Letters to the Editor
Campus Times
February 21, 1997
Dear Editor,
You, Raechel Fittante, are entitled to your opinions ["Penalized
for family unity," Feb. 14]. I need to correct you on some facts,
however. You said, "ULV prides itself in not giving athletic scholarships."
Actually, this is not a question of pride at all; rather, NCAA Division
III rules prohibit taking athletics into account in awarding financial aid.
Quoting from the 1996-97 NCAA Manual (Articles 15.4.9a and c, page 219),
"A member institution shall not consider athletics ability as a criterion
in the formulation of the financial aid package;... The financial aid package
for a particular student-athlete cannot be clearly distinguishable from
the general pattern of all financial aid for all recipients at the institution."
Whether athletes think so or not, ULV coaches do not have any power to "pull
strings financially" for new recruits. In fact, they are specifically
prohibited from contacting the Financial Aid Office for that purpose. Further,
while you have the opportunity to have your adviser recommend you for a
Named Scholarship, athletes are not allowed to get a recommendation from
anyone involved in athletics-even if that person is their academic adviser.
There are probably a few athletes who get a better financial aid package
from La Verne than that being offered by another school, but that is by
far the exception. In fact, our coaches are constantly complaining they
can't compete with the financial aid packages at other institutions.
I certainly sympathize with the frustration expressed in your column
last week, and I often wonder how students like you manage to juggle classes,
studying, work, extracurricular activities and sometimes even raising a
family. But please don't kid yourself that athletes are getting any special
breaks as far as financial aid. They are not.
Rick Simon
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Faculty Athletics Representative
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter in regards to Raechel Fittante's column, "Penalized
for family unity." While I agree that the process used to determining
financial need doesn't necessarily cater to middle class families, I do
not appreciate some of the accusations she makes in her article.
I would love to know which coaches in athletics can pull strings in
the financial aid office so I can go out for that sport, because I have
been playing on the football team for the last three years and haven't seen
any extra financial aid. In fact, no one has helped me at all. I know you
are probably thinking I'm some scrub, but I was All-Conference and All-American
for the last two years. And I'm sure you've heard of Anthony Rice; probably
the best athlete to ever attend ULV, he couldn't even afford to go here
the second semester of his first year. He didn't have enough financial aid
and his parents could only afford to send him here for one semester. Every
year, there are at least five guys who struggle just to find money to eat,
but you never hear them complain; they're just happy to get the opportunity
to earn a degree.
ULV cannot compete with most schools in our conference when it comes
to financial aid resources. Ask any coach why they lose more players and
they will tell you that most recruits received a better financial aid package
from another university.
So before you start complaining and making false charges, why don't
you think about how lucky you are. Your parents are still married. You have
a family. I know I lot of people who receive financial award letters big
and small that would trade places with you in a heartbeat. And remember
you go to college. You're an adult. Stop acting like a victim. If you don't
like how something works, do something about it. Determination is all you
need.
Andy Moran
Senior