example of scholarship essay

example of scholarship essay

The Importance of Scholarships for Higher Education

1. Introduction

It is somewhat more difficult to identify an equivalent corpus of higher education scholarship in New Zealand that focuses predominantly on teaching, the student experience, and their learning outcomes. This fault is not easily attributed to data availability. Many of the large-scale national surveys of students have yet to be mined for the broader benefits that they received from their time in tertiary education. Such analysis may yet uncover hitherto undiscovered truths about how to improve student experiences and outcomes. The reflection of a belief in a New Zealand education system in ‘crisis’ and periodic reliance on tuition regulation as a policy lever may have created a climate in which the perceived priority for New Zealand tertiary institutions was the undertaking of research into the behavior of governments and policy making. A trend that appears to be changing with shifts in the regulation and resourcing of the sector.

Scholarship, practice and policy (2005) has shown that debates about the meaning and nature of the ‘scholarship of teaching’ are gaining momentum, but that there is still a great deal of ambiguity and difference of opinion about what this aspect of academic work entails. Debate still rages about whether this is teaching-based research, research on learning, the application of best practice or much deeper and wider than any or all of these interpretations. Boyer and institution leaders in the USA are clear that it is majoring on the development of a ‘teaching orientation’ for academic staff and creating appropriate climates for enhanced learning outcomes for students. These leaders frequently argue from a civic perspective of public good from higher education. Pettit and Brown (2005, 2007), Milem, Berger and Dey (2000), and Pascarella (1980, 1985) note that a significant body of American higher education scholarship on student involvement in institutions has occurred over the past twenty years. Learning from involvement is a further strong theme from the NSSE research.

2. The Benefits of Scholarships

One obvious benefit is that it costs less for a student who is awarded a scholarship to attend the University of their choice rather than a student without a scholarship. Even if the student is given a partial scholarship, they are still saving money. A student with a full-ride scholarship is obviously the best case scenario for the student’s family. Often times these students are offered more money from a University than they would be offered from a professional sports team. As the majority of NCAA scholarships are only 1-year agreements that must be renewed on a year-to-year basis, having a multi-year agreement is a huge relief. That is why NCAA coaches always want to offer multi-year agreements to their potential student athletes. A student on a multi-year scholarship agreement does not have to worry each year whether they will have a scholarship for the following school year. Another great benefit of a scholarship is that it may increase a student’s motivation to excel academically. To achieve the highest possible scholarship, often times the student will be required to maintain a high GPA, or do well on a standardized test such as the SAT or ACT. This is very beneficial to the student’s future. Sometimes students in high school might put in a lot of effort during their senior year, and as a result receive a good SAT or ACT score. But at this point it is too late, as collegiate decisions have already been made. But if the student knows all along that he has a chance to earn a good scholarship, he might try harder in his earlier high school years. Having a scholarship also means that there is less pressure on the student to work part-time to help pay for their education. This means that the student should have more time to focus on their studies, which is the reason that they are at University in the first place. They can also get involved with more student activities, or sports without the issue of balancing a job and school work. This has been proven to provide a much better experience for the student, many of whom say that their college years were the best years of their life. This also means there is a decreased chance of a student loan. The opportunity to owe little or no money after graduating from college is a huge benefit, as many students are still struggling to pay off student debts years later.

3. Overcoming Financial Barriers

It is well known that education is a key to improving one’s future. Should a person have a desire to improve their life, often times they can do this by going to college. This may be limited by the lack of financial resources. By providing someone with the opportunity to earn a degree, be it an associate’s, bachelor’s or higher, it opens the door for the person to maximize their learning in a field and thus improve their standard of living and career pertaining to the degree. Oftentimes, the most needy individuals are the most successful people. By providing them with the resources to be educated, they are able to pull themselves out of a troublesome lifestyle and into a successful one. This in turn will improve their life as well as the lives of their family.

Scholarships offer an opportunity for many students to earn an education. Without assistance from an outside source, students may have trouble paying for the degree that will improve their future. An education is a tool that will help improve a person’s life. The importance of a scholarship cannot be overestimated. The opportunity that a scholarship can provide many individuals is the chance to further their education. Often times, students believe their effort in high school has gone unnoticed and they are no longer worthy of assistance. This is always untrue.

4. Academic Excellence and Scholarships

This is because the greatest obstacle for low-income students wanting to attend college to overcome is the cost of higher education. The most prestigious schools are usually the most costly to attend, due to the lack of state funding and an endowment not sufficient enough to provide sufficient scholarships. A 2007 Newsweek study found that nearly three fourths of the nation’s most elite colleges cost the same or less for children from a high-income family to attend, as it does for children from a low-income family, leaving students of lesser income with large amounts of debt upon graduation from a high-interest college loan. This large debt is a risk and often has the student reconsider if he will return the next year or return at all. An alternative for a low-income student considering a high-priced college is to attend a local community college and achieve a good GPA, in hope of being able to transfer in a two-year span. This is a viable option as academic success can lead to scholarships based on merit, increasing the likelihood of attending a prestigious four-year college and the cost-effectiveness for a student of lower income.

William Sullivan’s New York Times op-ed piece, “Stop Dissing School,” accurately sums up the problem that many high-school students face when choosing between a lower-ranked and higher-ranked institution. Sullivan writes that at a college-preparatory convention he asked a group of guidance counselors “how they define a good college.” They all responded that in the final analysis, a good college is one where the counselor would want his or her own child to go. The problem with this, Sullivan argues, is that most public high schools only employ a single guidance counselor, who comes from a lower socio-economic status. As a result, these counselors are unable to advise students on colleges not close to home that are cost-effective (i.e. with a scholarship), and students subsequently attend colleges with lower rankings than they are capable of being accepted to.

5. Conclusion: Investing in the Future

Scholarships that students receive from their schools are not the only funds available to them. There are many public and private groups that help students pay for college, and it should be the students’ aim to find out what’s available to them. Schools are more often providing information on the availability of scholarships and grants. It is so important for students to find this information before it’s too late. It is common for students to believe that there’s no way that they will qualify for certain scholarships, so they don’t bother when really they may meet the requirements later on in college. In addition, students sometimes believe that the amount of money that they might receive in a scholarship won’t make a difference, so it’s not worth the effort. That’s a myth; every bit of money received from a scholarship is less that the student will have to pay later in loans. This time is crucial for high school, current college students, and parents to actively seek out scholarships that may be available to them. With the growing cost of college, every little bit of assistance helps. References: Changes in postsecondary educational expenditures, Trends in college pricing, NCES2002-162, and Digest of Education Statistics, 2001.