Friday,March15, 1996 Vol. XLII, No. 20 Cabrini College Radnor, Pa. 19087
Service grants: Are they just for athletes? give a currentexampleof a studentin packagefromCabrini. Collins,likemanystudents,saidhe thatone percentage. "But all service grants are need- was unawareservicegrantsbenefited primarilyathletes. Although service grants are sup- based,"Meltonadded. "I don't think financialaid should ''Yes, all servicegrants are needposedto be awardedto "studentswho are involvedin any activity that re- based.It [aservicegrant]simplyaligns be biased. Service grants shouldn't quiresanoutstandingamountofhours,''itselfwitha workgrant," Cairnssaid. applyto athletesonly. It shouldgo to athletesseem to be the only students Work grant is a financialaid pro- anyone who does a service to the gram in which studentsare employed schoo~"Collinsadded. who are awardedservicegrants. A KappaSigma Omegamember, Servicegrantsareneed-based,and, by thecollegeand theirpay checksare student governmentclass representatherefore,they may award students directlycreditedto theirtuitioncosts. tive and programmingboardmember, The need-basedcriteriakeeps the large amountsof money. Although sophomore Angela Palazonne said, beingathleticscholEliz.abethCairns,directorof financial servicegrantsfrom "Service grants should be offeredto aid, said she was unable to give the arships. By NationalCollegiateAtheveryone. Yes,sportsareaservice. But letic Association regulations, Division average amount of money awarded everyone else in Kappa, SGA and othIII schools are prolubited from awardthrough"servicegrants,"she said the average "general-grant money" ing athleticscholarships. Some stu- ers do a serviceto the peopleas well." awarded by Cabrini totals $3,172. dents,facultyand staffquestionif ser- SGAreferstotheStudentGovernment Those grants range in amountsfrom vicegrantsare merelya wayfor Divi- Association. Accordingto Palazonne,athletes sionIII schoolsto circumnavigatethe $500to $11,100. deservethe moneythey receivesince Oneathleticstudent,whoaskednot NCAAregulation. to be identified,said he was offered A basketballplayer,whoaskednot they are leadersand sportsin general on Cabrini'scampus. $6,000initiallyfrom Cabrini. When to be identified,said, "Servicegrants areverypopular Do athletesreceivespecialconmdhisfamilyinformedhispotentialcoach takethe place of DivisionI and Divihewasgoingto attendanothercollege, sionII scholarships.Servicegrantsare erationpriorto otherstudents? To Cairnsand the financialaid dehe received a $2,000 increasein his halfthe reasonma& of the athletesare partment,the bottom line is that all financialaid within a matterof days. here." Mixedemotionsfill the campusas servicegrants are need-based In the Cairnssaidthereareapproximately90 eyesof manystudentsand staffmemstudentson the service-grantprogram. to serviceawards. ''Ninety-ninepercentof service JoeCollins,ajunior lacrosse player, bers,athletesarelikelyto receivemore award<;go to athletes. The other one said,"I do notfeel athletesget special financialaid thana studentwith above bii,bli@OOI gpjel}tia)§suqi_ percentmay be awar~ ~ a student attentioll.I don'tfeeltlleydoo'tget jlV£f¥ who providesa servicein some other enoughfinancialaid" Accordingto a5 writingabilityand perhapstheater way," Ouistine Melton,financialaid Collins, he oftenhas to applyfor more talentas one professor,who askedthat counselor,said. Meltonwasunableto aidoncehereceiveshisinitialfinancial his namenot be identified,exclaimed.
by KevinEppler
assistantperspectiveseditor
Financial aid, confusing but thorough by Kevin Eppler assistant perspectives editor
Trying to understand Cabrini College's financialaid policies may be quite confusingand complicated. Numerous scholarships,grants and financial"packages" are awardedto students each year. But understanding the differencebetween the sorts of"packages" often confusesmany. Perhapsdeterminingthe similarities betweenthe variousfinancialaid policies would be the appropriate place to begin the journey toward understanding. According to both Elizabeth Cairns, directorof financial aid, and ChristineMelton,financialaid counselor, all financial aid policies are "need-based." "Need" refers to the mathematical difference between a student's cost of collegefor one year and a "family's contribution." "A 'family contribution' is an
Week News
pg.4
See why incoming first-year students in 1995 had a lower SAT scores than those in previous years.
A&E
pg.7
"Up Close and Personal" receives three out of five stars.
Friday ll'Springconvocation ll'Irishentertainment in the cafe from 11:30am. to 1:30p.m. ll'St Patty's Day party from 9 p.m. to 1 am.
estimate of the amount of money a student's family can reasonably be expected to contribute toward a student's education," Melton said. The price of tuition alone is $11,100. Room and board costs $6,500 and the price of what financial aid deems as ''books and personal'' is $2,200. The total expense of education and living at Cabrini, including all fees, equals $19,800. To meet studentneed, the college brings together grants and scholarships and sometimes loans to accumulatea studentfinancial-aid"package." "Packages" may consist of manyelementssuchas federalgrants, state and outside scholarships or grants,studentloansand grantsfrom Cabrini as well. In Cabrini'sfinancialaidplanthere are need-basedgrants and non-needbasedgrants.Accordingto Melton,the non-need-basedgrantsor scholarships are awardednormallyto studentswith
at a Glance ... Saturday
Sunday ll"'MissSaigon" at the Forrest Theaterat 2 p.m. Ticketsavailable in student activities. ll'Massinthe chapelat 6 p.m.
Monday ll'Scholarship deadline. See financialaid for details.
outstandinghighschoolcredentialssuch a5 gradepointaverage,extracurricular activitiesandScholasticAptitudeTest scores. Non-need-basedscholarshipsinclude grants such as the Presidential Scholarship that, according to the 1995-1996financialaid brochure,is a full- tuition scholarshipoffered to a first-yearstudentwith outstanding academic and personal credentials. The Patience Cavanagh McFadden Memorial Scholarship, the Charles A MastronardiServiceand Leadership Award and the Lawrence R. SedlerMemorialFund Awardare all non-need-basedscholarshipsgranted to returning students. Need-based grants include servicegrantsthat,accordingto Melton, are given to students who do a service to the college such as play a sport.
Aid continued on page 8
March 15 to March 21 Tuesday ll'Palmreadingin the cafeteriafrom 11:30a.m. to 1:30 p.m. v'Fallpreregistrationbegins for seniors.
Wednesday
Thursday
ll'GeneralAssembly meetingin the WCI.Hat 9:45p.m. ll'lntercollegiate collegefair
v'Fallpre-registrationbeginsfor juniors. ll'EtluricStudent Allianceparty.