Private Scholarships – the billion dollar rip-off exposed

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December 16, 2006 at 11:06:44

Private Scholarships – the billion dollar rip-off exposed

by Reecy Aresty Page 1 of 2 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com

Towards the end of every school year, most non-profit organizations hold their Awards Banquets where worthy students are honored with various scholarships. Often, the names of recipients appear in the newspapers as an acknowledgment of all their hard work and dedication. Since the awarding organization is primarily giving the money to be used for the student's education, they simply ask the family where the student will be attending, and parents, unaware of the pitfall, tell them. Virtually all such organizations are responsible for the fatal error of making the check payable to the student and the college. So sets the stage for the billion dollar scholarship rip-off.

No, congratulations are not in order. In fact, pity the poor student who dedicated several years of blood, sweat and tears to the Red Cross, YMCA, Kiwanis, Rotary, or other such non-profit organization, only to see all of their well deserved scholarship money evaporate into thin air and wind up in the "scholarship fund" of their college of choice instead of their own financial aid packages.

Most schools send out their financial aid offers between January and April, with a May 1st decision date. As most colleges consider private scholarship awards a resource to help pay for a student's education, they reduce their share of the student's financial aid package dollar for dollar, and this is where the problem lies.

What a kick in the teeth it is for a family to read a revised award letter showing that the school's portion of the financial aid was reduced by the amount of the private scholarship the student earned! The bad news is usually listed on the award letter as private scholarship, outside aid, or very often as other. Here's a typical before and after scenario:

Before Receiving a Private Scholarship

$45,000 - Cost of Attendance (COA = tuition, fees, room & board, books, etc.)
$10,000 - Expected Family Contribution (EFC)*
$35,000 - Financial Need (FN = the maximum amount of aid a family will qualify for)

* EFC = the minimum the federal gov't determines a family will pay at any college

We'll assume the student qualifies for the following aid:

$ 3,500 - Stafford Loan
$ 4,000 - Perkins Loan
$ 2,500 - Federal work-study award
$ 3,000 - State grant
$22,000 - College scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, etc.
$35,000 - Total

The student will qualify for a maximum of $22,000/yr in financial aid from the college.

After Receiving a Private Scholarship:

$45,000 - Cost of Attendance (COA)
$10,000 - Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
$35,000 - Financial Need

The student qualifies for the following aid:

$ 3,500 - Stafford Loan
$ 4,000 - Perkins Loan
$ 2,500 - Federal work-study award
$ 3,000 - State grants, etc.
$10,000 - Private Scholarship
$12,000 - College scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, etc.
$35,000 - Total

While the student still qualifies for a maximum of $22,000/yr in financial aid from the college, the private scholarship has now become a bonus for the school, not the student. All of the student's hard work actually saves the college money, and the benefit to the student is reduced to nothing!

It should be no great surprise to anyone that our greedy institutions of higher learning laid the groundwork for this clever thievery months in advance. Students who apply to any of the 225 elite private and state colleges that require the CSS Financial Aid Profile (FAP) are asked to indicate whether they expect to be scholarship recipients. Section SR, Question SR-150 asks for the dollar amount anticipated from student resources for school year 2007-2008, such as "grants, scholarships and fellowships," and they must be listed individually in Section ES.

The majority of schools that only require the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), simply send out a questionnaire asking about private scholarships. They are less devious, but just as deft.

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www.paylessforcollege.com

Reecy Aresty has been a financial advisor since 1977. He has authored the critically acclaimed, "How To Pay For College Without Going Broke," an invaluable, parent/student admissions/financial aid manual. Arguably the most revealing book ever written on the subject, it is the only book of its kind also available in Spanish. In a career spanning more than three decades, Reecy has helped thousands of families send their kids to the school of their choice for less than they ever dreamed possible. Reecy has been interviewed by financial experts on radio and television, and by many of the nation's most respected publications including Money Magazine, US News & World Report, Bloomberg News, Scripps Howard, The Washington Post, Terry Savage (personal finance columnist for the Chicago Sun Times) and Consumers Digest. Recently, Reecy created The College Information Network™ including The High School Blog, The College Blog, Payless For College and The Way To College dot coms. A Google search for "Reecy Aresty" will result in thousands of links to sites all over the world that feature his articles, advice and methods. Reecy presents free seminars coast to coast, and his innovative appeal/negotiating techniques have turned unappealing award letters into millions of dollars of additional financial aid. Reecy's book is a warehouse of information that makes it possible for virtually any family to beat the colleges and the federal government at their own game. For further information contact Reecy Aresty at: 561.477.9639, or visit www.paylessforcollege.com, and never loose sight of the fact that, "The money to send a student to college IS available. Paying for college is the easy part. Getting admitted is the tough part. All the financial aid in the world is useless without an admission ticket."