based scholarships appears irrelevant for most institutions, as both often come from the same funding source. Some experts worry that the increase in merit-based aid may lead to cuts in need-based financial aid.
Recent studies have shown that universities in the US have increasingly focused on raising funds for merit-based aid-nearly doubling or even quadrupling their efforts since 2001. Today, more than half of the aid distributed goes to students whose families could afford college expenses.
A Misguided Perception of Success
Students from all income levels find need-based aid unappealing while showing a preference for merit-based aid. This perception exists because need-based aid is seen as charity, while merit-based aid feels earned and deserved. This misconception perpetuates the belief that success can be solely achieved through hard work and determination, neglecting the role of resources and opportunities.
The Scholarship System Inequity
While a few individuals, like Cory Booker, Halle Berry, and Dwayne Johnson, have risen above their financial situations, their stories should not overshadow the fact that the current scholarship system indirectly benefits students with resources and connections, reinforcing existing inequalities in education. It's time for a change.
Further Reads:
#### Scholarships for the Elite: Equity and Barriers
Achievement Gap: How Socio-Economic Class Influences Academic Success
#### Invisible Barriers: Overcoming Financial Obstacles in Higher Education
Additional Insights:
The Enrichment Data presented a more in-depth perspective on the issues discussed in the article. It outlines the main disparities in scholarship distribution:
- Favoritism: Merit-based scholarships often favor students from affluent backgrounds due to their access to resources such as private tutors, better educational facilities, and financial aid to pursue extracurricular activities.
- Application Processes: Complex application processes for scholarships may present difficulties for low-income students due to limited time, resources, and support.
- Private Scholarships: Private universities like Stanford often offer scholarships influenced by factors like family size and assets, which might lead wealthy yet financially non-needy students to receive financial aid.
- Disadvantages: Economically disadvantaged students face issues such as limited access to resources, strict eligibility criteria for need-based scholarships, competition, and limited awareness about available scholarship opportunities.
- Addressing Disparities: To rectify these disparities, universities and scholarship platforms are focusing on increasing accessibility through increased funding for need-based scholarships, simplified application processes, and awareness and outreach programs.
- The issue of education and self-development arises as wealthier students often have better access to resources, such as tuition, private coaching, and equipment, leading to a higher likelihood of securing merit-based scholarships, according to Abby Amoakuh's article, "Scholarships for the Elite: How the Wealthy Take Advantage."
- The uncertainty surrounding politics and general news is raised in the same article, as it questions the fairness of the current scholarship system, which indirectly benefits students with resources and connections, further perpetuating existing inequalities in education.
