Uh-Oh! White kids in RI want a White Scholarship!

[Kim&Chris]

Thought this might be a good topic for discussion, since we've been tossing the BHM issue back and forth....


http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/21604-bb-white.html

 

[browneyes]

Actually, the guy that's pushing this is Puero Rican according to CNN.com.

 

[m&m's mom]

I worked in the scholarship department of our Financial Aid department in college back in the 80's.
There were quite a lot of scholarships that listed race in the criteria. There was not a single scholarship that said only white people need apply.
There are plenty of qualifed people of all races that need financial help. I personally do not believe race should even be allowed to be mentioned.

 

[sorcerormickey]

do not believe race should even be allowed to be mentioned

 

[KingsFanInRI]

I have an opinion on this but I will reserve it for when this is moved to the debate board

 

[aprilgail2]

I wont say much on this except that I have always thought that if there can be a United Negro College fund then there should also be a United Caucasian College fund.....

 

[airhead]

I also don't believe that there should be race or group specific scholarships,but the fact is,there are. Therefore,a caucasian only scholarship is only fair. I see trouble brewing on this subject.....

 

[Pin Wizard]

Yup on everything!

 

[wilderness01]

Trouble is in the air I also have some thoughts of this but will not post. I have never thought it fair to have only a Miss Black America, The United Negro foundation, etc. and not have a Miss White America, etc. Why single out anyone? It just creates trouble on each side and is uncalled for.

I personally knew someone who had a white mom and a black dad. He spent his whole childhood saying to everyone he was only white. I had heard him on many occasions do this. He had very few black features, his parents were divorced and lived with his mom (my brother-in-law's family). Anyways when it came time for college he was writing essays on how he was a poor black child who couldn't afford to go to college. I was not at all happy with him as he was now going against everything he had said for the prior how many years of his life? To each his own I guess!

 

[HappyMommy2]

I don't know the motivations of the people behind this scholarship but it seems like maybe there would be a better way for them to make their point...seems a little over-inflammatory to me.

On the other hand, I do remember being a high school senior searching for scholarships; it was hard to have to flip past the many, many scholarship listings that I was ineligible for simply because of the color (or lack thereof ) of my skin. Ultimately I was able to find and win a great merit-based scholarship, but the experience was an eye-opener.

 

[zulaya]

I just wanted to jump in and say that race should never matter. Financial need, merit, specific area of study...those are things that should matter. I too recall searching for scholarships as a high school senior and had to pass so many by because of race. I don't mean this negatively, but I don't know how else to say it, but just because you are white doesn't mean you are rich, privileged or that other nonsense.

You should take personal accountability and earn what you receive based on your efforts, not the color of your skin.

 

[Snowysmom]

Scholarships should be color blind. It should be based on merit.

 

[wilderness01]

 

[cindysteve]

I am so reluctant to jump in on this one. Affirmative action, UNCF, and other minority assistance was designed to level out the playing field. Beleive it or not, certain groups are underrepresented in our universities today, and within certain disciplines and career fields. Men's clubs, church groups and other organizations have the right, and exercise it, to set up scholarships with different qualifying criteria. Not all scholarships are need based. Anyone should be able to offer private scholarships to anyone. The problem is when a group excludes only one type of person from the applicant pool.
Personally, I think school is becoming overpriced for the masses, and we need to get a handle on educational costs for ALL students.
These are my opinions. Please don't flame me.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Do you all feel the same way about scholarships that are only offered to women?


What about programs that offer free tuition to white students that attend HBCUs?

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by disneyjunkie
Do you all feel the same way about scholarships that are only offered to women?

YES, I am a female BUTeveryone should have a shot at each thing..no male female, black white...nothing...it should not go by gender or race....nor should females get an easier test to become a firefighter, police officer or anything else...if I need to be rescued I want it done by the most qualified person not someone who get a extra few points just for being a female or minority!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Individuals and organizations that award privately funded scholarships should and do select their own criteria for their recipients. This is done all of the time. Think about it. Scholarships are available for people who went to a certain high school, people who will be returning to college after being in the work force, people who who are chess players, people with the middle name of Sam...blah blah blah and on it goes. When private individuals and foundations want to give away $$$ it is their perogative to select the criteria. Why get ourselves in a lather over it just because it mentions race? Personnally I think it is in poor taste, but if I were in a position to apply for it...

PS I spent 5 minutes trying to find the correct spelling for perogative. I can't seem to figure out how to spell check when I post a reply. If anyone knows the correct spelling please let me know! Thanks.

 

[Christine]

Originally posted by IMGONNABE40!
Individuals and organizations that award privately funded scholarships should and do select their own criteria for their recipients. This is done all of the time. Think about it. Scholarships are available for people who went to a certain high school, people who will be returning to college after being in the work force, people who who are chess players, people with the middle name of Sam...blah blah blah and on it goes. When private individuals and foundations want to give away $$$ it is their perogative to select the criteria. Why get ourselves in a lather over it just because it mentions race? Personnally I think it is in poor taste, but if I were in a position to apply for it...

You make a good point; however, if a private organization were to come out and set up a scholarship fund titled "The United Caucasion College Fund", they probably wouldn't be allowed to do it without taking it to the Supreme Court. That is were the "unfair" aspect comes in. Not everyone DOES have the perogative to do what they want.

 

[phillybeth]

Turn-about is fair play, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, as my grandmother used to say.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

A scholarship fund entitled the "United Caucasion College Fund" would be a perfectly legal name for a scholarship and would likely survive any challange to it. I don't see where the Supreme Court would even have authority to hear the case.