That “Full” Scholarship My Kid Received? Turns Out it Wasn’t a Full Scholarship

 

Photo Credit: Karolina Grabowska via Unsplash

 In January of 2020, I got the news that my oldest was awarded a scholarship for college tuition. Supposedly, this scholarship would pay $21,000 for each undergrad year. At the time he was awarded the scholarship, he was told it was a FULL scholarship. So we were all under the impression that this meant it would cover the cost of his tuition for 4 years of college education. Around this time, he was also accepted at three universities, and he chose to attend the one that was closest to us in order to cut down on cost of room and board as well as transportation. Since he didn’t have a college fund set up for him to help pay for school, we were all thrilled that he had received this scholarship. We all thought we wouldn’t have to worry about him being able to afford going to college.

 

This was especially a big concern for me. I had attended college (a community college) for three years until there was no longer any funding to attend. My mom spent hours calling as many places as she could, trying to obtain help or some kind of financial aid so that I could finish college. She pushed the fact that I am Deaf, hoping this would at least offer some leverage in my eligibility to receive funding for school. (We lived in California at this time and were told that I should receive some kind of funding for school since I was deaf.) Unfortunately, she was not successful. We could not get funding. I was never able to finish college and I regret that to this day.

 

I don’t want the same thing to happen to my kid! But now it looks like it just might. History could end up repeating itself. Money is now a barrier for him to finish school.

 

In 2021, a year after receiving the scholarship, it was rescinded. He was told the scholarship was meant for families who were at a certain poverty threshold. I really wondered why we didn’t meet that criteria, since I had just lost my job and we WERE now in that demographic! He appealed for the scholarship and it was returned … but only for one year.

 

Now, once again, his scholarship has been taken away. This time, they gave no reason why. He once again appealed to have it returned but this time, he lost. The scholarship is gone for good.

 

We were devastated by this news. So much for a “full” scholarship!! I fell into a bit of a funk about it because there is no way we can afford to pay for his tuition. In fact, he is currently out for this year’s Fall term. However, he does have enough money saved up for ONE term, and I have encouraged him to use it for the Spring term.

 

Despite losing his scholarship, my son still wants to finish school. We ALL want him to finish school! He is an intelligent kid with a bright future ahead of him. I know he will go far and more opportunities will open up to him with his college degrees.

 

Now it’s just a matter of ensuring he can even GET those college degrees!

 

While we figured out a new strategy so that he can finish school, I couldn’t help bu think that I heard this story before. Actually, when I read the biography of Nikola Tesla, I learned that this happened to him, too, when he was going to college. After two years, his scholarship was gone and he was told there was no more money available to cover the cost of his tuition. He appealed to family and friends for help to cover the cost of school so that he could finish his 4 years, but without success. He was never able to finish college.

 

That story sounds awful familiar!

 

I did some digging on the internet about this and learned that this situation is not new for MANY college students in the US. In fact, I came across this article "Your child probably won’t get a full ride to college" by Michelle Singletary in The Washington Post. It’s such a shame that so many bright young students with promising futures are being turned away and prevented from receiving the benefit of a college degree when money for school remains such a huge barrier.

 

I don’t want that to happen to MY kid! So, yes, we are working on a new strategy for him to be able to finish school.

 

During the time he received the scholarship, I was not able to work or have anything going on in my life that might change my financial situation. That has changed. However, unfortunately, my health has NOT changed. I still have a heart condition, panic attacks, anxiety, depression and dizzy spells. I also have a sleep disorder, which means that I have occasional nasty headaches because of it (which I take medication for) and excessive sleepiness every day (which means sometimes I’ll end up taking a long nap in the late morning or middle of the day).

 

Contemplating all this, I wondered if I would even be able to work a job outside of home since not only do I have ALL of those problems but I’m also on a medication schedule because of them. And when I have flare ups with my heart, I have to stop what I’m doing, take the required medication for it and sit down to wait it out. (This was a problem at my last job. My boss had to call 911 twice!) So I have been working gigs t home. Now I know I can work MORE than gigs, but they will have to be based at home. I discussed this issue with my oldest and he gave me his blessing to continue to work from home. In fact, he encourages it. So that at least has been figured out.

 

My husband is still working the same job he was hired to work that brought us here to Oregon. And my youngest is now old enough t work and he is looking for a job as well.

 

We three are using what we earn to help support my oldest to finish college.

 

In addition to this, he also set up a GoFundMe. The amount on the GoFundMe is enough for the Fall 2023 term.

 

I have been encouraging him to apply for grants and also anything else that might help him receive tuition funding. He has also dropped one of his majors, since it will require more than four years of schooling to complete. So now he has two majors instead of three. I am also looking into any other grants or programs in which he can receive help to pay for school.

 

I am very disappointed and frustrated that this has happened. However, it’s a sad reality for many college students. I had my hopes on applying for a scholarship, too, just so I could go back to school and get my degree. Now? Forget it. A scholarship doesn’t mean anything anymore. It’s like some kind of scam these colleges are playing on vulnerable, gifted and ambitious high school kids who think they won’t have to worry about paying for college! But, apparently, they do. A scholarship isn’t as great of a thing as it appears to be. Don’t be fooled by some offer of a “scholarship” and think it covers the cost of an entire college education. A scholarship may pay for SOME college tuition, but even when they say it’s a “full” scholarship, it won’t pay for all of it.