Promise Mensah

 

Professor Rudge

 

English- 160

 

11/19/2023

 

Funding and Scholarships for Students, Lack of Education for Underprivileged

 

Access to quality education is a right that’s entitled to everyone in the United States regardless of one’s racial background or cultural background. Education can be defined as the process of receiving instruction, especially at a school or university. In other words, it refers to the discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments, as opposed to various non-formal and informal means of socialization. Education is what makes an individual become what they want to become by going through the trials and tribulations it presents. People who are underprivileged experience barriers that prevent them from pursuing the higher education they desire. Underprivileged individuals such as low-income students find a hard time getting the necessary finances they need to achieve any form of higher education. The significance of funding scholarships for underprivileged students, the existence of organizations in SUNY New Paltz, ways to initiate change at SUNY New Paltz, opposing points of view, groups that are affected as well as research-based evidence will be discussed in this essay.

Supporting underprivileged students who lack the finances to upgrade their education to the next level through funding and scholarships is an action that 

corresponds to the values of social justice, equality, and equity that visionary leaders such as Martin Luther King envisioned. By funding and providing scholarships, underprivileged people would be able to break the cycles of poverty that hinder them from pursuing higher education. According to the Journal of science and Technology, “Black MSP students are twice as likely to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in STEM (Maton et al. 2000) and are five times more likely to go on to the Ph.D. (Maton et al. 2009) than a comparison sample of similarly prepared students.

        Over fifty percent of black students in recent cohorts have pursued STEM PhDs or MD/PhDs.” (McAllister et al.). Here, this shows how scholarships can be used to lessen the financial burden of underprivileged students so they can fulfill their dream of pursuing a higher education. Based on this evidence, disadvantaged students who have an interest in the STEM field (one of the most competitive and expensive fields in the United States) often go through financial barriers. The fact that “MSP helped over 50% of black students” emphasizes how scholarships are a necessity for minorities.

Ways to initiate change is by advocating for the creation of scholarship organizations in SUNY New Paltz such as the financial aid office, student-led organizations such as the AC^2 program, and other academic departments on campus groups have addressed the issues of the lack of funding and scholarships for underprivileged students. According to AMP and CSTEP websites, they help students (especially the underprivileged) and provide them with opportunities even though they don’t help financially (AC^2 website). However, the EOP at SUNY New Paltz helps low-income students with their financial aid. According to the Educational Opportunity Program Website at SUNY New Paltz, “The Educational Opportunity Program provides academic and financial support to New York State residents with a high school diploma or its equivalent, and who do not meet general admission criteria, but have the academic potential to earn a college degree” (EOP New Paltz website). Not only does SUNY New Paltz have these organizations, but other college campuses also have their organizations where they can support their students financially. For example, “Columbia University meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need of its first-year and transfer students. Parents of families who have a combined income of less than $60,000 aren’t expected to contribute to the cost of attendance” (Kirkham). This shows how other colleges such as Columbia University are committed to creating organizations to financially support underprivileged students such that they “meet 100% of the demonstrated financial need of its first-year and transfer students.”

Furthermore, the establishment of a group dedicated to the topic in SUNY New Paltz can be done in the following ways. First, survey the specific challenges of underprivileged students meeting their financial needs. Secondly, gathering students who share the same dream of underprivileged empowerment. Thirdly, the collaboration of other existing student organizations to initiate change and identify resources. Fourthly, raise awareness through social media to get other campuses involved. Lastly, develop clear incentives and objectives for the group. According to “Plos One”, “Campaign posts were displayed 7.5 million times to users in Nepal. 2.5 million individual social media users in Nepal were exposed to the campaign on average three times, which equals 8.6% of Nepal’s total population. Of those, 250,000 users actively engaged with the posts. Paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram proved to be more effective” (Paudel et al.). This shows how advertising financial aid on social media makes a significant impact and makes social media an effective weapon.

Others may argue that the granting of funding and scholarships may be detrimental to the economy and potentially lead to the increase of stereotypes. Additionally, others may emphasize the significance of merit-based scholarships instead of need-based scholarships because merit-based scholarships are more competitive and may put the underprivileged at a disadvantage resulting in the increased amount of disadvantaged students not being able to meet their financial needs for school. 

Even though all these claims are true, scholarships and funding to the unprivileged have proved to produce more positive results than negative ones. It has allowed underprivileged students to pursue the higher education they desire without having to pay for it. Also, financial aid helps create jobs, businesses and overall strengthen the economy. According to “The Power of Financial Aid”, “Research has estimated that the multipliers of financial aid are typically in the range of 1.5 to 2.5. This means that an injection of $1 million of cash generates an additional income of $1.5 million to $2.5 million for the local economy” (The Power of Financial Aid.org). This supports the idea that the more education, the more careers people pursue resulting in the increase of income especially for underprivileged students who become successful because of financial aid.

To conclude, funding and scholarships for underprivileged students are ways to provide them with the highest quality form of education they need to pursue the career they want to pursue. Ways in which I would like to change SUNY New Paltz’s financial aid policy by talking to the student government to make financial aid in New Paltz meet 100% of the financial needs of underprivileged students. Additionally, I would try talking to the financial aid office if I’m not unable to reach out to the student government. Also, I would reach out to different organizations on campus to create more scholarship opportunities so underprivileged students who want to go to graduate school would be able to meet their financial needs. Overall, funding and scholarships help disadvantaged students to meet their financial needs.

 

Works Cited

Stolle-McAllister, Kathy, et al. “The Meyerhoff Way: How the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program Helps Black Students Succeed in the Sciences – Journal of Science Education and Technology.” SpringerLink, Springer Netherlands, 3 June 2010, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10956-010-9228-5. 

“Amp & CSTEP Community.” AMP & CSTEP Community | SUNY New Paltz, www.newpaltz.edu/ac2/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023. 

Tunkl, Christine, et al. “Are Digital Social Media Campaigns the Key to Raise Stroke Awareness in Low-and Middle-Income Countries? A Study of Feasibility and Cost-Effectiveness in Nepal.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0291392. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023. 

“Giving Money to People in a Humanitarian Crisis Is Often a Lot Smarter for Everyone than Providing Food and Other In-Kind Aid.” The Power of Financial Aid, www.power-of-financial-aid.org/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023. 

“50 Top U.S. Colleges with the Most Generous Financial Aid.” LendingTree, www.lendingtree.com/student/us-colleges-generous-financial-aid-packages/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023.