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Michigan State University, Ph.D., 1972 Education, higher University Microfilms, A XEROX Company , Ann Arbor, Michigan (§) Copyright by MORRIS KINSEY 1972 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THE EDUCATIONAL SURVIVAL OF SELECTED BLACK STUDENTS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY By Morris Kinsey A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State U niversity in p a r tia l fu lfillm e n t of the requirements fo r the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have in d istinct p rin t. Fi l me d as r e c e i v e d . U n i v e r s i t y M i c r o f i l m s , A Xe rox E d u c a t i o n Company ABSTRACT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THE EDUCATIONAL SURVIVAL OF SELECTED BLACK STUDENTS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY By Morris Kinsey Purpose of the Study The purpose of th is study was to in vestig ate the new adm inistra­ tiv e problems created fo r in s titu tio n s o f higher education by the need to provide a program o f fin a n cial assistance to black college students w ith socio-economic disadvantages, and to provide: 1. A descriptive report o f the impact o f fin a n c ia l aid upon the academic and social survival o f a selected group o f black students at Michigan State U niversity. 2. A descriptive summary report o f opinions cu rren tly held by decision amkers--state le g is la to rs , college adm inistrators and fin a n cial aid counselors--of fin a n cial assistance fo r the educationally and economically disadvantaged black students; 3. A comprehensive description o f the types of fin a n c ia l aid availab le at Michigan State U niversity and, more im portantly, the attitu d e s o f the U n ive rs ity's decision makers towards the amount and d is trib u tio n of fin a n cial aid funds to disadvantaged students. M o rris Kinsey 4. A descriptive report o f opinions c u rren tly held by black developmental students and th e ir perception and a ttitu d e s toward the fin a n c ia l aid program at Michigan State U n iversity. There have been few studies in vestig atin g the needs of fin a n c ia l aid recipients from th e ir point o f view. Many words have been w ritte n about the fin a n c ia l-a id needs o f black students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds not taking into account the student's documented viewpoint. This study provides th at student- oriented documentation. Procedure The population chosen fo r the study was a randomly-selected group o f black students enrolled in the developmental program during the spring term 1972 a t Michigan State U n iversity. Only Freshmen and sophomores were selected fo r th is study and a ll 259 Developmental Program students in these two classes were questioned. There was a to ta l of 96 freshmen, 39 male and 57 female; a to ta l o f 162 sophomores, 65 male and 97 female. I t was f e l t that these two classes would be the best population to sample, so no tab le of random numbers was u tiliz e d . Two d iffe re n t types o f questionnaire were developed, one fo r black Developmental Program students and another fo r Michigan State U n iversity Administrators, le g is la to rs , and state and national o f f ic ia ls o f the United States O ffice of H ealth, Education and W elfare. The student questionnaire consisted o f twenty-three questions and eighty-one variables pertinent to fin a n cial assistance to m inority students. The variables were divided into categories which r e f le c t the student view M o rris K insey of the fin a n c ia l-a id package and program. The questionnaire administered to the other group was designed to s o lic it responses to how in s t i ­ tutions of higher learning should be funded or how other guidelines should be developed to determine ways in which to aid disadvantaged students. A copy of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix A. A survey was conducted o f the 259 Developmental Program students. Each student was contacted, given a questionnaire and allowed two weeks to complete i t . The students conducting the survey contacted each student who had been given a questionnaire to insure th a t each questionnaire was completed in e n tire ty . The questionnaires were then returned to the researcher fo r fin a l examination. The student reponses were coded onto data-processing cards and analyzed. The Computer In s titu te fo r SocialScience Research (CISSR) Act Program was used to summarize the data into contingencytables accompanying percentage breakdowns. with The Michigan State U n iversity Computer Laboratory f a c i l i t i e s and the Control Data Corporation's 3600 Computer were used to analyze the data. Major Findings and Conclusions o f the Study 1. Disadvantaged black students receiving fin a n c ia l aid feel fin a n c ia l aid is most essential in th e ir educational s u rv iv a l. They rank academic problems, such as understanding course m a te ria l, and social problems related to adjusting to dormitory liv in g as th e ir most serious problems. This perception is contrary to the assumption made in most previously conducted studies which indicated th a t money, or the lack o f i t , was a major problem fo r such students. M o rris K insey 2. Loans are the le a s t desired type o f fin a n c ia l assistance provided to black educationally and economically disadvantaged students, but more than h a lf o f the Developmental Program students have loans as a v ita l p art o f th e ir fin a n c ia l aid package. In f a c t , more than h a lf o f such students u t il iz e more than one loan program. The students give a high p r io r ity to the need to abolish a ll loans to low-income students. Almost 100 percent o f the students agreed th a t there was a need fo r more grants and fewer loans. 3. Although the vast m ajo rity o f the surveyed students consider fin a n c ia l aid from Michigan State U n iversity to be the major source o f support fo r th e ir education, almost a ll o f them l i s t parents, re la tiv e s and personal savings as s ig n ific a n t sources of th e ir educa­ tio n a l funds. 4. Since fin a n c ia l problems are minimized fo r the surveyed students, they are b e tte r able to concentrate on th e ir academic and personal problems. 5. Despite a ll of the fin a n c ia l aid received, most surveyed students fin d i t necessary to work a t le a s t part o f the year. Those students who work during the academic year find th at th e ir jobs do not in te r fe r s ig n ific a n tly with th e ir academic performance and progress. DEDICATION The w rite r wishes to dedicate a copy of his d is s e rta tio n to his dear parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Kinsey of Lisbon, Louisi ana. Because you offered much love and a ffe c tio n and stood by me during my t r i a l s and trib u la tio n s and gave me a ll you had to o ffe r. I am simply saying to you th a t you have helped me to become whatever I am to be. I owe you my respect, devotion and love and w ill do everything in my power to prove my worthiness of being a part of you. Si ncerely Morris Kinsey ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The w rite r wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Dr. Van C. Johnson, Chairman of his Guidance Committee, who provided constant encouragement and much in s p ira tio n . Dr. Johnson was more than ju s t the Chairman of the w rite r 's committee. He also proved to be a warm and personal frie n d and was personally responsible fo r persuading the w rite r to pursue and complete the doctoral program. To my Cognate Chairman, Brother Dr. Thomas Gunnings, who did a m agnificent job in advising and d ire c tin g the cognitive area of psychology. His influence was most important in assuring the coopera­ tio n of the Developmental Program students and in aiding the w rite r in securing the necessary data provided in th is study, and fo r a job well done. G rateful acknowledgement is also due to Dr. Larry Lezotte, Dr. Dale Alam and Dr. Ernest Melby who rendered valuable advice and gave much of th e ir time. Special appreciation is due Dr. Lezotte, who worked very closely with the w rite r and was most instrumental in the development of the design fo r th is study. He was always a v a ila b le when called upon, day or night or weekends, to o ffe r support and technical assistance. Thank you, Dr. Lezotte. Much c re d it goes to Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty, Head Football Coach a t Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , a dear and personal frie n d who quite often gave encouragement, reinforcement and other assistance during the c r it ic a l stages in which the w rite r was pursuing his educational career. iii i i Last, but not le a s t, the w rite r wishes to personally thank Dr. Henry Dykema and his e n tire s t a f f fo r th e ir genuine support in providing data and technical advice throughout th is study. Dr. Dykema has played an instrumental part in advising and encouraging the w rite r to continue and his real concern have been invaluable in the researcher's attainment of the doctoral degree. iv i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................... v ii CHAPTER I. II. THE PROBLEM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO BLACK STUDENTS AT MSU............................................................................................... 1 Purpose ........................................................................................... Need fo r the S tu d y ...................................................................... Significance of th is Study ...................................................... Design and Methodology .............................................................. D e fin itio n o f Terms .................................................................. 3 3 5 6 8 REVIEW OF VIEWPOINTS ON FINANCIAL AID FOR BLACKS PART I .................................................................................................... 10 Increase in Black College Enrollment ................................. 10 Cause of Increased Black Enrollment ................................. 11 Needs of Economically and Educationally Disadvantaged ............................................................................................ 14 Blacks Social Economic Background ...................................................... 14 Causes of Economic and Educational Deprivation . . . . 16 Family L i f e ........................................................................................ 16 Meeting the Needs of the Disadvantaged Black Students. 22 Qualifying fo r Financial A i d .......................................................26 How Does the Financial Aid Package Meet Needs . . . . 30 Economic Opportunity Grants........................................................... 30 College Work/Study Program ...................................................... 34 Loan P ro g ra m s ....................................................................................36 Sum m ary................................................................................................ 39 PART I I The History of Michigan S tate's Financial Aid P r o g ra m ............................................................................................40 Growth of Michigan State Financial Aids Program . . . 46 The Ways Colleges and U n ive rs itie s Determine Student's Financial Aids Packages ................................. 52 The Method of Giving Financial A i d s ...................................... 55 How a Student's Need is D eterm ined.......................................... 57 v i CHAPTER Page PART I I I Description o f Financial Aids Programs Administered by the Financial Aids O ffic e of Michigan State U n iv e r s it y ...................................................................................... Henry Strong Foundation ................................................................ Michigan State U niversity Loans ............................................. Updegraff Loans .............................................................................. United States Loans fo r CubanRefugees ................................... National Defense L o a n .................................................................. Law Enforcement EducationProgram ........................................... Health Profession Loans ............................................................. Nursing Student Loans .................................................................. Equal Opportunity Grants ............................................................. Student Aid G r a n ts .......................................................................... W ork-Study.......................................................................................... Michigan State Scholarships.......................................................... 63 63 63 64 64 64 65 65 66 66 66 67 67 PART IV New Appropriations fo r HigherEducation ............................... Higher Education F a c ilitie s Act ................................................ III. DESIGN OF THE STUDY Population and Sample .................................................................. Instrumentation .............................................................................. C ollection of D a t a .......................................................................... Data Analysis Procedures................................................................ Summary................................................................................................. IV. 76 77 85 87 88 89 91 ANALYSIS OF DATA Differences in Needs . ............................................................. 93 96 Personal Needs Big I t e m .............................................................. 97 The Financial Aid P a c k a g e ......................................................... W ork-Study....................................................................................... 99 Who Benefits? Who Should P a y ? ..................................................103 V. SUMMARY, FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND EPILOGUE........................................................................................128 Findings and Conclusions................................................................ 130 Recommendations ............................................................................. 131 E p ilo g u e ................................................................................................ 135 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 140 APPENDICES............................................................................................................ 144 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 1. Student L o a n s............................................................................................. 47 2. Work-Study Programs ............................................................................ 48 3. Equal Opportunity Grants 49 4. Student Aid G r a n t s .................................................................................49 5. S c h o la r s h ip s ............................................................................................. 50 6. Law Enforcement Education Program ............................................... 51 7. Health Professions Program ........................................................... 51 8. College Scholarship Service D is trib u tio n Chart ................... 59 9. Estimate of Costs, 1972-1973 (In -S ta te ) ................................... 68 10. Estimate o f Costs, 1972-1973 (O ut-S tate) . . . . . . . . 69 11. Estimate of Costs, 1972-1973 (Single In d .) ........................... 69 12. Financial Aids, Fees (In -S ta te ) ................................................... 70 13. Financial Aids, Fees (O ut-S tate) 70 14. Scholarships and Grants, 1970 71 15. Developmental Project Packaging Totals fo r 1971-72 16. D is trib u tio n of 1970-71 Funds by Source ................................... 73 17. Withdrawal Report Fiscal Year 1970-71 ....................................... 75 18. Sex and Class Standing of Developmental Students 86 19. Geographical areas o f High Schools of Developmental Students.................................................................................................... 86 20. Sex and Class Standing of Developmental Students..................... I l l 21. Geographical Areas of High Schools of Developmental S t u d e n t s .............................................................................................. I l l 22. Decision on Major F i e l d ....................................................................... 112 23. In flu e n tia l People in Decision to Enroll a t MSU ................... 112 24. Appraisal of MSU E x p erie n ce.............................................. 25. Sequential Ranking of Student Problems 26. Sources of Financial Aid While Attending MSU ............................................................... vi i i ............................................... 71 . . . . . . . 72 113 ................................... 114 ....................... 115 LIST OF TABLES (C o n t.) TABLE Page 27. Financial Sources of Student A i d ........................................... 116 28. Opinions of Financial Aid Counselors ...................................... 117 29. Suggestions fo r Improved Financial Aid .................................. 118 30. Suggestions fo r Improved M inority Group Financial Aid 119 31. Dependability o f MSU Aid C oim itm ents................................... 119 32. Most S atisfacto ry Aspects of MSU Financial Aid Program . 33. Most Least S a tisfacto ry Aspects o f MSU Financial Aid P r o g ra m ................................................................................121 34. P o s s ib ilitie s of Continuing Education Without MSU Aid . 122 35. A lternatives fo r Financial Education ....................................... 123 36. Disadvantages o f Using Educational Loans .............................. 124 37. Financial Disadvantages o f Using Work-Study.......................125 38. Relevance of Work-Study Experience to Specific Education 126 39. Personal Assessment o f Work-Study Job ................................... 126 40. Personal Contribution to Family Finances ............................... 127 41. Is Adequate Work-Study Income P referrable to Loans . . . 127 vi i i | . 120 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO BLACK STUDENTS AT MSU F in a n c ia l-a id programs fo r black college student of socio-economic disadvantage continuously present new adm inistrative problems fo r in s titu tio n s of higher education. The re s u ltin g patchwork accommodations o f sp e cific needs w ill continue u n til public ad m inistration, education, le g is la to rs and fin a n c ia l counselors cooperate to develop a cogently responsive system o f individual funding. Basic to such an e f fo r t is the need fo r it s personnel to inform themselves of the r e a lit ie s and views o f selected black students. This thesis w ill present selected students' opinions as well as current adm inistrative and le g is la tiv e opinions of fin a n c ia l aids, and propose new adm inistrative p o lic y . The study w ill also attempt to explore the ram ifications of fin a n c ia l aids on the educational survival and adjustment of a group of selected black students a t Michigan State Uni versi ty . Since the passage of the Higher Education Act of 1965, there has been a movement in higher education to provide educational opportunities fo r students from the low-income, m inority segments of the population. "The Higher Education Act of 1965 provided fo r Economic Opportunity Grants to needy students— the f i r s t general program of federal scholar­ ships to undergraduates. The Economic Opportunities Act, the C iv il 1 2 Rights Act, and the Guaranteed Student Loan Program have moved to lower the fin a n cial b arriers which had kept many needy young people out of college."^ This movement fo r equal access to higher education was given impetus by the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, J r . , in April of 1968. In the days follow ing the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, J r . , many colleges and u n iv e rs itie s took steps toward improving higher education's treatment of the Negro. . . . 'D iscrim ination in favor of black Americans,' was the phrase used by James M. Hester, President of New York U n iv e rs ity , in applauding action taken by his fa c u lty senate to meet the demands of Negro students. 2 As colleges and u n iv e rs itie s make an active e f fo r t to re c ru it more black students, a need arises fo r re-evaluatio n of the existin g fin a n ­ c ia l supportive services a v a ila b le to these students. What e ffe c t does fin a n cial assistance have on the academic performance of the black students with economic and educational disadvantages? Is the fin a n c ia l assistance s u ffic ie n t to enable them to compete and survive in the academic community? What are the a ttitu d e s o f black students with ^Ronald A. Wolk, A lte rn a tiv e Methods o f Federal Funding fo r Higher Education (B erkley, C a lifo rn ia : Carnegie Commission on the Future of Higher Education, 1968), p. 3. This study emphasized the fa c t that i t was only in the 1960's th at the federal government provided fin a n c ia l aids fo r college students. Previously, the federal government only awarded funds to in s titu tio n s which could achieve some goal deemed important by Congress of federal agencies. ^The Chronicle o f Higher Education, A pril 22, 1968, p. 1. i 3 socio-economic disadvantages toward degree-completion and fu rth e r study? Are th e ir goals thwarted by the amount and type o f fin a n c ia l aid they are c u rren tly receiving? Do personal fin a n c ia l re s p o n s ib ilitie s a t home create s ig n ific a n t obstacles to pursuit of college training? Purpose The primary goals o f th is thesis are: 1. A descriptive report o f the impact of fin a n c ia l aid on the academic and social adjustment o f a selected group o f black students a t Michigan State U n iversity. 2. A d escriptive summary of opinions c u rren tly held by relevant decision-makers— state le g is la to r s , college adm inistrators and fin a n c ia l aid counselors--concerning fin a n c ia l assistance fo r the educationally and economically disadvantaged black students. 3. A b r ie f description o f the types o f fin a n c ia l aid a v a ilab le at Michigan State U n ive rs ity, and more im portantly, the a ttitu d e s of the U n ive rs ity's adm inistrators o f amount and d is trib u tio n o f fin a n cial aid funds. 4. A descrip tive report o f opinions cu rre n tly held by black developmental students and th e ir perception and a ttitu d e s toward the fin a n c ia l aid program a t Michigan State U n iversity. Need fo r the Study Financial aid has im plications fo r many publics: taxpayers, le g is la to r s , government o f f i c i a l s , u n iv e rs ity adm inistrators, and student rec ip ie n ts . This thesis w ill focus on the e ffe c t o f fin a n cial 4 aid on the disadvantaged student's a b i l it y to perform and complete his higher education. W ritten opinions o f source, amount, and type of fin a n c ia l aid fo r students, p a rtic u la rly economically and educationally disadvantaged students, are numerous; many o f these opinions w ill be explored in th is study. Also a v a ila b le are federal-government studies which c lin ic a lly chart various ch a ra c te ris tic s of students involved in federally-funded programs. However, research is very scanty into the needs o f the fin a n c ia laid recip ien ts from th e ir own point of view. I t is hoped th a t th is thesis w ill bridge the gap between premise and a c tu a lity , by recording documented responses from the students, responses whose analysis may inspire more effe c tu a l appropriation and d is trib u tio n o f fin a n c ia l aid . Commenting on the funding o f disadvantaged college students, Joseph Froomkin, assistant commissioner fo r program planning and evalua­ tio n in the U.S. O ffice o f Education, said: In order to get through college today, money is p ra c tic a lly asimportant as brains. I f you take the money fa c to r out o f the college attendance equation, you p r a c tic a lly double the (stu dent's) chances o f college com pletion.3 Actual fin a n c ia l need of the black student devolves from the p a rtic u la r socio-economic problems o f the fam ily background. The black fa m ily 's deprivations resu ltin g from ra c ia l discrim ination are factors fo r consideration in the assessment o f the black student's fin a n c ia l need. That discrim ination and segregation have taken a serious t o ll of the American Negro is a long and unpleasant h is to ry , but th a t Americans can rig h t the wrong with the abundant know-how and resources is a fa c t th a t can no longer be hidden. 3 The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 8, 1967, p. 4. How can th is be done? The major needs o f the Negro are employment and educational o p p o rtu n itie s .4 A fin a n c ia l aid program cognizant of the special needs of black students may be one o f the most important steps toward equal educational opportunity. In the words of one educator: "U n iversities have a re s p o n s ib ility to provide fin a n c ia l aid (and) to help the fa c u lty and students become sen sitive enough to cope with an assertive black popula­ tio n . . . One way th is s e n s itiv ity may be achieved is by presentation of the black student's view of the adm inistration of fin a n c ia l aids. Hope­ f u l l y , th is study w ill lead to new adm inistrative understanding o f the re latio n s h ip between the academic performance of the black student and his actual fin a n c ia l need. Significance of th is Study This study should be of s tra te g ic significance to s ta te le g is ­ lato rs and federal o f f ic ia ls because they are the major decision-makers to recommend or negate b ills fo r college fin a n c ia l-a id programs. It w ill also provide u n iversity adm inistrators and fin a n c ia l-a id counselors with new guidelines fo r the problems and needs of disadvantaged black students' they are the d a ily decision makers in the d is trib u tio n of funds w ith in the program s tip u la tio n s . This study w ill also be ^ The D e tro it Low-Income Negro Family (D e tr o it, Mich.: D e tro it Urban League, 1966), p. 11. 5 Jean Powell, "Higher Education fo r the Black Student," Journal of College Student Personnel, XI (January, 1970), 10. The i 6 p a rtic u la rly useful to the federal o f f ic ia ls in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Design and Methodology The study w ill be a descriptive analysis of how the existin g fin a n c ia l-a id s program a t Michigan State U niversity is administered and i t is perceived by it s black recipients in the Developmental Program. The Michigan State U n iversity program was chosen fo r th is d escrip tive study fo r two important reasons. F ir s t, Michigan State U n iversity has led many northern, predominantly w hite, state-supported u n iv e rs itie s in its active recruitm ent o f black students. However, Michigan S ta te 's to ta l m inority enrollment places the U n iversity among the top predominantly white u n iv e rs itie s in the United States. What e ffe c t th is predominantly white-student-body atmosphere has on the disadvantaged black student's actual or perceived fin a n c ia l needs w ill be explored in Chapter I I , Part 1, The Review of L ite ra tu r e , and described in the Chapter IV , Part I I , discussion of the students' responses. A second reason fo r selecting Michigan State U n iversity fo r this study, is its recent establishment of a special program, known as the Developmental Program. In s titu te d to help those students who are often handicapped by s o c ia l, economic and educational disadvantages, the Program, was begun as the D e tro it Project in 1963, to meet the needs of D e tro it students.® ®The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 22, 1968, p. 1; March 29, 1971, p'. 3. In 1968, there were 560 black undergraduates enrolled at Michigan State U niversity as compared to 1,424 in 1971. 7 The data on adm inistration o f the Michigan State U n iversity fin a n c ia laids program w ill be accumulated in interview s w ith key adm inistrators, educators, fin a n c ia l-a id s personnel and o f f ic ia ls o f the Department of H ealth, Education and W elfare. a u th o ritie s w ill be interview ed: The follow ing Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , Dr. C lifto n R. Wharton, J r . , President o f Michigan State U n ive rs ity; Dr. Ira P o lley, Assistant Provost fo r Admissions and Records; Henry Dykema, D irecto r of Financial Aids; Ronald Roderick, Assistant D irecto r o f Financial Aids; Amos Johnson, Financial Aids D irector fo r Development Program; Joann C o llin s , Assistant Financial Aids; L. Michael Smith, Coordinator, College Work Study Program; Dr. Thomas Gunnings, Associate D irecto r of Counselling, from the U. S. Department of H ealth, Education and W elfare: Dr. Leonard Spearman, C h ief, D ivision of Special Services fo r Colleges and U n iversi­ t ie s ; W illiam Shaw, Head Equal Opportunity Grant Program; D ivisional C h ief, National Defense Loans; College Work Study Program; Richard I . Rose, D ivision of Student Assistance; Norman B. Brooks, Acting Assistant C h ief, Student Assistance; and Mr. Ronald Lee, Former D irector Center fo r Urban A ffa ir s , Michigan State U n ive rs ity. The opinions of selected black students in the Developmental Program w ill be obtained by questionnaires d is trib u te d to approximately 250 students during w inter term, 1972. Freshmen and sophomores are the two class levels selected fo r the Study, these groups representing the la rg est number of students ever admitted to the U n iversity under the Developmental Program. a id . P resently, they are a ll receiving fin a n c ia l Many new services have been in s titu te d since the inception of the Developmental Program and its present operation. Thus, the study w ill 8 o ffe r an up-to-date view of the impact of fin a n c ia l aid on the educational survival of students in the beginning, decisive years of th e ir college career. D e fin itio n of Terms M inority Students - those individu als who possess acceptable academic credentials but who because of prejudice and discrim ination on account of th e ir race, have been inadequately represented in in s titu tio n s o f higher education.^ Educationally disadvantaged - those individu als who because of economic, c u ltu ra l or educational background or environment would be unable to g re a liz e th at potential without special supportive services. Economically disadvantaged - those individu als who possess acceptable academic credentials but who, because of fin a n c ia l d is a b ilit y are g inadequately represented in the in s titu tio n s of higher learning. Equal Opportunity Grant Program - a fe d e ra lly supported program to assist students who, due to lack of fin a n c ia l means of th e ir own or th e ir fa m ilie s , would otherwise be unable to attend in s titu tio n s of higher learning. This program, known in fo rm ally as E.O .G ., was created by T i t l e N, Part A, of the Higher Education Act. ^Commission on Admissions and Student Body Composition, Report of the Comnission, The Report to the President (East Lansing, M ich.: Michigan State U n iversity Press, 1971), p. 35. 8 Ibid 9Ibid 9 College Work-Study Program - a fe d e ra lly supported student fin a n c ia laid program designed to expand part-tim e employment opportunities fo r students who are in need of the earnings to attend college or some other post-secondary tra in in g . National Defense Student Loan - a program in which the Federal Govern­ ment provides 90% o f each loan and the p a rtic ip a tin g colleges and u n iv e rs itie s the other 10%, to support students who need fin a n c ia l assistance. Guaranteed Loan Program - an e f f o r t to insure th a t students in college or vocational programs can obtain educational loans from commercial sources such as banks, a t low in te re s t ra te s . Guaranteed loans provide a source o f fin a n c ia l aid fo r students whose colleges do not have adequate loan funds, or students from middle income fam ilie s who may not q u a lify fo r assistance from other sources. CHAPTER I I Part I REVIEW OF VIEWPOINTS ON FINANCIAL AID FOR BLACKS Increase in Black College Enrollment The middle o f the 1960's marked the beginning o f a national e f fo r t to provide members o f the black m inority population greater access to American in s titu tio n s o f higher education.^ Between 1964 and 1968, black college enrollment increased by 85%, bringing the 2 to ta l number of black college students to 434,000. Michigan State U n iv e rs ity 's record in recruitm ent and admission of black students re fle c ts the accelerated ra te o f recruitm ent to incorporate blacks in to the student body. In the f a l l of 1967, fo r example, there were approximately 690 black students enrolled a t the 3 U n iversity; by the f a l l of 1971, the number was over 2,000. The simple measure o f status and e q u ality o f blacks in higher education is enrollment; yet i t can be one o f the most misleading D. C.: ^Report on Higher Education, Frank Newman, chairman (Washington, Government P rin tin g O ffic e , 1971), p. 44. 2I b id ., p. 45. 3 Commission on Admissions and Student Body Composition, Report o f the Commission, The Report to the President (East Lansing, Mich: Michigan State U niversity Press, 1971), p. 36. The source states th at data co llected fo r the purpose o f preparing the compliance report required by the 1964 C iv il Rights Act show th at in the f a l l of 1970 Michigan State U niversity enrolled 1,954 American blacks. The estimated fig u re fo r 1971 was therefore over 2,000. 10 11 s t a tis tic s . The present comparison implies substantial progress in equal access to higher education. The Report on Higher Education goes one research step beyond the absolute increase in enrollment o f blacks from 1965 to 1969. The report stated th a t when the growth in black enrollment is compared to growth in to ta l enrollm ent, the gains are less than su b sta n tial. According to the Census Bureau Current Population Survey, the percentage of black enrollment has been ris in g very gradu ally, and a c tu a lly declined from 1964 to 1966. Although blacks have recently shared in the growth of enrollm ents, they have not gained in proportion to th e ir own population growth. The s ig n ific a n t change in black access to higher education lie s in the kind of in s titu tio n s which black students can now s e le c t. P rio r to the 1960's, the higher education o f blacks was p rim a rily the re s p o n s ib ility o f the four-year black colleges. Since 1966 the increase in black enrollment is a t predominantly white in s titu tio n s where i t had been minimal. "While the percentage o f to ta l enrollment a t these 'w hite' in s titu tio n s s t i l l averages only 3 per cen t, i t is 4 v is ib le and growing, creating a sense o f b arrie rs coming down. Cause of Increased Black Enrollment The major impetus fo r th is increase in m inority enrollment in the s ix tie s was the concurrent trend of federal support o f higher education. 4 | Social causes made i t almost a national goal in i t s e l f . Op. c i t . , p. 46. 12 Ronald A. Wolk noted th a t changing policy o f the Federal Govern­ ment in his study, A lte rn a tiv e Methods of Federal Aid Funding fo r Higher Education: P rio r to th is decade, federal support to college and univer­ s itie s was almost exclusively on a quid pro quo basis, with government awarding funds to in s titu tio n s to achieve some goal deemed important by the Congress of the Federal agencies. With the Federal Government's r e la tiv e ly new supportive involve­ ment, American u n iv e rs itie s and in s titu tio n s o f higher education are expected to p a rtic ip a te in the encouragement o f disadvantaged m inori­ t ie s ' f u ll e r access to the benefits and re s p o n s ib ilitie s o f society a t larg e. B illin g s le y declared th a t the to ta l society must, and has y e t to make, a major commitment to the education o f black youths in "whatever kinds o f in s titu tio n s these youth seek to be educated."® In s titu tio n s receiving federal funding are committed to provision of special tra in in g designed to help students overcome the socio-economic disadvantages o f th e ir b ir th .^ The wider society is involved in the education of disadvantaged blacks to the extent th at th e ir tax d o llars support the programs established by the Higher Education Act of 1965. This act in s titu te d the Economic Opportunity Grants— the f i r s t general program o f 5 Ronald A. Wolk, A lte rn a tiv e Methods o f Federal Funding fo r Higher Education (B erkley, C a lif .: Carnegie Commission on tne Future o f Higher Education, 1968), p.s. ®Andrew B illin g s le y , Black Families in White America (Englewood C l i f f s , N. J .: P re n tic e -H a ll, Inc. 1968), p. 183. ^Ib id . , p. 65. 13 federal scholarships s p e c ific a lly designed fo r fin a n c ia lly needy O undergraduates. Each person makes an oblig ato ry commitment to support higher education by the percentage o f his tax d o lla r a llo tte d fo r th is purpose. However, taxpayers may apply pressure on the state repre­ sentatives to negate b ills fo r increased funding. The costs o f keeping the doors open to state higher education in s titu tio n s has been accelerating a t an average rate o f about 15 Q percent per year. Ir o n ic a lly , th is increase comes a t a time when public support o f general higher education has been ebbing because of societal pressures resu ltin g from such causes as campus discontent, unemployed college students, greater demand on tax revenues, new pressures on fam ily budget, rap id ly increasing costs fo r higher e d u c a tio n .^ Despite the d i f f i c u lt y of funding, the u n iv e rs itie s have recognized the need fo r changing p o licies relate d to support of the disadvantaged students. C lifto n R. Wharton, J r . , President of Michigan State U n iversity commented on these changes in his^ recent commencement address at Ohio State U n iversity: O The number o f fe d e ra lly and state-supported programs is exten­ The major programs w ill be defined and described in Chap. I I I . q Ernest Becker, "The Financing of Higher Education: A Review of H is to ric a l Trends and Projections of 1975-76" Trends in Post Secondary Education, (Department of H ealth, Education and W elfare, Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government P rinting O ffic e , October 1970), p. 99. sive. ^ C lif t o n R. Wharton, J r . , President o f Michigan State U niversity "The Dangers of Income Contingency Loans: (Commencement address given a t Ohio State U n ive rs ity, September 3, 1971), p. 5. 14 There has been a growing recognition th a t fin a n c ia l b a rrie rs have prevented or in h ib ite d a large number o f talented able youth from attending higher education. This awareness has resulted in scholarship and fin a n c ia l aid p o lic ies based p rim a rily upon economic need ra th e r than so lely upon academic accomplishment. This change in aid policy has s ig n ific a n tly expanded the opportunities fo r economically disadvantaged students to b e n e fit from our colleges and u n iv e rs itie s , in a fashion unparalleled since the G .I. B ill o f World War I I . We have witnessed an important s h if t in national policy reducing the fin a n c ia l b a rrie rs to college or u n iv e rs ity attendance. More and more high school graduates with proven academic potential and the m otivation are now able to attend an i n s t it u ­ tio n of higher education regardless o f th e ir economic s ta tu s .11 President Wharton also commented th a t is was unfortunate th at these e ffo rts to remove fin a n c ia l b a rrie rs have coincided with growing fin a n c ia l stresses being experienced by both p riv a te and public colleges and u n iv e rs itie s . "Consequently, these serious fin a n c ia l d if f ic u lt ie s are compounding attempts to elim inate fin a n c ia l obstacles faced by needy but worthy students." The fin a n c ia l aid programs have been in s titu te d , and the policies innovated, but w ill the funding keep pace with needs of the p o tential student? Needs of Economically and Educationally Disadvantaged Blacks Social Economic Background What are the socio-economic needs o f disadvantaged black students? How are these needs related to th e ir admission to , and the financing ^ C lif t o n R. Wharton, J r . , "The Dangers o f Income Contingency Loans" (Commencement address a t Ohio State U n iv e rs ity , September 3, 1971), p. 6. 15 o f, th e ir education? A recent report to the State Board o f Education in Michigan stated that most formidable b a rrie r to e q u a lity of oppor­ tu n ity in higher education was fam ily income. "Youth from wealthy fa m ilie s have s ig n ific a n tly greater chances o f attending college than do youth from poorer fa m ilie s ." 12 The study reported th a t the fam ily with an income over $15,000, and with one or more college age c h ild re n , is fiv e times as lik e ly to include a f u l l ­ time college student as a s im ila r fam ily with an income o f under $3,000. 13 Ninety f iv e percent o f h ig h -a b ility youths from high-income homes enter college w ith in fiv e years o f high school completion, but only 50% o f equally h ig h -a b ility , but low-income, youth enter college. 14 Ronald H. Wolk would dispute the l a t t e r claim th a t high a b ilit y black students from low-income fa m ilie s are denied equal access, saying these students can "in general" already attend college through a v a rie ty o f scholarship programs fo r the ta le n te d . I t is the educa­ tio n a lly disadvantaged students whom Wolk find denied equal access to higher education. obstacle: For th is p o tential student, financing is only one "high admission standards, reluctance to borrow, need of 12 Ad hoc Advisory Committee on Equal Access to Higher Education, Report of the Commission to the State Board o f Education, Equality of Access to Higher Education in Michigan (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Dept, o f Education 1 3 7 1 ,), p. 17. 13 Roger E. Bolton, "The Economics and Public Financing o f Higher Education: An Overview" The Economics and Financing o f Higher Education in the United States (Washington D. C.: Ih S. Government P rin tin g O ffic e , 1969), pp. 62-63. ^ R o b ert H. B e rls, "Higher Education Opportunity and Achievements in the United S tates," The Economics and Financing o f Higher Education in the United States (Washington D. C.: U. S. Government P rinting O ffic e , 1969), p. 150. 16 his fam ily fo r income, and lack o f m otivation are a ll elements in his disproportionately low p a rtic ip a tio n in post high school education." 15 In a recent study, the D e tro it Urban League recommended th at education serves the needs o f th is student i f the ghetto syndrome is not to be perpetuated. "Education a t its best with a ll kinds of motiva­ tio n a l devices must be made a v a ila b le to th is group as never b e fo r e ." ^ Causes o f Economic and Educational Deprivation Family L ife How did i t a ll begin? Why do these blacks encounter almost insurmountable economic and educational handicaps which bar them from a higher education or make educational survival a continual b a ttle once they are admitted? Some studies trace these deprivations to the innate in s t a b ilit y o f the low-income black fam ily - an in s t a b ilit y d ire c tly relate d to continual economic dep rivatio n . "(Black) fam ily disorganization in the c itie s has persisted , and, governs the high f e r t i l i t y rates of (black) females in the past twenty years, and poses greater problems. The social and personal disorgani­ zation of lower-class (black) communities is viewed c o rre c tly as a by-product o f years of economic d is c rim in a tio n ." ^ 15 Ronald H. Wolk, A lte rn a tiv e Methods o f Federal Aid Funding fo r Higher Education. (B erkley, C a lif: Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, 1968), p. 122. ^The De t r o it Low-income Fam ily, (D e tro it Urban League, D e tro it, Michigan, 1966), p. 11. ^ W illia m McCord, e t. a l . , L ife Styles in the Black Ghetto (New York, N. Y.: W. W. Morton & Company, In c ., 1969), p. 24. 17 The D e tro it Urban League traced th is disorganization and break down o f tra d itio n a l male fam ily re s p o n s ib ility to it s o rig in - slavery. No other race in h istory has withstood such inhumanity per­ petrated against (black) slaves in an attempt to destroy every fa b ric of the fam ily l i f e , stripping i t o f a ll f in i a l value and reducing i t to animal stage. . . Every societal thread necessary fo r strong fam ily re la tio n s h ip was completely broken, dissolved and eradicated. The black male became less than a man. The achievement of the destruction o f the fam ily l i f e o f Negroes during slavery and it s psychological e ffe c ts have lingered on lingered on lik e a nightmare - haunting succeeding g e n e ra tio n s .'8 Joan MacVicar personalized the cycle of f u t i l i t y encountered by the ch ild o f the low-income fam ily by t e llin g the story o f one fic tio n a l c h ild called Stephan. She re la te d the fru s tra tio n s Stephan experienced during his f i r s t day o f school. In his pre-school years, no one had the time to develop his verbal responses. His verbal experiences were d iffe r e n t from those o f his classmates, and he could not understand his teacher, not because he was less in t e llig e n t , but because he was less prepared. MacVicar noted th a t Stephan's fa th e r was also a poor student, one who in his adult years could n eith er maintain his fam ily nor a place fo r him self in i t . th a t continued from generation to generation. I t was a cycle "The black poor--the fath erless society--seem to be unable to learn what (would) help them. Lost opportunities f i r s t come a t home. 18 Then, when the schools (tak e) The D e tro it Low-income Family (D e tr o it, Mich: League, 1966), p. i . D e tro it Urban i 18 over, a c h ild 's readiness fo r learning ( is ) often lacking. For a long time schools have not been prepared to make up fo r what is missed at home". 19 Such a c h ild o f the low-income fam ily may be crippled em otionally e a rly in l i f e by the sense of perpetual f a ilu r e . This s itu a tio n must have some e ffe c t on his self-im age and future-goal o rie n ta tio n . This e ffe c t and re s u ltin g a ttitu d e have been interp reted as the "charac­ t e r is t ic " low educational asp iratio n al level o f black youth. In his study, Goldstein c ite d several studies th a t provided strong evidence suggesting th at black students show a t le a s t as high educational aspirations as th e ir white peers. He questioned whether the a ttitu d e measures were inadequate, or whether aspirations did not have the same consequence fo r black youth as fo r white youth. 20 MacVicar also indicated the deadening e ffe c ts o f continual fa ilu r e on the disadvantaged person's perceptions of h im self, his fam ily and his environment. She stated th a t there is a point a t which f a ilu r e and fe a r can make a person incapable of hoping, planning or doing. For the poor black in the ghetto, th a t point may be reached e a rly in l i f e because i t is so easy fo r society to say 'No' to him. I t is not hard to see th a t he w ill take the pain o f?. th is back to his fam ily. Such pain may destroy th e ir u n ity . 19 Joan A. MacVicar, The Ghetto Fam ily, ed. by Dr. Alan J. Burns, (Westport, Conn.: Pendulum Press, In c ., 1949), pp. 60-61. 20 Bernard G oldstein, Low Income Youth in Urban Areas, New York: (H o lt, Rinehart and Winston, In c ., 1962), p. 60. 21 MacVicar, The Ghetto Family, p. 62. 19 Goldberg perceives the black c h ild or p o ten tial student not only as heir to the ch a ra c te ris tic s o f lower-class s tatu s, but as a member of a m inority group which has h is to r ic a lly been considered in fe r io r . The author sees the ch ild as bearing the scar of every kind o f discrim ­ in a tio n , forced segregation, and lim ite d channels o f m o b ility . Differences in personality and school achievement due to ethnic group membership over and above those re la te d to class status must therefore be considered.22 Goldberg also notes th a t one o f the most pronounced character­ is tic s of lower economic-status black pupils compared with th e ir white peers is th e ir lack of any "future" o rie n ta tio n since th e ir home fa ile d to create expectation o f fu tu re rewards fo r present a c t iv it ie s . 23 This lack o f "future" o rie n ta tio n again may stem from higher unemployment incurred by black males as breadwinner often incapable o f f u l f i l l i n g th is ro le . The D e tro it Urban League found th a t the unemployment o f black males was twice th a t o f white males, a ffe c tin g more than 25 percent. 24 Thus, the black ghetto fam ily may be d is ­ tinguished from its predecessor, the foreign immigrant, by its greater v u ln e ra b ility to disorganization as opposed to the r e la tiv e social s t a b ilit y of enclaves of foreign immigrants. 24 22 Miriam L. Goldberg, Education in Depressed Areas, ed. by A. Harry Passon (New York: Columbia U niversityB ureau o f P ublications, 1963), p. 45. 23Ib id . , p. 49. 24 / The D e tro it Low Income Family (D e tr o it, Mich: League, 1966), p. i i . D e tro it Urban 20 McCord also associates the in s t a b ility o f the black low-income fam ily with the high percentage o f homes without male breadwinners. What th is has meant concretely is the growth o f female-headed house­ holds, poor not simply because o f d is c rim in atio n , although th a t has c e rta in ly contributed to the problem, but because there is no male breadwinner and the mothers are too burdened with children to hold jo b s .25 That discrim ination and segregation have taken a serious t o ll of the American (black) is a long and unpleasant h is to ry , but th a t Americans can rig h t the wrong with abundant know-how and resources is a fa c t th a t can no longer be hidden.2° This was the viewpoint of the D e tro it Urban League in the preface of th e ir study o f the D e tro it low-income fa m ily 's "cycle o f f u t i l i t y . " The League recommended increased employment and it s necessary pre­ re q u is ite -in c re a s e d educational opportunities. Education a t it s best with a ll kinds of m otivational devices must be a v a ila b le to th is group as never before. Tremendous e ffo rts must be made to awaken the inner m otivations of individu als so a ffe c te d .2' Wolk echoes th is same c a ll fo r action: To be sure the awesome and in s is te n t problems confronting our nation a t home . . . w i l l not be solved by education alone, but our best hopes of coping with these challenges must re s t heavily on improved knowledge and greater numbers o f well educated men and women.2° 25 26 McCord, e t . a l . , L ife Styles in the Black G hetto, p. 32. The D e tro it Low-income Family, p. i i . 27Ib id . no Wolk, Methods of Federal Funding, p. 65. 21 The most important note o f confidence in higher education came from lower-class black parents in response to interviewed questions. They to ld interview ers th a t "a decent and e ffe c tiv e education" was what they wanted most fo r th e ir ch ild ren . 29 H is to r ic a lly , upwardly mobile groups have viewed educational in s titu tio n s as the p rin cip al avenue of social m o b ility . In a recent government-sponsored study, th is g en eralizatio n was affirm ed as c h a ra c te ris tic of today's m inority students in th e ir a ttitu d e toward college access. Today, when college is s t i l l considered important fo r upper m o b ility , the black fa m ilie s ' pressures to succeed may be so intense th at they become a crucial fa c to r in m inority education. At the same tim e, the pressure to succeed in college fo r many m inority students is also a pressure to give up not only community tie s but also community d ia le c ts , habits and valu es -a t ju s t the time when the ethnic community is determined to emphasize and c u ltiv a te these t r a it s as signs o f a newfound pride and self-es te em .30 For, w hile these young black are often viewed as e x tra o rd in a rily "disadvantaged" by society a t la rg e , they are viewed as e x tra o rd in a rily "advantaged" by th e ir own communities. are community successes and fa ilu r e s . 29 31 B illin g s le y , Black Families in Ghetto America, p. 182. 30 D. C.: Their success and fa ilu re s Report on Higher Education, Frank Newman, Chairman, (Washington, Government P rin tin g O ffic e , 1971), p. 49. 22 The dilemma o f being from a low-income black community and attempting to succeed in the w hite-oriented predominantly middle-class u n iv ersity community has made meeting the fin a n c ia l and related emotional needs of black disadvantaged students increasingly complex. Meeting the Needs o f the Disadvantaged Black Students The f i r s t step in meeting the needs of th is group is a commit­ ment to necessary fin a n c ia l support. According to some u n iv e rs ity adm inistrators, finance is the most c r it ic a l problem. I t is p a r tic u la rly acute because in our society the d eficie n cies in income d is trib u tio n more heavily a ffe c t m in o ritie s than w hites. The higher level o f the fin a n c ia l need among potential Black, Chicano and American Indian students is simply a re fle c tio n o f the fa c t th a t a la rg e r number o f th e ir parents f a l l w ith in lower-income groups.32 Alan P ife r , president o f the Carnegie Corporation in 1968, contended th a t u n iv e rs itie s had fa ile d to meet the fin a n c ia l needs of the economically disadvantaged. He advocated th at whatever form the aid would ta k e , i t should be 50 per cent of a ll higher-education budgets by 1 9 7 5 .^ The College Entrance Examination Board o ffic e rs have also directed th e ir concern to extension of fin a n c ia l aid to "students who are not very r ic h , as well as those who are neither extremely b right 12 State News, Feb. 5, 1971, p. 1. This is an excerpt from a speech, ''Dollars Lim it M in o rities" given by C lifto n R. Wharton, J r . , president of Michigan State U n iversity and reprinted in th is p ub lication . ^ The Chronicle o f Higher Education, Jan. 29, 1968, p. 1. Mr. P ife r q u a lifie d his projection fo r fin a n c ia l aid budgeting by saying th is would only be possible i f the Vietnam war ended by 1970. 23 nor ric h — and who could not make up in d o lla rs what they lacked in high school grades and entrance exam scores."34 This viewpoint supported the opinion o f Joseph Froomkin, assistant commissioner fo r program-planning and development in the O ffice o f Education: "In order to get through co lleg e, money is p ra c tic a lly as important as 35 brains." fin a n c ia l aid were relevant in it s present form and observed th a t i f He also questioned whether fin a n c ia l aid were lim ited to outstanding students, a large number of high-aspiring students from poor high schools would be autom atically d is q u a lifie d . Some educators have re la te d the small number of black students in predominantly white Northern u n iv e rs itie s d ir e c tly to the m inority students' lack of s u ffic ie n t funds. 37 I f financing is the p rereq u isite fo r meeting such needs, the question becomes: who gets i t and how are they selected? To answer th is question, one must in vestigate the adm inistrative p r io r it ie s th a t come in to play a t each in s titu tio n of higher education a fte r the applicant has met the s tip u la tio n s o f the federal or state government programs involved. The second major problem then becomes equitable d is trib u tio n of e x is tin g fin a n c ia l aid funds. 34Ib id . , Nov. 8 , 1967, p. 1. Ib id . , p. 4. 37 Joann Powell, "Higher Education fo r the Black Student," The Journal o f College Student Personnel, XI (J a n ., 1970), p. 9. 24 . . . what c r it e r ia o f s e le c tiv ity do we employ in the d i s t r i ­ bution o f a v a ila b le funds among the economically disadvantaged? Do we use the funds f i r s t among those who seem to have the p o te n tia l, but are not normally admissible? Do we fo llo w a firs t-c o m e -firs t-s e rv e policy o r some a r b itr a r y mix?38 In ju s tify in g th e ir d is trib u tio n o f fin a n c ia l aid monies, u n iv e rs ity adm inistrators have trie d to communicate to the general public th at merely because the demands o f m in o ritie s (and re la te d , deprived societal segments) have increased, as have th e ir numbers, these individuals r e a lly are unqualified fo r what they are seeking. These adm inistrators have indicated th e ir concern th at the public become aware th a t these students are not demanding special p riv ile g e s . "This is a serious d is to rtio n and grossly inaccurate. True, there are those m inority in d iv id u a ls , as there are in any group, who are not normally admissible and y e t who have p o ten tial fo r success." 39 This adm inistrator c la r if ie d th a t these students were not the ta rg e t group fo r u n iversity fin a n c ia l support: However, these are not the individu als who co n stitute the greatest demand. Many m inority youths s u ffer from d e fic ie n t primary and secondary education and thereby can be considered educationally disadvantaged, but there are vast numbers who nevertheless s t i l l g u a lify fo r normal admissions under a ll the regular sta n d a rd s .^ Public perception o f who q u a lifie s has often hinged on public assumption o f how much the applicant would receive. The public is State News, Feb. 5, 1971, p. 1. President Wharton did not o ffe r solutions to these questions of d is trib u tio n . However, i t is s ig n if i­ cant th a t adm inistrators are perplexed by the various p o s s ib ilitie s of di s trib u tio n . 39Ib id . 4 0 I b id . 25 generally unaware th a t i f a disadvantaged student is selected fo r a id , not a ll re la te d educational and personal costs sustained during the pursuit of a college degree are not covered by an o u trig h t grant. I f a student has met q u a lific a tio n s fo r some form o f a id , he then, must grapple with a complex system of fin a n c ia l-a id funding. The m ajority of higher-education in s titu tio n s have put together a "package" of assistance hopefully ta ilo re d to meet the needs o f the individual student. Such a package may encompass work-study a id , o u trig h t grants, scholarships, or loans or a combination th ereo f. The sources of these programs are p rim a rily federal government and state government. The U.S. Department of H ealth, Eduation and Welfare has explained the need fo r the "fin a n c ia l aid package" as a means of extending a v a ila b le monies to the greatest number of applicants. The department also q u a lifie d th is statement by suggesting th a t " i f ( a student's academic) record is c le a rly strong, (the student) w ill have a good chance of q u a lify in g fo r the fin a n c ia l assistance (he) needs. This statement has r e s tr ic tiv e im p lication s. "Society requires a good educational record." As MacVicar observed, 42 Have fin a n c ia l-a id programs superceded th is q u a lify in g statement and provided fo r the educationally disadvantaged as well as the econom­ ic a lly deprived? 41 U. S. Department of Health, Education and W elfare, Financial Aid fo r Higher Education (Washington, D. C.: Government P rinting O ffic e , 1968), pp. 5-6. 4? 'MacVicar, The Ghetto Family, p. 62. 26 Q ualifying fo r Financial Aid Q u a lific a tio n fo r fin a n c ia l aid has it s own dependant clau se -fam ily income. The amount o f fin a n c ia l aid varies inversely with the fam ily income o f the ap p lican t. Parents o f applicants must complete what is known as the "Parents' Confidential Statement" by December o f th e y e a r p r io r to th e ir c h ild 's admission date. This form must be submitted to the College Scholarship Service whose primary function is to assess the application and forward its fundings to the college or colleges preferred by the app licant. 43 The problem inherent in th is system is that prospective students are often uniformed of the existence o f fin a n c ia l aids and are not encouraged to even in quire. A recent state-supported report on eq u a lity of access to higher education in Michigan relate d th a t " i t is widely known th a t masses of Black youngsters in the D e tro it and areas are not encouraged even to think about preparing themselves fo r college . . . and y e t th is f a c t , by no means new, has not been allowed to dent the present system." 44 The Parents' Confidential Statement is complicated in form at, and i t may not be c le a rly understood by parents o f the prospective ^T h e fee fo r th is service is $3.00 fo r the f i r s t college lis te d by the applicant on the Parents' C onfidential Statement and $2.00 fo r each additional college or agency requested. This fee system may lim it the prospective student's selection o f colleges. 44 Ad hoc Advisory Committee on E quality o f Access to Higher Education, Report of the Commission to the State Board of Education, E quality of Access to Higher Education (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Department o f Education, 1971), p. 4. 27 students. Parents have also been known to overestimate th e ir a b i l it y to pay th e ir c h ild 's college expenses with the hope th is might help him gain admission to the u n iversity o f his choice. 45 The complicated forms fo r college admission and fin a n c ia l aid have been c r itic iz e d by high school counselors. The counselors have also denounced as u n re a lis tic fo r economically deprived youths the ap p licatio n fees required by in s titu tio n s . They have noted th a t some in n e r-c ity students co u ld n 't even affo rd the app lication fee of $10.00, esp ecially i f they wanted to apply to several c o lle g e s .4^ Some u n iv e rs itie s have changed th e ir methods o f recruitm ent to reach disadvantaged blacks with p o te n tia l. When Stanford U n iversity re-evaluated it s recruitm ent program in the la te '6 0 's, the adminis­ tra to rs followed student recommendations to e n lis t black college students to help r e c ru it m inority students from the high schools. This proposal was incorporated into a p ilo t program fo r reaching the educationally disadvantaged, a response to charges by black Stanford students th at the u n iversity had perpetrated a recruitm ent system that did 47 not allow fo r equal access by m inority students. This method of recruitm ent o f blacks by blacks has been given a vote o f confidence by other college-admissions counselors. I t has 45 Amos Johnson, p rivate interview held a t Michigan State Univer­ s it y , July 14, 1971. 46 The Chronicle of Higher Education, Oct. 30, 1969, p. 6. 47I b i d . , A pril 22, 1968, p. 1. i 28 also helped bridge the gap between the high school counselor's report of who was q u a lifie d and who was r e a lly q u a lifie d , state researchers reporting th a t often high school counselors recommend and promote students only on the basis of good behavior. The determination of class rank by secondary school personnel is usually a subjective process whose resu lts need to be seriously questioned. And pervading everything is an immensely strong f i l t e r of social values, disseminated from a l l in s t it u ­ tio n s , assuring the student th a t pleasing the teacher, gettin g good marks, and being lovable are a ll part o f a package marked "most lik e ly to Succeed," while having problems, being bored, and being unable to imagine yo u rs elf good a t anything th at is s o c ia lly acceptable means y o u 'll never make the Senior Yearbook. Present programs t r y to combine rewards fo r conventional success w ith a l i t t l e c h a rity fo r a l i t t l e m isfortune. But there is never real largesse to compensate fo r real m isfortune, and to lin k good grades with good behavior reveals a stim ulus/ response behavior pattern exhibited by teachers as well as students.4® Black admissions counselors from u n iv e rs itie s have stated th a t they too have encountered th is pattern o f rewarding good behavior with good grades and recommendations. Many high school counselors would t e l l them "You're welcome to come, but we do n 't have many black students who are academically q u a lifie d . 49 These same recruitm ent people have then gone to black community leaders and found q u a lifie d 4. ^ 4 50 students. 48 49 Ad hoc Advisory Committee, Equal Access to Higher Education, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Oct. 30, 1969, p. 6. 29 Representatives o f the current government adm inistration have refuted th is new method o f recruitm ent as a d is to rtio n o f academic standards. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew recen tly reported: By some strange madness, we fin d the thought seriously en te r­ tained among men in responsible positions in the academy i t s e l f th a t the exigencies are such th a t the untrained should help those to be tra in e d , and th a t membership, whether as students or teachers, in in s titu tio n s of higher learning should be determined fundamentally by considering other aspects rath er than aptitude e ith e r fo r teaching or learn in g . 1 Mr. Agnew's remarks were reminiscent of a speech by President Nixon in which the President advised colleges to re s is t "Pressure to collapse th e ir educational standards in the misguided b e lie f th a t this would promote 'o p p o rtu n ity '". 52 According to a recent report by the Michigan Committee on Equal Access fo r M in o ritie s , i t was found th a t the educational standards were inequitable and in need o f re v is io n . The report attacked the adequacy of current standarized tests fo r a b i l it y and scholarship grants. The Committee stated th a t disadvantaged students were f ilt e r e d through a screening process th a t needed to be c r i t i c a l l y reviewed and d r a s tic a lly changed. The machine-scored scholarship tests (were) not merely c u l­ tu r a lly biased, but in te lle c t u a lly abominable; they (demanded) rap id -fire-q u iz-p ro g ram answers, not thought . . . present programs ( have supported) the values of an educational system remarkably successful in m aintaining, indeed widening, the gap between white and non-white people. . . they (programs) are 51 I b id . , Feb. 24, 1970, p. 6. notably undemocratic, taking from a l l to dispense to a p e c u lia rly selected few. Worst o f a l l , perhaps they (have done) th is in the name of educational opportunity!5^ Some admissions o ffic e rs have shared th is opinion th a t current standards fo r judging student p o ten tial are u n r e a lis tic , considering the student's socio-economic background. One adm inistrator stated: We in admissions fin d th a t an in d iv id u a l's socio-economic background and, in th is society, his race, are s ig n ific a n t variables which require us to exercise even greater care and sometimes more f l e x i b i l i t y as we tr y to judge p o tential among young people who have q uite d iffe r e n t ODDortunities made av a ila b le to them by accident of b i r t h . 5^ The question then becomes whether the systems o f admission and the granting of fin a n c ia l aids e ith e r emphasize in s titu tio n a l standards or respond to student needs and expectations. How Does the Financial Aid Package Meet Needs Economic Opportunity Grants The Economic Opportunity Grants program, a fe d e ra lly funded grant-program created in 1965, has increasingly placed it s emphasis on targeting funds to students of exceptional fin a n c ia l need. Recent government d ire c tiv e s to fin a n c ia l-a id o ffic e rs have stressed the importance of concentrating EOG awards in the category of students from fam ilies w ith an income "under $6,000". 55 53 Ad hoc Advisory Committee, Equal Access to Higher Education, pp. 3-4. 54 The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 23, 1970, p. 3. 55Ib id . , March 16, 1970, p. 7. r 31 In 1972, the federal government required p a rtic ip a tin g univer­ s itie s to document the extent to which th e ir EOG funds were allocated w ith in sp e c ific income categories. This system was probably made to check the u n iv e rs itie s ' system o f p r io r it ie s in terms of fin a n c ia laid d is trib u tio n . An increase in the number o f grants to students from low-income fam ilie s has been made by decreasing the number o f grants to students from higher-income fa m ilie s . In the school year 1967-68, students from fa m ilie s whose income was $9,000 or over, received 21 per cent o f the grants in a id , compared w ith 5 per cent of th is same group in 1970-71 school year. 56 I t is evident th a t there has been progress in d ire c tin g EOG funds to the economically disadvantaged. EOG grants are to be made s t r ic t l y on the basis o f the student's fam ily income. The Parents' C onfidential Statement is the basis fo r determining the fam ily income and the student's fin a n c ia l need. A recent report on the EOG program stated th a t students from fa m ilie s earning less than $6,000 per year have received a considerably greater share (69 per cent) of the federal government's educational oppor­ tu n ity grants in the 1972 school yea r, than in 1967-68. Some adm inistrators think th at the College Scholarship Service has done a good job of analyzing the fin a n c ia l need o f a low-income CO student down "to the zero income". However, the system has been considered inadequate fo r students who stay out o f college because 56Ib id . , Jan. 12, 1970, p. 7. 5W 58I b i d . , Nov. 8 , 1967, p. 4. I 32 they are depended upon a t home to produce a l l or a share of the fa m ily 's income. 59 The fa c t th at more black fa m ilie s than white are t r a d itio n a lly in the lower-income s tra ta of society is v e rifie d by the fa c t th a t in the 1970 EOG program, black students had received 25 per cent of the a v a ila b le grants, whereas they constituted only 6 per cent o f the whole freshman-college membership. The high proportion of black student recip ien ts in the EOG program may indicate th a t these students represent both exceptional fin a n c ia l need, and a l l o f the inherent problems o f a low-income fam ily o r i g i n . ^ There is also a strong inverse re la tio n s h ip between fam ily income and the size o f the EOG award. The average EOG award fo r students in the highest income bracket is $106.00 less than the lowestincome group s tu d e n t's .^ This is not a great d iffe r e n tia l considering the substantial d ifferen ce in monies a v a ila b le to these two contrasting groups o f stu d e n ts .^ In the 1970 EOG re p o rt, the socio-economic differences between white and black students were found to be q uite d is tin c t even holding the fam ily income constant. N athalie Friedman, The Educational Opportunity Grant Program: A Status Report, Fiscal Year 1970, Report to the U. S. department of H ealth, Education and W elfare, (New York: Bureau o f Applied Science, Columbia U n ive rs ity, May, 1971), p. 54. 33 Within every income category, blacks continued to have handi­ caps; compared to whites from s im ila r income backgrounds, blacks were s t i l l more lik e ly to have parents with fewer years o f schooling, to be the f i r s t among the oldest children in the fam ily to attend co lleg e, to have not been enrolled in college preparatory curriculum in high school, to have graduated in the lower h a lf o f his high school class and to have chosen college fo r fin a n c ia l rath er than academic reasons. The report also stated th a t the double handicaps o f the m in ority students "esp ecially black students, (were) compensated f o r , to some ex ten t, however, fo r a t every income le v e l, the black student (had) received a higher EOG and a la rg e r fin a n c ia l aid package. he was) S im ila r ly , more lik e ly than his white counterpart a t the same income level to be provided w ith supportive services fo r overcoming his economic handicaps."^3 The report summarized th at presently the low-income m inority students have been given academic and fin a n c ia l supports in proportion to the degree o f th e ir academic and fin a n c ia l need. 64 The report cautioned those u n iv e rs itie s d ire c tin g th e ir recruitm ent e ffo rts and fin a n c ia l-a id resources to th is group to be aware o f "the unique socio-economic and academic backgrounds of th is group . . . and to the 6r kinds o f values and expectations they w ill hold." J U n ive rs itie s were advised to view the disadvantaged student's socio-economic back­ ground as a s ig n ific a n t success-variable, and to make recommendations fo r his academic program with th is in mind. 62I b i d . , p. 74. 63I b i d . , p. 76. 64Ib id .., pp. 76-77. ! 34 We suggest th a t these values and expectations (those re la te d to the students' background) be made e x p lic it so th a t experienced guidance personnel can help (these) students to make r e a lis t ic educational and occupational choices and, thus, prevent the collapse o f aspirations which acceptance to college may have raised to unreachable heights.®® This recommendation seems to imply th a t these students had been handicapped to the extent th a t some programs, and subsequent careers, were closed to them. College Work/Study Program The College Work/Study Program, according to it s o rig in a l con­ ception, was designed to help students earn money to defray the cost o f educational expense and a t the same time to help them gain s k ills in th e ir area o f academic concentration. The question has been raised as to whether the economically and educationally disadvantaged black students are fu rth e r handicapped by being forced to work when they need th e ir time fo r studying. Some adm inistrators have pondered th is problem: How do we cope with the paradoxical s itu a tio n where the greatest work s tra in often is placed on the very student whose educational background requires o f him the greatest study time?®' This s itu a tio n was not v e r fifie d by a recent assessment o f the College Work-Study Program directed by Warren T. Troutman, C h ief, 66 Ib id . *^State News, Feb. 5, 1971, p. 1. JL 35 Work-Study Branch o f the O ffic e of Education. Mr. Troutman c la r if ie d , in his introduction to th is re p o rt, th at i t was based on scholarly research rather than opinion. Documented evidence supported the study's findings th at there is evidence th at students who have part-tim e jobs in college as well as poor high school preparation, operate about as success­ f u l l y , as fa r as grades in college are concerned, as the poorly prepared who have no college jobs. 68 The study found th at cutting or a lle v ia tin g employment fo r working students did not necessarily ra is e th e ir grades. Disadvantaged students with jobs in some instances a c tu a lly fared b e tte r academically than those without jobs. The survey concluded th at whether or not the work-study job was related to the student's academic o b je c tiv e , part-tim e employment had no d iffe r e n tia l e ffe c t on his grades. 69 The College Work-Study Program has provided a means whereby public and p rivate n o n -p ro fit p u b lic -in te re s t agencies can employ q u a lifie d students and receive reimbursement fo r a percentage of the students' w ages.^ This program is usually incorporated as a part of the student's fin a n c ia l-a id package, but due to it s wide d is trib u tio n i t doe not o ffe r substantial fin a n c ia l a id . The current method of ^ L e t t e r , Warren T. Troutman to D irector of Student Financial Aid, Dec. 21, 1970, Michigan State U n ive rs ity, p. 1. 69Ib id ., p. 2. ^ L e t t e r , Coordinator College Work-Study Program to Public and Private Non-Profit Agencies, undated, Michigan State U n ive rs ity, p. 1. 36 d is trib u tin g the College Work-Study monies has, in some cases, proved fru s tra tin g to both the student and employer. I f a student is a llo tte d $600 Work-Study per yea r, has a job earning $3.00 per hour, and works 15 hours per week* his d o lla rs are exhausted a fte r 14 weeks. The employer has the problem of tra in in g the new employee, and the student has an incomplete work experience. 71 The program has also been c r itic iz e d fo r f a ilin g to f u l f i l l its second objective of providing jobs related to the student's academic and career in te re s ts . 72 When i t does f u l f i l l th is second o b je c tiv e , i t provides opportunity to the disadvantaged student. The student may then have the opportunity to observe working situ atio n s and career—oppor­ tu n itie s th a t he would otherwise have neither knowledge of nor access to because of his socio-economic background. Financial aid o ffic e rs have observed that the College Work-Study Program can be a v ita l experi­ ence fo r the disadvantaged student i f i t is properly coordinated with the student's in te re sts and/or course of study. 73 Loan Programs In th e ir present d is trib u tio n , the EOG grants, the College WorkStudy Program, scholarships and the many loan program are a ll component ^ L e t t e r , Ron Watts to Financial Aids Counselors, May 22, 1 970, Michigan State U n ive rs ity, O ffice of Financial Aids, p. 1. 73 Joann C o llin s , p rivate interview held a t Michigan State U n iversity, July 14, 1971. 37 parts of the fin a n c ia l aid package. Independently, these programs cannot support the average student with fin a n c ia l need, l e t alone the low-income m inority student. As the costs of higher-education in s titu tio n s and government-grant programs have been a c c ele ratin g , some p o lit ic a l leaders and adm inistrators have recommended more frequent use of loans as a means of fin a n c ia l aid . This system would tra n s fe r more fin a n c ia l aid responsi­ b i l i t y to the individual student. Stephen J. Tonsor, associate professor a t the U n iversity of Michigan, and a man whose views President Richard Nixon has applauded in the past, recently urged th at money in the form of guaranteed loans be a v a ila b le to every q u a lifie d student seeking post-secondary education, and th a t every student be charged f u ll-c o s t tu itio n . Why not permit the individual to measure him self against entrance requirements, performance standards and real costs, and judge whether or not he has the q u a litie s necessary and is w illin g to pay the necessary costs in terms of a long-term loan. Administrators of fin a n c ia l aid programs would not agree with Mr. Tonsor's proposals. I t would add another burden to the disadvantaged student, not open new opp ortunities. The argument that the p riv ile g e of borrowing large sums of money with deferred repayment w ill somehow increase educational opportunity fo r the economically and educationally disadvantaged w ill not bear analysis fo r several reasons; ra th e r, i t would, under the name of e q u ality of opportunity, enable a low-income student to s ta r t l i f e with a heavy added Federal claim on his income, while freeing the more a fflu e n t from any re s p o n s ib ility . ^ The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 9, 1970, p. 3. 7c Wolk, A lte rn a tiv e Methods of Federal Funding, p. 122. 38 Perhaps Mr. Tonsor's proposals were based on inaccurate information of the Guaranteed Loan Program. A recent survey found th a t there was a widespread misunderstanding among u n iv e rs ity leaders and bank lenders concerning the purpose of the Guaranteed Loan Program. The report stated th a t the program was o r ig in a lly created to aid middle-income students. Many lending in s titu tio n s think i t was created to help the needy. Other sociologists would ask the wider society to guarantee fin a n c ia l aid fo r every black student as an atonement fo r ra cial d is crimi nation. In ad d itio n , the time has come fo r the wider society to guarantee to every (Black) who completes high school, the fin a n c ia l and legal support fo r him to pursue advanced tra in in g and education to the lim it of his capacity. This should be one of the most important actual and symbolic acts the society can perform to indemnify the (Black) people fo r centuries of e x p lo ita tio n , neglect, and to k e n is m /' Another viewpoint is th at higher-education in s titu tio n s should take the re s p o n s ib ility "to provide fin a n c ia l a id , and to help the fa c u lty and other students become sen sitive enough to cope with an assertive black population." 78 A more radical concept in fin a n c ia l aid involves the temporary support of the low-income black fam ilie s with children enrolled in college programs. One adm inistrator explained the need fo r such a policy in certain circumstances: ^ B illin g s le y , Black Families in White America, p .183. ^ P o w e ll, "Higher Education fo r the Black Student", p. 10. 39 Low income fa m ilie s have no assets. Black low-income students do n 't even have, generally speaking, middle class re la tiv e s from which they can borrow. Hence, emergency situ atio n s in the fam ily have d ire c t impact on the son or daughter in college . . . In even more extreme cases, the student might even have to be supported by the school to the extent th a t he can contribute money to the fa m ily 's maintenance. Summary The viewpoints on fin a n c ia l aid fo r disadvantaged blacks, or any special group, have illu s tr a te d the divergence of opinion th a t exists concerning what the needs are , and how to meet them. In Chapter I I I , the viewpoints of adm inistrators and black students involved in the Departmental Program, a special program innovated fo r educationally and economically disadvantaged students a t Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , w ill be explored. A comparative analysis of the id e a lis tic theories and the actual s itu a tio n should provide useful inform ation concerning the importance of fin a n c ia l assistance as a s ig n ific a n t fa c to r in educational s u rv iv a l. Information on the p a rtic ip a tio n of blacks w ill contribute to the understanding of a ll m inority education "because black students have been the pathbreakers, and how the experiment in m inority education is judged w ill la rg e ly be a question of how well black students do, how they are a ll seen, and how they see themselves. 7Q L e tte r, Richard B. Allen to Marshall Jackson, June 23, 1970, U niversity of Kansas, p. 1. 80 Newmah, Report on Higher Education, p. 44. 40 PART I I The History of Michigan S ta te 's Financial Aid Program 81 The evolving divergence of opinions concerning the fin a n c ia l needs of college students is re fle c te d in the manner in which the Michigan State U n iversity program has grown and developed through­ out the years. I t began as a haphazard program of short-term loans to tem porarily needy students, assistance in obtaining part-tim e employment and Trustee Scholarships covering fees but a v a ila b le only to students with above-average grades. There was no basic assumption th a t fin a n c ia l assistance of a s ig n ific a n t f u l l time nature should be provided to students who were performing a t an average level or below. Today, the MSU fin a n c ia l-a id s program is a m ulti-m i 1lio n d o lla r system financing the education of as many students as possible, th e ir only re q u is ite being demonstrable fin a n c ia l need. P rio r to July 1, 1959, not even employment opportunities were abundant, and a v a ila b le jobs offered l i t t l e meaningful work experience related to students' careers. The employment options a t the time ranged from dish-bussing in resident dining h a lls to ja n ito r ia l jobs with the u n iversity custodial department. On rare occasions there were a few c le r ic a l positions a v a ilab le to students with c le r ic a l experi ence. However, with the sca rcity of fin a n c ia l assistance a t th at tim e, 81 Data in th is section collected from a p rivate interview with Mr. Henry Dykema, Financial Aids, Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , May, 1972. 41 jobs were the main th ru st in assisting students in the financing of th e ir education. Short-term loans then as now were not av a ila b le to students who did not meet the academic c r i t e r i a , or could not cope with the "shortness" of the loans. a co-signer. Whan a short-term loan is made to students, there must be In most cases the parent would be the most logical person. In most cases parents are relu c ta n t to co-sign, mainly because they must be t o t a lly responsible fo r repayment on the deadline date determined by the Financial Aids o ffic e . This was a very awesome position fo r single or married students to face without employment. Even with employment a t a minimum wage r a te , astudent in many instances had other fin a n c ia l obligations to meet. When a student is unable to repay the loan by the deadline date, he is more than lik e ly faced with a ' "hold" card at the R egistratio n O ffic e . This o f course means th at he is in e lig ib le to re g is te r according to the U n iv e rs ity 's regulations u n til his o b lig atio n is met. Scholarships were offered only to scholarly students who maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or above, they did not assist students whose grade points did notm eetthe academic standards set by the u n iv e rs ity . To put i t in a mild perspective, scholarships a t that time were quite rare and in many instances quite d i f f i c u l t to m aintain. Michigan State Trustees received th e ir scholarship grants from p rivate donors, business, industries and corporations who set c r it e r ia fo r student re c ip ie n ts . Michigan S ta te , being the receiver of several scholarships and grants, developed a special o ffic e to administer and s o lic it funds fo r th is purpose only. On the other hand, any employment 42 which became a v a ila b le fo r students was simply lis te d in the Placement O ffice on a "firs t-c o m e , firs t-s e rv e d " basis. Loans, on the other hand, were handled exclusively by both men's and women's divisions of the Dean of Students O ffic e . The male students were interviewed and granted loans by the men of the Dean o f Students O ffic e , the female students by women of the Dean of Students O ffic e . On July 1, 1959, the tra d itio n a l system ended and h isto ry neared r e a lit y when Henry Dykema was employed by the Division of Student A ffa irs O ffic e . students. His primary job was to administer loans to the male P rio r to th a t date, each counselor in the d iv is io n granted loans to students; no one person was responsible fo r the d is trib u tio n of loans. A s im ila r s itu a tio n existed in the women's d iv is io n . loans were p rim a rily of the short-term v a r ie ty . the long-term status. The Only one loan was of A small grant of $25,000 was granted by the Henry Strong Foundation of Chicago, I l l i n o i s , and was av a ila b le to ju n io r and seniors only. Education Act. In 1958, the Congress passed the National Defense The passage of th is act was inspired by the launching of Sputnik I by Russia. When th is event took place, a great cry went up that Russia was o u t-strip p in g the United States in the space explora­ tion race and in science in general. The United States Congress reacted by passing the National Defense Education Act. By the terms o f this a c t, the larg er u n iv e rs itie s and colleges were granted up to $250,000 in federal funds to be dispensed to needy students. Under th is a c t, p r io r ity was given to students who planned to become teachers, majors 43 in math or science were given second p r io r it y , w hile th ird went to foreign language majors. The purpose fo r setting such p r io r it ie s was to selec­ tiv e ly r e c r u it and tra in potential educators, s c ie n tis ts , mathematicians, and foreign diplomats fo r defensive purposes. At th a t time i t was f e l t th a t those were the areas in which a c r it ic a l shortage existed. The National Defense Education Act loans were administered by the Men's Division of the Student A ffa irs O ffic e to both men and women on a simul­ taneous basis. In f a c t , i t was the passage of th is act in 1958 th a t prompted the addition of a s t a f f member in the Men's Division to administer the National Defense Education Act loans. In addition to administering the loans, th is adm inistrator was assigned other re s p o n s ib ilitie s to keep him occupied. One o f his re s p o n s ib ilitie s was to act as the liason between the O ffic e of the Dean of Students and a ll re lig io u s advisors on campus. In a d d itio n , he assisted the s t a f f in working with the student ju d ic ia r y , served as the advisor to Freshman-Sophomore cou ncil, and was a member o f the A ll-U n iv e rs ity T r a ffic Committee. He was also designated to interview a ll male students who were v o lu n ta rily withdrawing from the U n iversity. Mr. Dykema was given a part-tim e re c e p tio n is t to assist him in the assignments made by the Vice-President o f Student A ffa ir s . In the e a rly 1960's a fu ll-tim e secretary was awarded to the Assistant D irecto r fo r Loans. His re s p o n s ib ilitie s as the one and only o f f ic ia l loan o ffic e r fo r both male and female students were c le a rly defined. In the academic year of 1962-63, 4,175 loans were granted, to ta llin g the sum of $1,266,096.00. There was a s lig h t increase in 1963- 1964 to 4,677 loans amounting to $1,755,092.71. By th is time the National Defense Education Act has been amended to allow large univer­ s itie s and colleges to receive up to $500,000 per year in federal grants. 44 In 1964 the position of D irector of Financial Aids was established and a second person was added to the professional s t a f f . another c le r ic a l position was established. In ad d itio n , Since that tim e, the fin a n cial aids s ta f f has grown to include twelve professional s ta f f members, th irte e n c le ric a l and technical s t a f f members, and fourteen part-tim e students. The volume of business has increased to the extent th a t in 1970-71 fis c a l year 12,856 loans were granted, amounting to $6,962,801, and the to ta l a c t iv it y , including a ll programs adminis­ tered by the O ffic e of Financial Aids a t Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , was in the amount o f $14.9 m illio n . During the intervening years between 1959 and the 1970's, several fin a n c ia l aid programs have come about: 1. 1962— the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority 2. 1962--The United Student Aide Fund 3. 1962— The United State Loan Program fo r Cuban Refugees 4. 1965-N ursing Education Loan Program 5. 1965--The federal College Work-Study Program 6. 1965--A11 scholarships fo r returning student were transferred from the O ffic e of Admissions and Scholarships to the O ffic e of Financial Aids. 7. 1968--Law Enforcement Education Program 8. 1967-68--Educational Opportunity Grant Program 9. 1969--Health Profession Scholarship and Loans 10. 1969— Student Aid Grants 45 In ad d itio n , in 1968-69 a new position was created in the O ffic e of Financial Aids to work s p e c ific a lly with students who were c la s s ifie d as educationally, s o c ia lly and economically disadvantaged. By th e ir time the College Work-Study program had developed to the point where an additional s t a f f members was employed to coordinate i t . By 1970, the Work-Study Program had been expanded from the oncampus employment concept to a state and nation-wide Work-Study Program providing employment fo r students attending Michigan State in th e ir hometowns during the summer months. The ad m in istrato r's re s p o n s ib ility was to develop employment on a lo c a l, reg io n al, state and national basis fo r students during the summer months. A student's employment was to coincide with his curriculum and also provide meaningful work experience as i t related to the classroom theory. I t was also to provide a wider exposure which was va s tly needed and which, in most instances, was not provided a t the u n iv e rs ity . C u rren tly, the O ffic e of Financial Aids is working very closely with the Data Processing O ffic e to computerize the adm inistering of a ll Financial Aid Programs. This is imperative because of the continuing increase in volume of ap p licatio n s. greater control of a ll th e . m . - ’ :>j s The computer w ill also maintain a accounts. The O ffic e o f Financial Aids, as of July 1, 1970, no longer reports to the Dean of Students. As of th a t date, the D irector of Financial Aids, Henry Dykema, reports d ire c tly to the Vice-President of Student A ffa ir s . During the w inter quarter of 1972, President C lifto n R. Wharton, J r. appoitned a Financial Aid Adm inistrative Group to s p e c ific a lly supervise and 46 coordinate a ll o ffic e s w ithin the u n iv e rs ity involved in the dispensing of fin a n c ia l aids to students. The members of th is group are: The Vice-President o f Student A ffa irs (Chairman) The Vice-President o f Finance The Vice-President fo r Graduate Programs Assistant Provost fo r Developmental Programs Assistant Provost fo r A dm inistration, Records, and Scholarships D irector of Educational Opportunity Programs D irecto r o f Financial Aids D irecto r of Placement In ad d itio n , the Assistant Com ptroller, the Assistant D irecto r of Admissions and Scholarships and the Associate D irector o f Financial Aids also attend meetings as non-voting members. The Financial Aids Adm inistrative Group is charged with making p o lic ie s fo r a ll o ffic e s which dispense fin a n c ia l aids to students, including the Student Employment O ffic e . Growth o f Michigan State Financial Aids Program FromJuly 1, 1959, through June 30, 1971, the Michigan State U niversity Financial Aids Program has grown from a small grant o f $25,000 to $14.9 m illio n . The growth o f th is program re fle c ts the increase in enrollment as well as the fin a n c ia l resources made available to the U n iversity to serve the s o c ia l, educational and economic needs o f students. During the fis c a l year 1970-1971, a to ta l of 31,750 students received fin a n c ia l assistance from the several fin a n c ia l aid programs administered by the Financial Aids O ffic e . 47 A classic example is illu s tr a te d in Table 1 which indicates the increase o f loan funds made a v a ila b le , and the gigantic increase in loans awarded from the e a rly 19601s through the e a rly 1970's. It not only re fle c ts the continuous growth in enrollment o f new students, but also points out th at approximately f i f t y per cent o f the fin a n c ia l aids budget is made up o f loan monies. TABLE 1 STUDENT LOANS Year Number of Loans Amount 1962-63 4,175 $1 ,266,096.00 1963-64 4,677 1 ,755,092.71 1964-65 5,864 2,423,993.74 1965-66 6,532 3,093,547.89 1966-67 7,808 4,124,934.00 1967-68 9,989 4,906,289.67 1968-69 10,201 5,301,852.00 1969-70 10,971 5,428,281.00 1970-71 * 12,856 6,962,801.00 * In addition there has been a tremendous upswing in the number o f guaranteed education loans such as United Student Aid Fund and Michigan Higher Education. The l a t t e r program now exceeds $2,200,000 a year. From the e a rly part o f 1965, when the College Work-Study Program was established by Congress, to fis c a l year 1970-71, Michigan S ta te 's Work-Study Program has grown to become a major fa c to r in the packaging of student a id . I t has also helped to change the old Protestant-E thic 48 concept under which i t was o r ig in a lly founded to an edu cation allyrelate d concept. Michigan S ta te 's Work-Study Program is presently one of the larg est o f its kind in the nation. Table No. 2 shows the tremendous growth and development o f the Work-Study Program over the years in both number o f students and increase in funds. TABLE 2 WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS Amount Number o f Students Year $ 92,249.83 1965-66 235 1966-67 602 203,113.00 1967-68 1,250 448,609.00 1968-69 2,247 988,201.00 1969-70 2,319 1,064,201.00 1970-71 2,263 1,516,471.00 While the Equal Opportunity Grant Program is f a i r l y new compared to other existin g fe d e ra lly funded programs, i t is considered one of the most popular programs o f fin a n c ia l aids. Its history goes back to fis c a l year 1967-1968 and i t is holding a t about its o rig ia n l status in both grant and funding le v e ls . illu s tr a te d in Table 3. Its content and growth is 49 TABLE 3 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS Year Amount Grants $ 997,658 1967-68 2,304 1968-69 2,300 1 ,058,606 1969-70 2,401 1 ,044,955 The Student Aid Grant Program has been in existence only since 1969, which is r e la tiv e ly recent compared with other pgorams. However, i t , along w ith other g i f t aids programs, such as Scholarships and Equal Opportunity Grants, is cru cial as i t re la te s to the economically disadvantaged student-aid package. Since the b irth o f th is program, it s funding level is almost the same as fis c a l year 1970-1971. There has been a decrease in the number of grants awarded; however, there is a considerable increase in student awards—up to $7.50 per c re d it hour fo r in -s ta te students. Table 4 reveals a ll data regarding the h is to ric a l background of the Equal Opportunity Grant Program. TABLE 4 STUDENT AID GRANTS Year Grants Amount 1969-70 10,942 $2 ,112,000 1970-71 7,374 2,186,858 50 Michigan State has several v a rie tie s o f scholarship funding sources and each d ictate s separate guidelin es. On the other hand, Michigan State o ffe rs its own scholarships--also with stip u lated guidelines. There has been a considerable increase in both grants and funding le vels since th is program o rig in a te d . In most instances, applicants receive awards on a competitive basis e ith e r s c h o la s tic a lly or by demonstrating need on a social-economic basis. See Table 5 fo r a breakdown of funding levels and grants awarded. TABLE 5 SCHOLARSHIPS Year Number Amount 1967-68 2,000 600,000 1968-69 2,427 685,047 1969-70 2,741 863,000 1970-71 2,895 1 ,054,656 The State o f Michigan Scholarship Program (in addition to the above) now amounts to about $2,000,000 a year. The Donor Scholarship Program now exceeds $600,000 a year fo r over 950 students. This is in addition to the M.S.U. program. The Law Enforcement Education Program has increased from a l i t t l e over $25,000, funded in 1968, to a quarter o f a m illio n d o lla rs . The funding level has been increased to it s present level to aid students 51 majoring in crim inal ju s tic e and to enable the self-improvement o f police o ffic e rs and to improve the q u a lity o f law enforcement. See Table 6 fo r funding breakdown. TABLE 6 LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM Amount Year 1968 $ 27,400.00 1972 250.U00.00 Students in various Health Profession Programs w ill v a s tly b en efit from th is program, esp e c ia lly medical students who w ill be practicing in areas where a shortage o f doctors e n title s them to the waiver o f th e ir loan. Since the beginning o f th is program, its funding level has increased considerably and w ill constantly grow as needs d ic ta te . TABLE 7 HEALTH PROFESSIONS PROGRAM Year Amount 1967-68 $111 ,975.00 1970-71 179,540.00 1971-72 200,000.00 52 The Ways Colleges and U n ive rs itie s Determine Student's Op Financial Aids Packages The beginning o f a c h ild 's college career is a time o f pride and happiness fo r parents; however, i t is also a time when parents must examine ways they can balance the expenses against possible sources o f income. The number of students going on to college (fo r compelling personal and national reasons) having almost trip le d in the past decade, i t s t i l l continues to r is e . A great number of these young men and women need fin a n c ia l aid to continue th e ir edu­ cation. The College Scholarship Service is designed to help both colleges and fa m ilie s determine a student's need fo r assistance. I t is almost lik e forming a c o a litio n between students, parents, and colleges to determine ways of assisting students who need aid to get through college. The f i r s t point th a t parents must understand is th at the way colleges award fin a n c ia l aid to students is presently undergoing s ig n ific a n t changes. One o f the primary reasons is th a t educational expenses have risen and more students from moderate income fam ilie s have sought higher education, so th a t colleges have been forced to develop a more systematic and exact way of determining which students Op Report from the Mid-West Association of the National Caucus o f M inority Financial Aid Adm inistrators, Feb., 1972; and a p riv a te interview with Richard S. A lle n , Coordinator o f Financial Aid, Governor State U n ive rs ity, Park Forest, South I l l i n o i s , Feb., 1972. 53 need help and how much. Scholarships and other types o f aid awarded by colleges s t i l l represent a recognition o f scholastic a b i l it y and promise, but today a d iffe r e n t consideration enters the awarding of fin a n c ia l aids to needy students. Financial aid from non-college sources such as government and p rivate organizations is based increasingly on need. In f a c t , th is trend has been given add ition al impetus by the rece n tly enacted Federal Educational Opportunity and Work-Study Grants fo r s o c ia lly and economically disadvantaged students and others who can provide only small sums toward college expenses. Colleges and u n iv e rs itie s are required to base these new federal awards e n tir e ly on fam ily income and needs of students. These programs are esp ecially designed to provide q u a lity educational opportunity fo r lim ited-incom e fa m ilie s . Many other organizations th a t give scholarships may require evidence of superior achievement (not ju s t "good academic standing" as fo r the federal grants) and also take need in to account in determining the amounts o f awards. Two students with the same standing on tests and other measures of a b i l it y may be awarded e n tir e ly d iffe r e n t sums. One with r e la tiv e ly minimum fin a n c ia l need may be offered a small scholarship in recognition of scholastic achievement( dr even no monetary award a t a l l ) , w hile the other may be offered a substantial amount because he cannot otherwise attend college. 54 Too, the kind of aid-awards has undergone a change a t many of the in s titu tio n s , b a s ic a lly because of the A ffirm a tiv e Action Plan which many in s titu tio n s have undertaken. In addition to the need to help more students, and because of the requirements of federal programs, an increasing number of colleges and u n iv e rs itie s now "package" a id — o ffe rin g a combination of scholarships, g if t - a id s , campus work-study jobs and loans. How much o f the "package" is a g i f t depends upon guidelines set up by each in s t it u t io n , the a v a ila b ilit y of funds, the number o f students i t is try in g to help, and is predicated p rim a rily on it s own fin a n c ia l aid p o lic ie s . Some in s titu tio n s make Work-Study the i n i t i a l part o f th e ir aid program unless there is a s p e c ific reason why a student cannot work. Other in s titu tio n s stress loans more, others with more funds—and often higher charges—make scholarships and other g ift - a id s the la rg est p art. S t i l l others may o ffe r a combination o f loans and work-study and other aid packages. Some colleges tr y to reserve more o f th e ir scholarship d o lla rs fo r freshmen than fo r upper-classmen. The ra tio n a le fo r th is is th a t the freshmen need the time fo r study th at would otherwise be spent in part-tim e work, and upper-classmen have more knowledge o f how to study and often a higher earning capacity. A number of college and u n iv e rs ity fin a n c ia l- aid a u th o ritie s fo f e e l, however, th a t i t is a lr ig h t fo r a student to take on modest employment, probably no more than f if te e n hours per week during the f i r s t year o f college study, and the lim it permitted under the Federal College Work-Study program is f if te e n hours of p a rt-tim e work per week. 55 More than lik e ly a fam ily would p refer aid in the form o f a f u ll scholarship rath er than a combination o f g i f t , loan, and work-study. But the package method does mean th a t more students can be helped, and therefore a student's chances o f receiving aid are increased. By using such methods many colleges today are able to help as many as twenty to fo u rty percent o f th e ir students; some help more than one h a lf. P u blicly supported co lleg es, which usually charge less, usually award less a id , an average o f about $400 per aided student compared to about $700 per student fo r p rivate colleges and u n iv e rs itie s , and to a smaller percentage of students. Not a ll colleges package a id , but the more expensive ones esp ecially tend to. They fin d th is necessary to help more students and each of them to a greater exten t. A survey sponsored by the College Scholarship Service and the United States O ffic e o f Education, and conducted by Educational Testing Service, showed th a t the more aid th a t is needed the more l ik e ly i t is th a t the award w ill be a combination. For example, almost tw o-thirds o f the men's awards o f $1800 and over were a combination o f the various forms o f a id , while only fiv e percent of those under $400 were combination awards. The Method of Giving Financial Aids Over the past fourteen years, the College Scholarship Service (C .S .S .) has developed a uniform method o f determining whether a student needs assistance, and i f so, how much. The C .S .S ., which is a n o n -p ro fit program o f the College Entrance Examination Board, does not i t s e l f give fin a n c ia l a id , not decide a student's award. This is done in d iv id u a lly by each o f the colleges and u n iv e rs itie s connected 56 with the C.S.S. Because student fees, academic requirements, and fin a n c ia l aid resources vary from one college to another, the amount of aid offered to a student w ill vary by in s titu tio n . But what the C.S.S. does do is provide a uniform method o f analyzing a student's fin a n c ia l need so th a t college aid resources can be allocated f a i r l y . While sometimes an app licant may not receive a id , or as much aid as his parents fe e l is necessary, he can be ce rta in th a t his basic needs w ill be evaluated o b je c tiv e ly . The C.S.S. Needs Analysis method is based on a number o f costo f -liv in g studies by government and other agencies. In the Needs Analysis, the C.S.S. uses the fin a n c ia l inform ation supplied by the student's parents on the Parent's Confidential Statement and others need complete m odification. Much o f the inform ation asked in the P.C.S. and other forms is simply d i f f i c u l t to understand, not only fo r the student or parents who do not in most cases understand the language, but often fo r fin a n c ia l-a id o ffic e s as w e ll. Not only should these various forms be modified so th a t parents may understand and do a b e tte r job f i l l i n g them out, but also new guidelines are in fa c t needed to b e tte r aid s o c ia lly and economically disadvantaged students. Students f a llin g in to poverty categories and students from moderate and upper-income brackets have d iffe r e n t needs; th e re fo re , e ith e r the guidelines should be completely changed to meet these needs, or special guidelines should be s p e c ific a lly set up by various in s titu tio n s to b etter fin a n c ia l aid to the poor. 57 How a Student's Need is Determined I t often takes three partners to put a student through c o lle g e -the student, his parents and the college. F ir s t the college works out a budget th at includes not only tu itio n and room and board, but an allowance fo r books, c lo th in g , re c re a tio n , transportation and in c i­ dentals. Then the amount th a t the student and parents reasonably can be expected to provide is estimated by the Financial Aids O ffic e . The student is expected to use one f i f t h o f his pre-college savings during each o f the four academic years, up to c e rta in lim its th a t depend on each college and u n iv e rs ity 's own p o lic ie s . At most colleges he is expected to help fu rth e r him self through part-tim e employment. The amount he (o r she) is expected to earn in some cases is modest enough so th a t the part-tim e job w ill not in te rfe re with studies. This is not true in a ll cases, fo r many counselors do not take in to consideration the student's academic background or his social and economic aspects before making a work-assignment. Not taking a l l things into consideration before making the work-study award can cause severe damage to a student who needs a ll o f his time fo r study. On the other hand, studies have proven that many students u t i l i z e the time much more w isely when working from a set schedule, which in many cases includes work as a part of the schedule. A counselor must be extremely careful to determine which student needs his time to study and which student who happens to be from a low-income background might be b e tte r o f f working. For example, a 58 typ ical campus job might involve ten to fite e n hours of work per week, and y ie ld $400 to $1000 per year. be less a t some in s titu tio n s . Freshman hours and earnings may Part o f the student's package is predica­ ted upon his earning the number o f d o lla rs awarded through work-study. I f a student is awarded $1000 or more d o lla rs fo r example, and is working a t the rate o f f if te e n hours per week fo r three terms, earning in the neighborhood o f $1.60 per hour, th is type o f award proves to be u n re a lis tic to the student. Not only w ill he not earn the f u l l award a llo c a te d , but by being unable to earn more than the $1.60 per hour, he w ill cut his package fa r shorter than what the package indicates he ( or she) would receive. Parents usually are expected to provide the bulk o f the support from current income. They w ill be expected to provide additional funds from savings and other assets i f the assets are above a certain income le v e l. Table 8 set up by C.S.S. indicates income levels and parents' expected contributions. The C.S.S. formula fo r determining how much parents may be able to provide from current income seems to be r e a lis t ic in some instances, and t o t a lly u n re a lis tic in others. The Parent's Confidential Statement forms provide a permanent space fo r parents to explain any unusual circumstances or hardships not revealed by the ordinary arith m etic o f income expenses. This is where parents so often e ith e r m is in terp ret or simply do not under­ stand c e rtain aspects of forms used in applying fo r aid fo r th e ir sons and daughters. 59 TABLE 8 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP SERVICE DISTRIBUTION CHART Income* $ 4,000 NUMBER OF DEPENDENT CHILDREN 2 4 3 T $ 220 $ $ $ $ 5 5,000 450 220 6,000 680 430 240 120 7,000 910 640 420 290 210 8,000 1,140 840 600 450 360 9,000 1,360 1,030 770 610 510 10,000 1,590 1,210 940 760 660 11,000 1,810 1,400 1,090 900 800 12,000 2,020 1,580 1,250 1,040 930 13,000 2,240 1,740 1,400 1,180 1,060 14,000 2,470 1,930 1,550 1,320 1,180 15,000 2,790 2,110 1,700 1,450 1,310 16,000 3,100 2,280 1,850 1,580 1,430 17,000 3,400 2,470 1,990 1,720 1,560 18,000 3,710 2,730 2,140 1,850 1,680 19,000 4,010 2,980 2,280 1,970 1,800 20,000 4,310 3,230 2,440 2,100 1,920 Source: College Scholarship Services Manual, Evanston, I ll in o is and Federal Program Manual, Washington, D. C. * Annual income before federal income tax. 60 For example, the colleges and u n iv e rs itie s should take into account th a t a spell o f unemployment may have cut in to the fam ily recources, the fam ily home may have needed expensive re p a irs , or the breadwinner may have unusually heavy expenses connected with his jo b , or may have heavy debts. Many times h o s p ita liza tio n and other special problems are not taken in to consideration, e ith e r because the Parents' Confidential Statements are not properly f i l l e d o u t, or on the other hand because many fin a n c ia l aid o ffic e s do not inquire deeply enough to determine the best way o f helping students. Good fin a n c ia l-a id o ffic e rs w ill seek whatever add ition al information pertains to a student's fin a n c ia l background in assessing his needs. Among other special problems colleges and u n iv e rs itie s should take into consideration are a student's o b lig atio n to support e ld e rly re la tiv e s , the cost of m aintaining his sib lin g s in other college or p rivate schools, and unusual medical and dental expenses. In ad d itio n , while the income of working mothers is taken into account in the statement o f parents' a b i l it y to pay, many times such income does not a c tu a lly increase the fa m ily 's a b i l it y to a student. Is the mother's income to pay o f f additional expenses or to help the fam ily meet the cost of liv in g ? Colleges themselves are aware o f differences in fam ily attitu d e s toward paying fo r education. Studies have found th a t some parents are more w illin g to provide fo r c h ild re n 's education than others with the same income. S ig n ific a n tly these studies also fin d th a t fam ilies th at try to provide funds fo r education themselves, have children who 61 make more o f an e f f o r t to pay fo r th e ir own education as shown by w illingness to work during the school year and to seek the more remunerative sutrmer jobs. Colleges have found th a t along with th is w illingness to work such students are more industrious and d iscip lin ed in a ttitu d e s toward study. The C.S.S. should also take steps to protect parents from having to use up retirem ent savings fo r educational needs. A working formula should provide a la rg e r deduction from net worth fo r the r e t i r e ­ ments o f older parents. Special consideration should also be given to fam ilie s in which the mother is the sole support, and fo r bread­ winners whose retirem ent resources consist almost e n tir e ly o f th e ir own savings. Under the C.S.S. system, fam ily assets under $7,000 to $8,000 usually are not touched regardless o f the fa th e r 's age, and when the male bread-winner is over 55 assets under $10,000 are disregarded. Again, in estimating how much a fam ily can affo rd from income, the C.S.S. Needs Analysis method provides a basic y a rd s tick. The colleges and u n iv e rs itie s are the fin a l judge in determining how much a student is to receive and the amount a fam ily is to provide from it s assets and income. Despite a ll of the a v a ila b le aid and special opportunity programs offered black students, a recent survey published by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey indicates th at black students tend to pay more fo r th e ir college educations than whites. Based upon a survey o f 2,400 sophomores taken a fte r the 1969- 70 academic year, the ETS Report showed th a t while only 36% o f the white students had parents with incomes o f less than $10,000, 83% 62 o f the black students f e l l into th a t category. Since the primary fa c to r in determining fin a n c ia l aid is parental support, the l a t t e r face a severe disadvantage. The low income o f parents makes i t possible fo r more black students to get federal assistance, and they sometimes receive more grants and awards than w hites. Despite t h is , however, blacks tend to have about $500 less per year than whites because the whites more than make up the d ifferen c e in governmental assistance w ith more generous parental con tributions. White parents contributed nearly $700 more than black parents con tributed, or 44% o f the aid to 21%. w hites. Blacks are more dependent upon loans than Although the average debt of white students was s lig h tly more than th a t whites ($1,446 to $1,342) blacks were shown to be twice as l ik e ly to be in debt. Two th ird s of the black students surveyed indicated th a t they were in debt. 63 PART I I I DESCRIPTION OF FINANCIAL AIDS PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE FINANCIAL AIDS OFFICE OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY83 The MSU Financial Aids Program has grown not only in terms of absolute d o lla rs expended, but in terms o f it s d iv e r s ity . Today a v a rie ty of loans is a v a ilab le to students, many o f them a t low in te re s t and w ith an o b lig atio n fo r repayment which s ta rts a f te r the student completes his education and is employed. The follow ing is a descrip­ tio n o f the various types o f fin a n c ia l assistance now a v a ila b le to MSU's economically disadvantaged students. Henry Strong Foundation Loans A grant was given to Michigan State U n iversity by the Henry Strong Foundation between tw e n ty -fiv e and t h ir t y years ago. present level of funding amounts to $36,138.51. The These loans are av a ilab le to juniors and seniors under tw en ty-five years o f age. student must repay his loan w ith in four years o f graduation. A A 3% in te re s t rate begins upon graduation. Michigan State U n iversity Loans The student must be able to demonstrate his a b i l it y to repay the loan by the due date. He must be in good standing with the U n ive rs ity. The student must be enrolled f u ll- tim e . 82 A student who is enrolled Data collected from a p riv a te interview with Henry Dykema, Financial Aids, M.S.U. and M.S.U. Financial Aids Annual Report, 1971-72. 64 fo r a t le a s t six cred its may be considered i f funds are not severely lim ite d . The student must have repayed or renewed a ll previous loans on or before the due-date. Generally a t the beginning o f a term a student may borrow the amount th at he needs to re g is te r. At other times loan amounts are usually lim ite d to no more than $250. does not apply to foreign students. six percent. This The in te re s t ra te is placed a t Generally a ll short-term loans w ill not be renewed and a co-signer is necessary. Updegraff Loans The Updegraff Loans were f i r s t acquired between fiv e and six years ago. I t is funded a t $95,908.41. There is no in te re s t ra te . This loan is to be payed back a fte r graduation. United States Loans fo r Cuban Refugees This loan is made a v a ila b le fo r Cuban Refugees only. Any student q u a lify in g may borrow up to $5,000 as an undergraduate student and up to $10,000 as a graduate student. loan a fte r graduation. Students must repay th is The in te re s t ra te begins immediately a fte r graduation at three percent. Students are allowed up to ten years to repay. National Defense Loan Students may borrow up to $5,000 as undergraduates and up to $10,000 to ta l including undergraduate and graduate years. begins nine months a fte r graduation. years to repay the e n tire loan. Repayment Students are allowed up to ten P a rtia l forgiveness o f th is loan is 65 possible a t ten percent per year fo r f iv e years i f the student teaches. I f the student teaches in a school system where there is a large percent o f low-income students, the loan is cancelled a t a ra te of f ifte e n percent per year. Law Enforcement Education Program This loan is open to students majoring in Criminal Justice and to police o ffic e rs pursuing college courses to improve themselves. These loans may be awarded up to $1800 per year fo r f u l l time students pursuing a degree. Analysis. Students must prove need through a regular Needs In-S ervice law-enforcement personnel are e lig ib le fo r up to $600 per academic year as a grant. This is an incentive fo r those persons improving themselves and the q u a lity o f law enforcement. Upon graduation they must return to t h e ir respective agencies fo r a t le a s t two years a fte r receiving the grant or they w ill be required to repay the grant a t seven percent in te re s t. Health Profession Loans These loans are a va ilab le only to persons enrolled in professional programs. Students may borrow up to $2500 per academic year or the amount of the student's fin a n c ia l need, whichever is the le s s e r. Repay­ ment is expected a fte r graduation, w ith an in te re s t ra te o f three percent s ta rtin g a t graduation. The maximum of ten years is allowed fo r repayment w ith the f i r s t payment expected one year a f te r graduation. I f the borrower practices in an area in which there is a shortage of doctors as determined by the proper agency w ith in each s ta te , the 66 loan can be cancelled in its e n tire ty a t the ra te o f f if te e n percent per year. Nursing Student Loans These loans are open to those nursing students who prove need. Any student q u a lify in g may borrow up to but not more than $1500 per academic year. The borrowed to ta l may not exceed $6000. Repay­ ment begins one year a f te r graduation with in te re s t a t three percent. Equal Opportunity Grants This is a federal program designed fo r students coming from fam ilie s o f less than $9000 annual income who cannot contribute $625 per year in the support of the student. Any student q u a lify in g may be awarded no less than $200 per year nor more than $1400 per year. Supplementary Equal Opportunity Grants are a v a ila b le to f u ll-tim e and a t le a s t one-half time students w ith exceptional need. Need is defined as actual cost minus expected fam ily co n trib u tio n . of students would b e n e fit: Two types (a ) students who received the basic E.O.G. but required add ition al fin a n c ia l assistance to meet college costs, (b) Students who are in e lig ib le fo r basic grants but s t i l l need assistance to meet costs. A student may receive up to $1500 per year. Student Aid Grants This is a Michigan State U n iversity program designed to assist any student who shows need and who resides in the State of Michigan. Any student who demonstrates need can receive a Student Aid Grant of up to one-half of his need or o ne-half o f his to ta l fees, whichever is the lesser amount. 67 Mork-Study This is a federal program fo r recip ien ts demonstrating great fin a n c ia l needs rath er than low-income categories. The number of hours which a student may work w ill be determined by the Financial Aids O ffic e r and the Student; however, during the holiday periods and academic breaks, the student may work fo r ty hours per week. The Federal Government pays eighty percent o f whatever the student earns. The average student w ill earn approximately $600 during an academic year from September to June. Michigan State Scholarships These scholarships are granted to students who have a t le a s t a 3.0 grade point average in high school and who demonstrate some fin a n c ia l needs. These students must maintain a 2.6 average a t the end of th e ir freshman yea r, 2.8 average a t the end o f the sophomore year, and 3.0 grade point average a t the end o f the ju n io r year. They must also continue to show need in order to re ta in the scholar­ ship. The maximum amount th a t a student might receive is equivalent to his fees. The follow ing tables demonstrate Michigan State U n iv e rs ity 's fin a n c ia l patterns fo r In -S ta te Students, O ut-of-S tate Students, and single independent students. Each c le a rly illu s tr a te s the d i f f e r ­ e n tia tio n o f costs in higher education. Even with a careful interview and use of the Needs Analysis procedures, a student from a s o c ia lly or economically disadvantaged background in most cases w ill fin d those budgets meeting his basic fin a n c ia l needs; however, these budgets 68 meet the very minimum requirements and do not take into consideration fin a n c ia l re s p o n s ib ilitie s beyond those assessed by Need Analysis. The follow ing tables indicate the high cost in the financing o f higher Education today. They also point out the significance of the fin a n c ia l aids program in the aiding of economically and s o c ia lly disadvantaged students. TABLE 9 ESTIMATE OF COSTS, 1972-1973 (In -S ta te Students)* One term Single Students 10 Months (rounded fig u re s ) 12 Months 830 $2,500 $3,000 1,630 4,900 5,880 One c h ild 1,830 5,500 6,600 Two children 2,030 6,100 7,320 Married Students - Couple $ (Each additional c h ild add $200 per term) *To these t o ta ls , additional allowance w ill be given fo r tu itio n and books fo r a spouse also attending school. 69 TABLE 10 ESTIMATE OF COSTS, 1972-1973 (O u t-o f-S tate Students)* One Term 10 Months (rounded fig u re s ) 12 Months $1,165 $3,500 $4,200 1,965 5,900 7,080 One ch ild 2,165 6,500 7,800 Two children 2,365 7,100 8,520 Three children 2,565 7,700 9,240 Single Students Married Students -Couple (Each additional child add $200 per term) *To these t o ta ls , additional allowance w ill be given fo r t u itio n and books fo r a spouse also attending school. TABLE 11 ESTIMATE OF COSTS, 1972 -1973 (Single Independent Students) One Term 10 Months $210 $630 Books 40 120 Room 230 690 Board 245 735 Personal 125 375 Clothing 50 150 Health 50 150 Buffer (to cover possible t u it io n , room and board increase) 30 100 Tu itio n Single independent, O u t-o f-S ta te: Add $285 per term. Total budget fo r 1 term, $1 ,265; 3 terms, $3,700. M.S.U. w ill require a work expec­ tancy o f $1,000 above the cost o f the student's tran sp o rtatio n . 70 TABLE 12 FINANCIAL AIDS, FEES (In -S ta te ) Undergraduate $15.00 per c re d it hour Graduate $16.00 per c re d it hour TABLE 13 FINANCIAL AIDS, FEES (O u t-o f-S ta te ) Undergraduate $33.00 per c re d it hour Graduate $35.00 per c re d it hour The follow ing data provide a comprehensive breakdown o f the d iffe r e n t funding categories administered by the Michigan State U n iversity Financial Aids Program. Also indicated is the number of students receiving fin a n c ia l assistance from various categories. In addition to adm inistering fin a n c ia l aid to students, the Financial Aids O ffice was responsible fo r the Students' Withdrawal Report. 1970-71. Both reports are made up o f data collected fo r fis c a l year 71 TABLE 14 SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS, 1970-71 Type of Aid Number o f Grants MSU T u itio n Scholarship 1403 Amount $ 394,646.50 MSU T u itio n Grants 714 212,849.45 MSU other Scholarships 532 159,308.75 Student Aid Grants 7374 2,186,858.65 Michigan Higher Ed. Asst. 3239 1,651,635.63 100 34,352.00 10 4,000.00 6 1,700.00 1988 996,794.00 960 603,236.00 Health Professions Schol. Veterinary Medicine Human Medicine Osteopathic Medicine Nursing 64 26 16 17 56,147.00 17,080.00 8,055.00 7,600.00 Pennsylvania Higher Ed. 77 57,698.00 113 70,734.00 16,639 $6,462,b94.98 Law Enforcement Ed. Law Enforcement Internships Wise. Tu itio n Reimb. Educational Opportunity Grants Donor Scholarships Veterans Trust Fund TOTAL 72 Tne follow ing data in Table 15 provides a breakdown o f the number of d o lla rs received from various program by the 259 black students enrolled in the Developmental Program a t Michigan State U niversity in 1971-72. A census rep o rt taken during F all Term, 1970, indicated th a t there were some 1954 black students enrolled a t Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , o f which 1601 were undergraduates and 353 graduate students. Black students represent less than fiv e percent of the to ta l student body enrolled a t Michigan State U n ive rs ity. Black student representing the sample population used fo r th is study received a to ta l $336,732.00 through the Financial Aids o ffic e ; th is does not include short term loans, bank loans and p rivate funds or con tributions. TABLE 15 DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECT PACKAGING TOTALS FOR 1971-72 Summer Savings Projected $ 9 5 ,3 U 0 .0 0 Actual Summer Savings 54.800.00 Total EOG 78.450.00 Total NDSL 89.120.00 Total WS 61.140.00 Total-Scholarshi ps 51.960.00 Total SAG 56.062.00 Total Aid $336,732.00 TABLE 16 DISTRIBUTION OF 1970-71 FUNDS BY SOURCE FEDERAL Number o f Amount Recipients % GRANTS Ld. Opportunity Grants LEEP LEEP Internships Tuition Grants Student Aid Grants Sub-Total LOANS Cuban Refugee DeWaters Trust Fund Guaranteed Loans Health Professions Human Osteopathic Nursing Vet. Medicine Henry Strong LEEP MSU Short-term Loan MSU Special National Defense Student Updegraff Sub-Total 1988 100 10 714 7374 100 100 100 996,794.00 34,352.00 4,000 o lo) 1,035,146. 14 6 2,965 100 27 16 18 105 90 90 90 90 Amount 100 100 100 10,186 MSU 212,849.45 2,186,858.65 2,399,708.10 3,434,854.10 18,586. 19,327.50 11.079.00 8,158.50 52.029.00 10 10 10 10 100 2,528,815.50 10 8,500 2,809,795 280,979.50 291,978.50 1,006,203 933 100 2,834,227.50 1 ,006,203 933 36 12,856 8,500 196,232 100 90 18,586 2,400 2,804.598 21,475 12,310 9,065 57,810 196,232. 4,319 5,069 2,400 2,804.598 2,147.50 1.231.00 906.50 5.781.00 100 2 TOTAL 996,794. 34,352. 4,000 212,849.45 2,186,858.65 100 100 100 DONOR Amount 100 18 261 % 14,894 14,894 3,836,595 6,962,801 1 TABLE 16 (CONTINUED) Number of Recipients SCHOLARSHIPS Donor | | 960 Health Professions 1 Human Nursing Osteopathic Vet Med. : 26 17 16 64 MHEAA % DONOR Amount TOTAL 100 100 100 100 17,080 7,600 8,055 56,147 603,236 17,080 7,600 8,055 56,147 100 1,651,635.63 1,651,635.63 159,308.75 IOC 394.646.5C 394,646.50 PHEAA ! ! 1 77 113 Wise. Tu itio n Reimbj. 6 100 100 6,453 88,882. i I 2,263 80 1,213,177.56 .8 31,750 > 1 !5 , 171,433.06 1 57,698. 70,734 1,722,369.63 11 ,548.79 14.5 1 ,733,918.42 57,698 70,734 100 ! .................... 1 • .. 603,236 159,308.75 1,403 TOTALS MSU Amount IOC ; WORK-STUDY % 432 MSU Tuition Sub-Total STATE Amount 100 3,239 Vet. Trust Fund % | MSU other .............. - FEDERAL % Amount 553,955.25 220,482.19 4.7 3,466,124.04 1 ,700 662,634 71,263.41 1,700 3,027,840.88 1,516.471.95 4,570,492.41 1#>941 ,967.93 •t 2 WITHDRAWAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR 1970-1971 REASON Academic Problems Administrative Decision Administrative Error Armed Services Change of Plans Changing Major Couldn't get course(s) Course(s) not needed Courses not wanted Couldn't break housing Dissatisfied with school Death Dropped only course Employment Family Death Family illness Family problem Financial Health Hospitalization Injury from accident Job conflict Lack of motivation Leaving the area Marriage Misadvised Non-payment of fees Not sure of plans(goals) Overload of work(pressure) Personal Take a break Transferring Transportation Undecided about college Unknown reason TOTAL Dorm housing Off Campus Married housing TOTAL FRES HMEN M - SOPHOMORE M F 11 2 7 4 4 - 0 9 2 - - - 8 10 1 0 1 1 2 1 6 14 5 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 7 0 10 11 1 8 2 26 23 1 2 1 5 2 2 0 1 4 4 21 3 7 0 0 5 184 83 81 S 172 0 1 o 3 0 1 1 1 0 3 17 1 12 13 6 5 2 i = 33 0 1 0 3 5 11 r 13 2 0 2 0 11 2 8 0 1 1 8 1 2 34 58 3 5 6 35 18 4 7 8 7 52 51 3 3 20 5 1 5 1 1 1 7 7 0 1 0 5 5 15 5 5 14 23 4 3 4 29 29 2 1 2 8 JUNIOR M F 14 27 40 1 5 3 5 7 5 0 0 1 8 0 1 2 1 2 22 8 1 3 5 1 1 23 17 34 4 23 8 6 0 0 6 21 12 9 5 1 0 4 5 208 124 55 3 182 3 224 62 157 9 228 1 3 3 199 64 133 6 203 5 5' 11 6 2 0 3 4 2 7 9 9 4 3 15 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 58 48 24 106 54 77 25 25 13 1 0 7 4 4 0 1 0 9 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 1 7 52 28 3 4 3 3 0 SPECIAL M F 2 12 0 1 0 32 36 13 14 5 2 1 1 0 GRADUATE M F 2 1 1 6 0 8 4 6 7 3 4 19 4 1 1 2 n 7 18 SENIOR M F' 3 7 7 7 1 0 1 2 1 3 4 11 0 0 0 0 0 5 13 4 4 5 2 2 0 1 7 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 6 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 6 1 2 2 3 0 1 0 143 14 115 13 142 3 6 369 53 303 13 369 262 50 204 14 268 327 23 295 9 327 0 0 0 22 11 0 1 1 0 1 10 0 2 0 0 0 10 38 9 5 0 1 0 4 35 14 7 3 3 1 3 16 4 8 1 0 5 335 31 281 28 340 15 2 1 0 0 3 7 6 1 2 0 2 214 9 195 13 217 2 3 4 5 18 17 2 3 3 3 1 0 0 72 7 59 TOTALS M F 31 23 10 61 30 20 22 44 4 31 5 190 92 73 9 435 299 10 12 22 26 26 28 105 144 52 48 302 290 7 15 58 52 52 37 4 14 28 23 218 83 71 11 14 13 22 2 42 4 245 207 20 197 146 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 3 0 0 0 6 64 5 57 4 72 66 2 50 27 13 63 59 26 43 29 15 29 7 3 3 3 19 4 3 ALL 7 41 38 22 4 2 11 20 10 138 45 32 1 8 17 14 30 33 2 3 8 13 80 38 39 9 6 2 1 11 11 12 16 1508 259 1176 73 1508 16 1078 266 759 53 1078 32 2586 525 1935 126 2586 IP 76 PART IV NEW APPROPRIATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION The need fo r the passage o f new le g is la tio n and the m odification of e xistin g guidelines governing the u t iliz a t io n o f federal fin a n c ia l assistance to college students has been c le a rly demonstrated in the previous section. The Nixon Administration has responded with a recently passed Higher Education Act which w ill increase spending in many areas and make some o f the ex is tin g programs more f le x ib le . President Nixon signed the larg est education b i l l in the h isto ry of the United States on June 23, 1972.83 The b i l l called fo r 21.3 b illio n d o lla rs to supplement ex is tin g federal programs and new programs, providing a tremendous increase in federal aid to both small colleges and major u n iv e rs itie s . Undoubtedly, in s titu tio n s of higher education, with th is add ition al funding, should be able to more than adequately package fin a n c ia l aid fo r needy students without many of the problems faced heretofore. The new higher education b i l l re fle c ts on many e x is tin g federal programs: community services and continuing education programs; college lib r a r y assistance and lib r a r y tra in in g and research; strengthen­ ing developing in s titu tio n s (w ith increased authorization but no substantial change); cooperative education programs; ta le n t search; 83 Senate and House Committee B ill on Higher Education, Washington, D .C ., College Entrance Examination Board, Washington, D .C ., October 18, 1971. Upward Bound; and special services fo r the disadvantaged (no substantial change); open ended authorizations begun in the fis c a l year 1972; educational professions development program; National Defense Act; valed icto ria n fellow ships; c e rta in changes proposed by Representative Quire designed to make the program more responsible to current needs and conditions in graduate education. National Defense Education Act language is amended to authorize support fo r under­ graduate as well as graduate programs. Higher Education F a c ilitie s Act (A new program provided in the Higher Education B i l l ) - Upon approval by President Nixon, th is b i l l gave b irth to new programs, such as: National In s titu te of Education, Post-Secondary Occupation Education; and education which authorizes 850 m illio n d o lla rs in federal grants to the s tates. Included in the new program was 50 m illio n d o lla rs over a period o f two years to be d is trib u te d among in s titu tio n s to develop ethnic heritage studies. A federal loan system was set up s p e c ific a lly to encouarge in s titu tio n s o f higher education to develop educational te le v is io n stations which promote in s titu tio n a l programs to be broadcast by technological means beyond the campus. Grants w ill be provided fo r p o lit ic a l internships to encourage p o litic a l involvement of students with elected o f f ic ia ls a t a ll levels of the government. Another s ig n ific a n t p art o f the b i l l provides fo r the implemen­ ta tio n o f m ineral-conservation education. The House o f Representa­ tiv e s B ill No. 7248 also provides land grant college status to the 78 College of the V irg in Islands and the U n iversity o f Guam. This same b i l l bars discrim ination because of sex in any fe d e ra lly supported educational a c t iv it y . This ban would apply to undergraduate colleges excepting in s titu tio n s where s u b s ta n tia lly 90 percent or more students were o f one sex, or where the ban would be inconsistent with re lig io u s tenents of the in s titu tio n . The new b i l l signed in to act by President Nixon w ill also extend present student aid programs— Educational Opportunity Grants, College Work-Study Program, National Defense Education Act loans, and guaranteed loans— fo r fiv e yea rs, through the fis c a l year 1976, with additional and certain changes made to enhance the student's oppor­ tu n ity to receive more fin a n c ia l assistance; i t w ill also not only provide fin a n c ia l assistance to disadvantaged students, but w ill provide in s titu tio n s with the power to restru ctu re th e ir guidelines to provide fin a n c ia l assistance to non-disadvantaged students as w e ll. The follow ing programs were extended, and received considerable boosts to th e ir budgets: Education Opportunity Grant - The Education Opportunity Grant c e ilin g is raised to $1,500 or h a lf the amount o f fin a n c ia l aid from other sources, whichever is le s s , per student in any one academic year. However, a lim it of $4,000 is placed on the to ta l grant aid a student may receive during his years o f undergraduate study. In the case of a fiv e -y e a r undergraduate program, a student may receive up to $5,000 and language is deleted which insures the student th at he w ill continue to receive grant aid during each year o f study i f he remains in need. $200 should be made. The new b i l l states th a t no grant o f less than E l i g i b i l i t y fo r p a rtic ip a tio n in the Education Opportunity Grant program is extended to provide the in s titu tio n such e l i g i b i l i t y as exists under the work-study National Defense Student Loan and Insured Loan Program. For 1972 the authorization fo r both i n i t i a l and renewal awards was 295 m illio n d o lla rs and subsequently such sums as may be necessary. Work-Study - The language o f th is b i l l is authored to change the focus from students from low income fa m ilie s to students w ith great fin a n c ia l need. The maximum f ifte e n hours o f work per week is elim inated. The fin a n c ia l aid o ffic e r and the students w ill determine the number o f hours appropriate fo r each case. Authorizations are increased by steps, reaching 450 m illio n d o lla rs in the fis c a l year 1976. A special authorization o f 50 m illio n d o lla rs was added fo r a new program designed to provide work-study opportunities fo r Vietnam veterans, combining community service jobs and college study. National Defense Student Loan - The annual loan lim its of $2,500 fo r graduate or professional students and $1,000 fo r other students are elim inated. Aggregate lim its of $10,000 fo r graduate and professional students and $5,000 fo r undergraduate students are retain ed . To help expand the loan reserve fund, the minimum monthly payment is increased from $15 to $30. The commissioner shall provide f u ll reimbursement to in s titu tio n s fo r loan forgiveness. The provisions regarding fo rg iv e ­ ness are changed, lim itin g can cellatio n o f loans to f u ll-tim e teachers and schools with more than 40 per cent children from low income fam ilie s or schools fo r the handicapped. The authorization level is increased from the present 300 m illio n d o lla rs to 425 m illio n d o lla rs in fis c a l year 1972 and by steps to 675 m illio n d o llars in fis c a l year 1976. Guaranteed Loan - The amount a student may borrow in an academic year was raised from $1,500 to $2,500 and the aggregate lim ita tio n s were raised from $7,500 to $10,000. E l i g i b i l i t y fo r an in te re s t-fre e subsidy under the program was changed, removing the $1,500 adjusted fam ily income level as a requirement and su b stitu tin g a provision th at the student has need in the amount o f the subsidized loan. To defray the expense o f determining e l i g i b i l i t y o f students to p a rtic ip a te in the program, the commissioner w ill reimburse each student a t the ra te of one per cent of the amount of the insured loans made to students a t the in s titu tio n . The c e ilin g on the to ta l p rin c ip le amount o f new insured loans is increased by steps from the present 1.4 b illio n d o lla rs to 2.4 b illio n d o lla rs in fis c a l year 1976. Secondary Market - The new b i l l established a government-sponsored p rivate corporation which w ill be financed by p rivate ca p ita l and which w ill serve as a secondary market and warehousing f a c i l i t y fo r insured student loans and provide liq u id ity fo r student loans investment. State Allotments - Education Opportunity Grants, Work-Study, and National Defense Loans are placed on the same format. Ninety percent of the funds w ill be a llo tte d according to the present workstudy formula (1) 1/3 based on f u ll time enrollments in in s titu tio n s of higher education in the s ta te ; ( 2) 1/3 based on the number of high 81 school graduates in the s ta te ; (3) 1/3 based on the number o f children in the state from fa m ilie s o f less than $3,000 annual income. However, i t is provided th a t a ll allotments from the three programs fo r any state shall not be less than i t received in school year 1972. The commissioners would continue as presently to d is trib u te the remaining ten percent o f the funds according to the c r it e r ia established. E l i g i b i l i t y o f Less than Full Time Students - The b i l l established e l i g i b i l i t y fo r assistance under Equal Opportunity Grants and WorkStudy fo r students who attend an in s titu tio n on a h a lf-tim e basis. National Defense Act and fe d e ra lly insured loans are presently a v a il­ able to h a lf-tim e students. An amendment was set aside in the Committee which would have opened the program to any student enrolled on a p a rttime basis, thus including students in attendance less than h a lf-tim e . The Committee, however, did pass such an amendment re s tric te d to the insured loan program only. Transfer o f Funds Between Programs - The present law allows tra n s fe r o f up to 25 percent from Equal Opportunity Grants to National Defense Student Loan ca p ita l funds. The b i l l permits an in s titu tio n to tra n s fe r ten percent of its a llo tte d Equal Opportunity Grants and Work-Study funds e ith e r way between programs in order to meet the needs of individual students. The o rig in a l version o f the House o f Repre­ sentatives b i l l provided 100 percent tr a n s fe r a b ility between Equal Opportunity Grants and Work-Study. In s titu tio n a l Aid - The Committee adopted a comprehensive formula fo r d is trib u tio n o f federal aid to in s titu tio n s : 2/3 o f the appro­ p ria tio n o f such aid to be provided on the basis of enrollment; 82 $100 fo r each lower d iv is io n student, $150 fo r each upper d iv is io n student, and $200 fo r each graduate student as a supplement to help small colleges. In p a r tic u la r, an in s titu tio n would receive an additional $300 fo r each o f it s f i r s t 200 students and $200 fo r the next 100 students. The other 1/3 of the appropriated funds would be d is trib u te d according to a percentage o f federal student a id , Equal Opportunity Grants, Work-Study, and National Defense Student Loan funds received by students attending each in s titu tio n . The percentage would vary according to the size of the in s titu tio n --5 0 percent fo r in s titu tio n s with an enrollment of less than 1 ,000, 46 percent fo r in s titu tio n s w ith an enrollment between 1,000 and 3 ,000, 42 percent fo r in s titu tio n s with an enrollment between 3,000 and 10,000, and 38 percent fo r in s titu tio n s with an enrollment over 10,000. A c r it ic a l provision o f the formula grant portion of the b i l l is the requirement fo r m aintaining some e f f o r t by each in s titu tio n as a condition of receiving emergency assistance. Over and above the formula-based a id , the b i l l authorized, in an amendment by Representative S te ig e r, 150 m illio n d o lla rs annually fo r fis c a l year 1972 and 1973 to be d i s t r i ­ buted by the Secretary o f H ealth, Education and Welfare on an emergency basis to colleges in serious fin a n c ia l d i f f i c u lt y . No guidelines fo r determination of in s titu tio n a l needs are provided in th is b i l l . Emergency Assistance - The Commission of Higher Education retains a u th o rity , under the b i l l , to issue schedules and c r it e r ia regarding adm inistration o f the student aid programs. However, a provision is added requirin g th a t a ll ru le s , re g u latio n s, g u id elin es, in stru ctio n and ap p licatio n forms, published or promulgated pursuant 83 to th is t i t l e shall be provided to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare and the Committee on Education and Labor, with s p e c ific reference to the Equal Opportunity Grant b i l l . The b i l l contained certain guidelines and provisions regarding the ro le o f the i n s t i ­ tu tio n a l aid o ffic e and the commissioner's guidelines and the determina­ tion o f needs. In the new b i l l signed by President Nixon, ce rta in provisions s tip u la te th a t the Commissioner shall prescribe basic c r it e r ia fo r the determination of the amount o f grants, taking in to account the objective o f lim itin g grant aid to students o f exceptional fin a n c ia l need who but fo r such aid would be unable to obtain the benefits of higher education. language: The b i l l also contains the follow ing "In determining fin a n c ia l needs, the fa m ily 's expected contribution should be considered and s p e c ific circumstances of it s application shall be determined by the student fin a n c ia l aid o ffic e ." There is no mention of c r it e r ia or schedules prescribed by the Commissioner related to th is section o f the Higher Education B ill o f the emergency assistance over and above the formula-based a id . The b i l l authorizes 150 m illio n d o llars annually fo r fis c a l year 1972-1973 to be d is trib u te d by the Secretary of H ealth, Education and Welfare on an emergency basis to colleges in serious fin a n c ia l d i f f i c u lt y . No schedules fo r determination o f in s titu tio n a l need were provided in the b i l l fo r the disbursement of funds. In addition to the basic Equal Opportunity Grants, the new b i l l passed by President Nixon provides a supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant made av a ila b le to fu ll- tim e and a t le a s t h a lf-tim e students with exceptional need. In th is case, need is defined as actual cost 84 requirements except fo r fam ily contributions. would b e n e fit: Two types of students (1) students who receive the basic Equal Opportunity Grant but require additional fin a n c ia l assistance to meet college costs, and (2 ) students who are in e lig ib le fo r basic grants but s t i l l need assistance to meet costs. Funds fo r i n i t i a l and renewal awards w ill be d is trib u te d to states on the th re e -p a rt formula based on f u l l ­ time enrollments in in s titu tio n s of higher education in each s ta te . A student q u a lify in g fo r a supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant could receive up to $1,500 per year. Each state a llo c a tio n w ill be based on fu ll-tim e enrollment in in s titu tio n s o f higher education in th a t s ta te — 1/3 based on the number o f high school graduates in the s ta te , 1/3 based on the number o f students in the s tate from fa m ilie s with less than $3,000 annual income, and 1/3 based on f u ll time enrollment in in s titu tio n s o f higher education in the s ta te . CHAPTER I I I DESIGN OF THE STUDY This chapter is composed o f six main segments which deal w ith: (1) The Population and Sample, (2) The Instrum entation, (3 ) The Research Questions, (4 ) The Methodology U tiliz e d in the C o llectio n of the Data, (5 ) Format Designed fo r the S ta tis tic a l Techniques, and f i n a l l y , a Summary o f the chapter. Population and Sample The population chosen fo r th is study is a selected group of black students defined as Developmental Students attending Michigan State U n iversity Spring Term, 1972. This group of students represents a large percentage o f the to ta l black population o f 1,954 reported by o f fic ia ls o f the R e g is trar's O ffic e F all Term, 1970. An o f f i c i a l report from the P resident's O ffic e in the F all Term, 1970, indicated some 40,000 students were enrolled a t M.S.U. were from m inority ethnic backgrounds. Out of these, 2,869 This group represented both undergrads and graduate students, f u ll and p art-tim e students. Of the 2,869 m in o ritie s students, 1954 were black (1,601 undergraduates and 353 graduate students). students. This number does not include foreign Less than fiv e percent were Black. M ino rity students represent 7.1 percent o f the to ta l student body. 85 86 Six hundred fo rty black students are enrolled in the Develop­ mental Program. Most are the recip ien ts o f some type o f fin a n c ia l assistance through Michigan State U n ive rs ity. An o f f i c i a l Black Student Roster prepared by the O ffice o f Supportive Service was used in determining the population and sample o f what students would be selected fo r th is study. Only Freshmen and Sophomores from the Developmental Program were used in th is study, see Table 18. TABLE 18 SEX AND CLASS STANDING OF DEVELOPMENTAL STUDENTS Sex Freshmen Sophomore Total Female 57 97 154 Male 39 65 105 Total 96 162 259 TABLE 19 GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF HIGH SCHOOLS OF DEVELOPMENTAL STUDENTS Grand Rapids FI i nt Lansing Total 129 8 5 12 154 Male 82 5 8 10 105 Total 211 13 13 22 259 Sex Female D e tro it 87 Since 259 freshmen and sophomores o f the Developmental Program would o ffe r the best population to sample from, no tab le o f random numbers was used to randomly sample the to ta l population. does indicate a breakdown according to sex and class. Table 18 Table 19 o ffe rs a breakdown o f sex class geographical location in which students reside including th e ir respective high schools. Instrumentation The sample population was chosen from the 31,750 students receiving fin a n c ia l assistance at predominantly white Michigan State U n iversity. A sample of 259 black students enrolled in the Developmental Program a t Michigan State was selected. Two d iffe r e n t types o f questionnaires were developed by the researcher, one fo r black Developmental Students, another fo r M.S.U. Adm inistrators, L eg islato rs, State and National o f fic ia ls o f the U.S. O ffic e o f H ealth, Education and W elfare, Washington, D.C. The students' questionnaire consisted of twenty-three questions and eighty-one variables pertin ent to fin a n c ia l assistance to m inority students. The variables p ertin en t to fin a n c ia l assistance to m inority students. The variables were divided in to categories which r e f le c t the student's views of th e ir fin a n c ia l-a id package and program a t Michigan State U n iversity. The questionnaire administered to Michigan State U n iversity Adm inistrators, State of Michigan L eg is la to rs , and O ffic ia ls o f the U.S. Department of Health, Education and W elfare, Washington, D .C ., was designed to s o lic it th e ir responses to how in s titu tio n s of higher education should be funded to develop new guidelines or a lt e r existin g 88 ones to b e tte r determine ways in which to aid disadvantaged students in higher education today. Copies o f questionnaires can be found in Appendixes A and B. C o llectio n o f Data Developmental Students were proportionately random-sampled by class and sex during the Spring Term of 1972. Their names, addresses, telephone numbers and classes were checked with the M.S.U. Housing O ffic e , the R e g is trar's O ffic e , the O ffic e o f Supportive Services and the Withdrawal O ffice o f Financial Aids to see i f any students had moved o f f campus, to other dorms, transferred to other in s titu tio n s , or dropped out o f college. Over ninety percent of the l i s t was offered by the O ffice o f Supportive Services. Correction was made a fte r conferring with various U n iversity o f f ic ia ls who were instrumental in obtaining key inform ation. Permission was granted by U n iversity o f f ic ia ls to conduct a survey to evaluate the M.S.U. Financial Aids program as i t re la te d to underprivileged students. A break-down l i s t o f students by names, addresses, student numbers, telephone numbers, was given to students conducting the survey. These questionnaires were pre-coded to maintain anonymity o f students taking p art in the survey. A fter a period of two weeks, the students conducting the survey contacted each Developmental Student on the l i s t to cover each question to see th a t each of the questions was answered. The questionnaire was returned to the researcher fo r fin a l examination. 89 Data Analysis Procedures The student responses to the questionnaire were coded onto data processing cards. The data was then analyzed using the Michigan State U niversity Computer Laboratory f a c i l i t i e s and the Control Data Corporation 3600 Computer. The s p e c ific analysis procedure used was the Computer In s titu te fo r Social Science Research (CISSR) Act Program. This program is designed to summarize the data in to contingency tables with accom­ panying percentage breakdowns. A ll the data reported in th is study are presented in the form judged to be most e ffe c tiv e in speaking o f each of the research questions concerned. The follow ing fin a n c ia l aid questionnaire was administered to 259 Black students enrolled in the Developmental Program a t Michigan State U n iversity. The purpose o f disseminating the questionnaire was to allow students to make a thorough assessment o f th e ir fin a n c ia laids package and th e ir perception o f new guidelines or a lte rn a tiv e s fo r ex is tin g ones. 1„ Please indicate your sex status: 2. Please indicate your present class standing a t Michigan State U n ive rs ity, Male or Female Freshman or Sophomore. 3. In what c ity did you graduate from high school? 4. Have you chosen a major fo r your degree? 5. Which o f the follow ing people were most in flu e n tia l in your decision I f so, what? to en ro ll at Michigan State University? 6. So fa r what has been your overall experience a t Michigan State University? 90 7. Please rank the most serious problems in sequential order. 8. Have you received any fin a n c ia l assistance from the follow ing categories w hile attending Michigan State University? 9. Please check the three most important sources from which you receive money fo r your college expenses. 10. Please rank your opinions o f Michigan State U n iversity Financial Aids Counselors. 11. In order fo r the Financial Aids o ffic e to become relevant and sen sitive in assisting student w ith the financing of th e ir educa­ tio n , what would you suggest i t do f ir s t ? 12. When promised fin a n c ia l aid a t M .S .U ., does i t always "come through"? 13. Please rank in order the things you lik e most about the fin a n c ia l aids program a t M.S.U. 14. Please indicate things you lik e le a s t about the fin a n c ia l aids program in ranking order. 15. Could you get enough money to continue your education i f you received no fin a n c ia l assistance from M.S.U.? 16. Which of the follow ing a lte rn a tiv e s would you say is the best way to help a student finance his education? 17. What is the biggest disadvantage of using loans to help finance your education? 18. What is the biggest disadvantage of using Work-Study to help finance your education? 19. Please rank the Work-Study jobs you have had in sequential order. 20. Based on your experience how would you assess Work-Study jobs? 21. Has i t ever been necessary fo r you to use your money to aid the 91 21. Has i t ever been necessary fo r you to use your money to aid the fam ily back home? 22. I f given a Work-Study grant large enough to cover most o f your educational expenses, relate d to your college major and paying well enough, would you p re fe r Work-Study rath er than a loan? Summary The population o f the study consisted o f two hundred f i f t y - nine Black students o f the Development Program. represents only freshmen and sophomores. This sample population The questionnaires were d is trib u te d to both groups by the researcher; data c o lle c tio n and follow-up work was done by students o f Michigan State U n ive rs ity. The s p e c ific analysis procedure used was the Computer In s titu te fo r Social Science Research (CISSR) Act Program. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF DATA PART I Just as a review o f the lit e r a t u r e related to th is topic has uncovered a divergence of opinion concerning d e fin itio n of the needs fo r fin a n c ia l aid to disadvantaged blacks, or any other special group, interview s with fin a n c ia l-a id adm inistrators, le g is la to rs and educa­ tio n a l policymakers revealed a remarkably s im ila r s itu a tio n . The persons interviewed represent a broad mixture of adm inistrators involved in some way with the Developmental Program a t Michigan State U n iversity. The Developmental Program is designed to help educa­ tio n a lly and economically disadvantaged students obtain a college education a t Michigan State U n ive rs ity. Most of the disagreement centers around the amount and type o f fin a n c ia l support which must be provided black students i f they are to cmoplete th e ir college education. 1. The major questions o f disagreement are: Are there differences in the fin a n c ia l needs of black students and white students which go beyond the tra d itio n a l d i f f e r ­ ences of adjusted fam ily income, and should those d ifferences be taken in to account when determining the type and amount o f fin a n c ia l assis­ tance to be awarded a student? 2. Who should bear the primary re s p o n s ib ility fo r financing higher education fo r students? 92 93 3. What kinds o f expenses must be met by fin a n c ia l-a id packages i f black students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are to be afforded equal and adequate access to higher education? Differences in Needs Some adm inistrators who determine the fin a n c ia l needs o f students indicate th a t the current system o f assessing a fa m ily 's a b i l i t y to pay the cost of a student's education does not work as well f o r black students as i t does fo r other groups. In an interview conducted fo r th is study, Amos Johnson, Assistant D irecto r o f Financial Aids and Coordinator o f the Developmental Program, had th is to say: The fam ily background o f the black student and the special problems o f the fam ily are often not projected by a statement of fam ily income. . . . A black fam ily may make $10,000 annual income, but th is fig u re does not take into account past debts. The PCS (Parent's C onfidential Statement) doesn't take in to account th a t th is may be the highest income the fam ily has ever made. . . Often the fam ily has to pay higher rates fo r home loans and insurance p o lic ie s . These factors make i t d i f f i c u l t fo r the fam ily to contribute as much to th e ir c h ild 's college education as other fam ilie s o f s im ila r income. Other adm inistrators, however, feel th at providing monies fo r personal needs may be going beyond the accepted realm of fin a n c ia laid re s p o n s ib ility . They indicate th a t, as presently stru ctu red , the fin a n c ia l aids program cannot provide funds to meet the personal needs o f students. One such adm inistrator is Ronald Roderick, A ssistant D irector o f Financial Aids a t Michigan State U n iversity. 94 I t may be true th a t black fa m ilie s have special fin a n c ia l problems. However, fin a n c ia l aid programs are not the panacea fo r a l l of the i l l s society has wrought on the blacks. . . To consider paying fo r a student's personal needs involves the question o f a c tu a lly financing the student's fa m ily . This would involve in s titu tin g another federal program to take care o f these needs. A study could be done to assess the special needs of black students. I f black students are found to have special needs, then there need to be special programs to handle those needs rath er than feeding those needs under the haze o f e xistin g programs. According to Henry Dykema, D irecto r of Financial Aid a t Michigan State U n ive rs ity, the fin a n c ia l aids counselors must fo llo w the p r io r itie s and requirements o f the p a rtic u la r program. Sometimes these p r io r itie s and requirements do not take in to consideration various d ifferen c es, such as the geographic d is tin c tio n s (cost of liv in g , e t c .) ; and d is tin c tio n s relate d to size of fa m ily . true fo r the Equal Opportunity Grant program. This is The only guidelines fo r th is program are the fam ily income le v e l. I t is through programs such as EOG, which set fo rth fam ily income as the primary or sole c r it e r ia fo r s e le c tio n , th a t the federal government has expressed its hope th a t u n iv e rs itie s w ill be able to ta rg e t th e ir assistance funds a t persons who need fin a n c ia l assistance the most. Such programs represent an attempt on the part of the federal government to insure th a t a ll students who gain from post­ secondary education have the opportunity o f access to such education and necessary fin a n c ia l assistance. Responding to the question "Do you feel the Federal guidelines are geared to assist the low income student and enable him to remain in college?" Richard J. Rose of the Division o f Student Assistance, Department o f Health, Education and W elfare, Washington, D.C. wrote: 95 "Yes. The Department of HEW and the O ffic e of Education have stressed the objective of targ etin g student assistance funds f i r s t to the neediest student. The record indicated th a t the post-secondary i n s t i ­ tu tio n s th at p a rtic ip a te in these programs support th is o b je c tiv e ." Norman Brooks, Acting Assistant C h ief, Program Development Branch, Division o f Student Assistance, HEW, wrote: "A ll a v a ila b le s ta tis tic s indicate th a t approximately three-quarters o f the students employed under the College Work-Study Program come from fa m ilie s with gross annual incomes o f $7,500 or less. This would indicate th a t, by and la rg e , employment under the program is going to those who need i t and, th e re fo re , is used in the best in te re s t o f students."^ The f a ilu r e of fin a n c ia l aid programs to take in to consideration the types of special fam ily fin a n c ia l problems which cannot be assessed by a look a t fam ily income or the fin a n c ia l obligations which are recorded on the PCS, works a special hardship upon black students who are both economically and educationally disadvantaged. Often these students receive a fin a n c ia l aid package predicated upon fam ily supplement when, in f a c t , no such fam ily contributions e x is t. Such students must somehow make up the d ifferen c e between what they are g ettin g from the u n iversity and what they are not getting from home or go w ithout. A ll too often the black student in the Development Program must simply go w ithout. The College Work-Study Program is c u rren tly under review by HEW's O ffice of Program Planning and Evaluation. A report which should be useful in evaluating the effectiveness of the program should be issued some time th is year. 96 Personal Needs Big Item T y p ic a lly , those things which black students go without f a l l in to a class called "personal needs." Such things as clo th es, food, recrea­ tio n , tran sp o rtatio n , laundry and e x tra -c u rric u la r a c t iv it ie s are lim ite d by the student's in a b ilit y to generate s u ffic ie n t fin a n c ia l support. There are adm inistrators who express the b e lie f th a t th is i n a b ilit y to meet personal needs has an adverse a ffe c t upon the academic performance of students enrolled in the Developmental Program. As observed by Joanne C o llin s , Associate D ire c to r, Financial Aids, Michigan State U n iversity: "The need fo r these items (food, clothes, housing and other personal needs) can a ffe c t a student's performance in college. A student must be in te rn a lly and e x te rn a lly secure to be successful." Dr. Thomas Gunnings o f the Michigan State U n iversity Counseling Center explained fu rth e r th a t "when students a re n 't given adequate fin a n c ia l aid i t increases th e ir fru s tra tio n and impedes th e ir academic, physiological and psychological adjustment to college. Looking a t the social aspects of lack of funds, i t might bring on a high crime rate and also increase the incidence of drug usage as a means of releasing tensions. I t also brings about ra c ia l and human chaos w ithin the culture and increases racism ." Responding to the question o f studies and other means o f determining whether or not black students, have unique fin a n c ia l problems which can be met by an adequate fin a n c ia l aids system, Amos Johnson said , 97 "The report from the National Caucus fo r Black Financial Aid Counselors makes th is point: The fam ily background problems of black people are recorded in studies, but those persons in au th o rity (decision-makers in the fin a n c ia l-a id s programs) need to read and accept the results of these studies. I f you give special supportive services in the academic areas to developmental program students, how can th e ir fin a n c ia l needs not be given special consideration." The Financial Aid Package Another area where there is widespread disagreement is in the area o f the various types o f assistance offered to students as a part of th e ir fin a n c ia l aids package. of Some persons advocate the packaging low-income black students w ith a ll so-called fre e money. By fre e , they mean money coming in the form o f grants or scholarships ra th e r than loans which have to be repaid or jobs which require away from classroom and studies. The fin a n c ia l s tra in connected with repaying loans is obvious. Jobs, they say, d etract from a student's study time and students in the developmental program are a l l too often so f a r behind academically th a t attempting to work could cause them to f a i l . Most of the persons involved in fin a n c ia l aids agree th a t the best solution to student money problems is the u t iliz a t io n o f scholar­ ships and grants which do not o b lig ate e ith e r the student's study time or his post-graduation pay. But the lim ite d amount o f such fre e money a va ilab le to colleges and u n iv e rs itie s makes such a solution u n re a lis tic . U n iversities must u t i l i z e loans and jobs to help students pay the cost o f th e ir education. 98 "The amount and type o f aid the student receives is mainly dependent upon the income of his fa m ily ," said Johnson. "A complete package o f fin a n c ia l aid would include funds from (1) scholarships, (2) student aid grants, (3 ) Equal Opportunity Grants, (4 ) National Defense loans, and (5) work-study." The Michigan State fin a n c ia l aids program has grown in recent years. ftrTs growth has been p rim a rily due to increases in federal and s tate aid programs aimed a t insuring th a t low income persons have an opportunity fo r higher education. I came to MSU as the d ire c to r of the Financial Aids O ffice July 1, 1959. Up to th is d ate, there had been no Financial Aids O ffic e , said Dykema. There was a scholarship o ffic e and a Men's and Women's O ffice th a t administered short-term loans. The inauguration of the Financial Aids O ffice a t MSU was due to the National Defense Act o f 1958. Due to th is a c t, MSU was given $250,000 to aid students in fin a n c ia l need by par­ tic ip a tin g in the National Defense Program. In 1959, the Financial Aids O ffice consisted of myself and one secretary whose services I shared with another o ffic e . . . Ron Roderick was appointed A ssistant D irector in 1963, and since then the personnel of the o ffic e has expanded to include eleven (11) fin a n c ia l aid ass istan ts, th irte e n (13) secretaries and f if te e n (15; p a rttime c le r ic a l ass istan ts. The expenditures fo r fin a n c ia l aids have increased to more than seven m illio n d o lla rs in federal funds as o f 1970-71. Perhaps the program through which the la rg e s t number o f jobs fo r students is obtained is the College Wcrk-Study Program. According to the annual report issued by the Michigan State U n iversity Financial 99 Aids O ffic e , 2,263 students were under the Work-Study Program during the 1970-71 school year. 2 Many o f those students were involved in the developmental program. Mork-Study " I would ra th e r have students be involved in any a lte rn a tiv e program rath er than take out loans," said L. Michael Smith, Coordina­ to r of the College Work-Study Program a t Michigan State U n ive rs ity. " I would be fo r increased student involvement in the work-study program i f there were a way to measure whether students would be academically harmed by working a work-study jo b ," he said. There are those, however, who contend th a t "meaningful" workstudy job experiences enhance, rath er than d e tra c t, from a student's a b i l it y to perform in the classroom. They point out th a t when a student's work-study assignment corresponds w ith his academic in te re s ts , he gets an exposure to the world o f work which often produces a greater understanding o f his studies. According to Dr. Gunnings, the work-study program o ffe rs a po s itiv e opportunity to provide academic as well as fin a n c ia l assistance. "Work-Study should e n ta il the assigning o f students to do the kind of work th a t w ill bridge the gap between theory and p ra c tic e ," Gunnings said. "Study should become work and work, study. Students should not, however, be forced to work i f they perceive i t as detrim ental to t h e ir studies." ^Annual Report o f Financial Aids O ffic e , Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , 1970-71. 100 Mrs. C ollins is somewhat cautious about the u t iliz a t io n o f workstudy as a means of fin a n c ia l assistance fo r students w ith academic problems. While she is supportive o f the work-study concept, she indicates th at working can often be detrim ental: "We often do not recommend th a t freshmen in the Developmental Program become involved in work-study jobs th e ir f i r s t term, due to the adjustment problems they face. I f these students have low grades, we sometimes decide th a t they would be a poor choice fo r work-study. However, a student can withdraw from a work-study job a t any tim e." Mrs. C ollins also pointed out, however, th a t when a student has work-study as a part of his fin a n c ia l aid package and he e ith e r f a il s to fin d a job or fo r some reson withdraws from a job without using his f u ll a llo c a tio n of funds, he doesn't receive work-study money. "A student may be assigned to a work-study jo b , but i f he doesn't come to apply fo r work he w ill not receive the money allo cated fo r th is purpose. In other words, students do not receive money u n til they earn i t . Some students w a it u n til w inter term of th e ir freshman year to apply. Rowe of HEW points out the d i f f i c u l t nature of such a question and stresses that the development of solid counseling programs and close contact with students is an important p art o f the so lu tio n . Responding to a questionnaire, he wrote: I t is d i f f i c u l t to provide an answer th a t would be appropriate fo r a l l cases. G enerally, a p rin c ip le of packaging might suggest a continuation o f loan, work and grant. Each case needs to be reviewed. The resources ava ilab le and the degree of need th a t students bear must be considered. There w ill be instances where loans exclusively are most appropriate or other circumstances th at indicate that work is best. Perhaps placing a number of properly funded resources 101 in in s titu tio n s fo r use in an atmosphere th at encourages a proper student-counselor re la tio n s h ip is the id e a l. The d i f f i c u lt y in providing a firm answer to th is question underscores the importance of student assistance counseling. I t appears, however, th at the federal government is opposed to the providing of to ta l "free money" fin a n c ia l aid packages fo r economically disadvantaged students. Brooks of HEW wrote: Congress included a matching requirement in EOG le g is la tio n to encourage the combination of work and/or loan with grant a id . The composition of the individual packages was l e f t to the aids o f fic e r 's d is c re tio n , however, on the theory th a t he could best determine which p a rtic u la r aid package was best fo r a students. As y e t, we know of no evidence which would suggest th a t the inclusion of the matching requirement was not in the best in te re s t of a ll concerned. While there appears to be general agreement th a t work-study should not be forced upon students when such work w ill be detrim ental to th e ir academic performance, the question o f the value o f "meaningful11 or "creative" work-study jobs is one which evokes a great deal o f emotion and controversy. There are those who contend that only those jobs which o ffe r a "meaningful and creative" work experience which has the p o ten tial of enhancing the classroom performance o f students should be funded. Others note that work-study is a fin a n c ia l a id , not an academic, enrich­ ment program. "C ateg o rically, a ll work-study jobs on f i l e at Michigan State U n iversity are crea tive because a student can learn as much as he wants in his work experience," said Smith o f Work-Study. "No job is not meaningful. By law, the main objective or p r io r it y of work-study jobs is to give students more funds fo r th e ir education. is in d iv id u a l. The d e fin itio n of meaningful Some persons would consider meaningful to mean enhancing them fin a n c ia lly , w hile others would consider meaningful to mean an educational experience." 102 "Most jobs should be geared to what the student wants to do in his l i f e work," said Dr. Gunnings. in to maintenance jobs. "Black students should not be programmed Black people have had t h e ir share o f these types of jobs." Noting, however, th a t work-study is a fin a n c ia l aid to o l, Gunnings indicated th a t: " I f a maintenance job is the la s t a lte rn a tiv e , we (meaning black students) w ill do i t . When c re a tiv e , career-oriented jobs are a v ia la b le , they should go to m in o ritie s f i r s t . " The number of jobs provided by the Work-Study Program has been reduced in recent years. According to the Annual Report issued by the Michigan State U n iversity Financial Aids O ffice in 1970-71, 2,263 students were employed under the Work-Study Program. That represented a loss of 56 students from the previous year. " I a ttr ib u te th is loss o f jobs to the lack of a f u ll-tim e summer program o f work-study jobs being a va ilab le to students," said Smith. "The reduced summer program th is year, as compared to the summer of 1970, was due to lack of federal funds. The lower reimbursement (In the f a l l of 1971, Michigan State U n iversity went to a 50-50 percent reimbursement rate fo r employers who took part in the work-study program, elim inating its 80-20 percent reimbursement program,) gives the u n iv e rs ity more money to to u t i l i z e . U ltim a te ly , i t is hopes th a t th is policy w ill procure more jobs fo r students. A low percentage of firms and government o ffic e s cancelled th e ir contracts with us, but we expect that they w ill even­ tu a lly renew them. In the 1970 summer work-study program there were about 1,200 students working f u ll-tim e and 400 part-tim e workers. In the 1971 summer program, there were about 450 students working part-tim e o n ly ." 103 The 1970 Sumner Work-Study Program went about one-third of a m illio n d o llars in the red. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare would have had to supply $600,000 in order to continue the summer program a t the A program which 1970-71 le v e ls , and th is was not done. is almost never u tliz e d by black students and one which is used almost t o t a lly by whites is the Guaranteed Loan Program. The Guaranteed Loan Program involves lending in s titu tio n s other than Michigan State U niversity funds. Applicants fo r a loan must meet requirements o f these in s titu tio n s , which are usually banks," Dykema said. . . . Since banks prefer people with good c re d it ra tin g s , a m in ority fam ily might be refused because the fam ily has a poor c re d it ra tin g s ." Who Benefits? Who Should Pay? The question of who should bear the major burden of financing the higher education of educationally students is a central one. and economically disadvantaged The present fin a n c ia l assistance system assumes th at the governm ents--state, federal and lo c a l--th e students, and his fam ily should share the burden. I t is fo r th is reason th at the Parent's Confidential Statement has in many instances been made the sole determining fa c to r in e l i g i b i l i t y . This approach assumes th a t the more money a fam ily earns, the more i t w ill be able to contribute to the financing of a student's education. The primary reasoning behind this sharing appears to be the fe e lin g th at the students and his fam ily are the ones who reap the benefits from higher education and therefore should pay as much of the cost as they can reasonably a ffo rd . Government's role is considered to be one of supplementing the fam ily only when necessary to insure an opportunity fo r a ll c itize n s who can 104 b en efit from higher education to obtain one, regardless of the fin a n c ia l resources av a ila b le to the fam ily. Dr. C lifto n Wharton, President of Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , holds a d iffe r e n t view. Dr. Wharton notes th a t, w hile individual and th e ir fa m ilie s reap substantial benefits from obtaining higher education, society as a whole also obtains substantial benefits from a student's higher education investment. In fa c t, he indicates th a t i t might be argued th a t society as a whole benefits more than the individual and his fam ily. The social benefits of education can roughly be divided in to two classes: (1) Those which enhance the in d iv id u a l's capacities to contribute to the community as a c itiz e n , and (2) Those which contribute to increased p ro d u ctivity of the economy. I t is m anifestly c le a r th at a highly advanced in d u s tria l society with a democratic form of government requires a high level of social and technical understanding among its c itiz e n s i f they are to successfully cope with crucial public issues. . . The sig ­ nificance of education in general economic growth is without question. Less understood, perhaps, is the ro le of our i n s t i ­ tutions o f higher learning in the production and d is trib u tio n of knowledge which contributes generally to the level of p ro d u ctivity of the economy and thus results in higher incomes of workers— u n s k ille d , s k ille d , managerial and professional. That workers in general b en efit from our accumulated knowledge, rath er than simply those who have acquired a higher education, is indicated by the high incomes of unskilled workers in American industry as contrasted with workers of equal capacity in the less developed areas of the w o rld .3 Wharton indicates th a t, while there have been developed no s a tis fa c to ry means of measuring accurately the contribution of higher "Higher Education: Who Benefits? Who Pays?" A speech by Dr. C lifto n Wharton, President, Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , Delivered a t the Oakland U n ive rs ity, Rochester, Michigan, Commencement, June 5, 1971. r 105 education to the increased p ro du ctivity of the U.S. economy, higher education has made a major contribution to so-called "advances in knowledge" and those advances accounted fo r an estimated 20 percent of the growth in national product fo r the period from 1929 to 1957 and an estimated 34 percent of the growth in income per capita from 1950 to 1962.7 "Consequently," Wharton said in th a t speech, "the assumption th at the student is the sole b en eficiary from an education is patently fa ls e and the ju s t if ic a tio n which underlies the current trends of s h iftin g from public to p rivate support fo r higher education is equally misguided." Another aspect of the fin a n c ia l aids problem is the question of student management of funds provided. When youthful students are provided with loans or work-study a id , they are expected to budget those funds in a manner which w ill enable them to meet th e ir basic tu it io n , room, board and classroom needs. Sometimes th is doesn't happen and students find themselves short fin a n c ia lly even when the fin a n c ia l assistance they have received was generally adequate fo r the meeting of those needs. "I have recommended th at students receiving fin a n cial aid take a Consumer Education course to learn how to e ffe c tiv e ly budget th e ir earnings and loans. As of the f a ll of 1971, a student must immediately apply a ll of his loan money to tu it io n , board and room expenses. In e ffe c t, the u n iversity is helping the student to budget his money. Whether the u n iversity should more a c tiv e ly supervise the student's budgeting of his money is a debatable question," said Dykema. 106 "We think the tightening of the short-term loan p o lic y , coupled with having the students pay a ll of th e ir fees at once, w ill help these students budget th e ir money," said Ron Roderick. term loan is fo r emergency need. The short­ I t is not to be given i f a student mismanages his money fo r room and board. "A short-term loan was issued to cover a payment on a long-term loan. This kind of loan is being discouraged," Dykema noted. Dr. Gunnings would impose even more string ent controls to insure th at fin a n c ia l aid provided is spent fo r the purposes fo r which i t is awarded. " I think a b e tte r solution would be to give the students money in the form of c re d it card vouchers. This way there is no way that the money can be spent fo r other reasons," he said. " I f a ll incoming freshmen were required to take a course in money management or consumer education, regardless of whether or not they are on fin a n c ia l a id , i t might help. But ju s t to make the recip ien ts of fin a n c ia l aid take the course would be asking th at another control be imposed upon them." 107 PART I I In an attempt to ascertain information about the Developmental Program's black students' a ttitu d e s towards the fin a n c ia l aids program a t MSU, a sampling of 258 DP (Developmental Program) students were sent questionnaires. These questionnaires were also designed to provide demographic inform ation about the students, where they came from, th e ir sex, whether or not they have declared majors and who was most in f lu ­ e n tia l in th e ir decision to attend MSU. I t was determined th a t the ra tio of female to males among the group was about the same, 59% to 41%, as i t was among the general MSU student population, and th a t lik e the MSU population as a whole, most DP students have not declared a major (See Table 22). Of the Developmental Students who declared majors, there were some twenty-four (24) d iffe r e n t majors declared by the two hundred f if t y - e i g h t (258) students. Twenty-five o f the students selected Sociology as a major, f ifte e n choose Social Science, fifte e n Psychology, tw en ty-five Education, and the remaining a v a rie ty of categories. Unlike the general MSU population, however, almost h a lf of the DP sampling indicated th a t in th e ir decision to come to MSU was the re s u lt of some contact w ith persons from the MSU Admissions O ffic e , and a ll of sampling were from urban areas. The Admissions O ffic e (48%), and parents (33%) were p rim a rily th e ir sources of in fluence. (Table 23). The vast m ajority of the students, 70%, found t h e ir experience at MSU to be what they expected or b e tte r than they expected, which indicates that the information they received about the u n iversity p rio r 108 to e n ro llin g was r e la tiv e ly complete and accurate. Of the students who found th e ir experience e ith e r disappointing or less than they had expected, females were four times as lik e ly to have negative feelings than males. (See Table 2 4 ). The biggest problems, according to the students, were understanding the course work, the problems relate d to dormitory liv in g and roommates, and finding things to do with th e ir spare tim e. S u rp risin g ly, getting enough money ranked low among the problems students faced. Also ranked low among the problems were g irlfrie n d s /b o y frie n d problems, getting used to being away from home, and find ing enough time to study. (See Table 25). Developmental Program students are receiving every type of fin a n c ia l aid a v a ila b le . Almost a ll DP students are receiving Student Aid Grants and Academic scholarships of various types, (See Table 26), but despite th is , more than h a lf must also receive National Defense Act Loans (1 6 1 ), p rivate bank loans (1 7 6 ), and short-term loans (185) to cover th e ir educational needs during the year. In a d d itio n , a ll of the students surveyed worked at least part of the year in order to pay fo r th e ir education. Most DP students, (1 4 8 ), held College Work-Study Program jo b s, while 120 held non-federally assisted jobs. These numbers indicate th at some students worked both Work-Study financed and nonwork-study jobs. In ad d itio n , parents and re la tiv e s provided assistance in 142 cases. I t is evident th at the vast m ajority of the DP students depend upon the MSU fin a n c ia l aids program as the primary source of money fo r th e ir education. (See Table 27), But despite the fa c t th a t 200 of the students sampled indicated that the fin a n c ia l aids program was 109 th e ir primary source of assistance, parents and re la tiv e s and personal savings rank high as funding sources, and p rivate loans represent a s ig n ific a n t source of assistance. The survey shows th a t students are e ith e r gettin g a lo t o f aid from parents or none a t a l l . appears to be no middle ground. There Students seem to consider such contributions as e ith e r a major source of educational finance or an in s ig n ific a n t source. Clubs, churches, and other p rivate organizations also provide an important source o f income fo r students on the Developmental Program. The counseling program came in fo r some s ig n ific a n t c ritic is m . Although the m ajority of students indicated th a t they feel th a t counselors do th e ir best to help students a ll or most of the tim e, a large number, 104, indicated th a t they f e l t counselors did th e ir best only sometimes or seldom. The number of negative responses is s ig n ific a n t enough to warrant a serious evaluation of the current counseling program. Again, females were four times as lik e ly to respond negatively than males. (See Table 2 8). Students appear to be extremely concerned about the need to develop new guidelines fo r the fin a n c ia l-a id s program and to increase student-aid grants. Table 29). Both issues received high p r io r ity ratings (see The students also gave a high p r io r it y ratin g to the need to abolish a ll loans to low-income students. When asked fo r suggestions regarding improving the fin a n c ia l-a id s program, almost 100% of the students agreed th at there was a need fo r more grants, fewer loans, and work-study relate d to th e ir curriculum and providing a rate of pay which would enable them to earn th e ir to ta l allotm ent. (See Table 30). no There appears to be no serious c r e d ib ility gap with regard to the d e liv e ry of services. Most o f the students (171) indicated th a t when they were promised fin a n c ia l aid they received i t . Scholarships and G ift Aid were the most popular forms o f assistance while Work-Study appeared to be viewed with p o sitive fe e lin g s . Loans and the performance of counselors rank high on the l i s t o f items students lik e le a s t about the program (See Table 32). Short term loans with 233 students indicating opposition, led the l i s t of items like d le a s t, and loans in general ranked high on the student's hate l i s t . Without question, students preferred work-study to loans as a means of fin a n c ia l a id . biggest opposition to loans was the need to pay in te re s t Their and the lack of jobs enabling them to repay loans. While there appears to be widespread opposition among students to the use of work-study as a major part o f the fin a n c ia l aid package, they did indicate that lack of adequate transportation to reach o f fcampus jobs and low pay were the biggest drawbacks to the work-study program. Most students on work-study f e l t that th e ir work was relevant to th e ir studies, and the vast m ajo rity f e l t th a t the program e ith e r made no s ig n ific a n t d ifferen ce in th e ir grades or a c tu a lly helped them to improve th e ir graded (See Table 39). P ra c tic a lly a ll of the students surveyed indicated th a t they were not certain th at they would be able to continue th e ir education i f they were not receiving fin a n c ia l a id . Only 10 students f e l t th a t they would d e fin ite ly be able to make i t , while 129 indicated th a t there was no way they could continue without assistance. The remainder said that perhaps they could continue but they were not sure. A s ig n ific a n t Ill number, 73, indicated that i t sometimes or re g u la rly became necessary fo r them to make contributions to th e ir fam ilie s fin a n c ia lly , and 97 indicated th at they had had to make such contributions once or twice w hile they were in school. 1. Please indicate your sex status: 2. Please indicate your present class standing a t Michigan State U n iversity: Male or Female Freshman or Sophomore. TABLE 20 SEX AND CLASS STANDING OF DEVELOPMENTAL STUDENTS Freshman Sophomores Total Female 57 97 154 Male 39 65 104 TOTAL 96 162 258 3. In what c ity did you graduate from High School? TABLE 21 GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF HIGH SCHOOLS OF DEVELOPMENTAL STUDENTS Female Male TOTAL Detroi t Grand Rapids F lin t Lansing Total 129 8 5 12 154 82 5 8 10 105 211 13 13 22 259 112 4. Have you chosen a major fo r your degree? I f so, what? TABLE 22 DECISION ON MAJOR FIELD Male 5. Female Yes No Yes 30 72 42 Total No 112 Yes No 72 184 Which of the follow ing people was most in flu e n tia l in your decision to en ro ll a t Michigan State University? TABLE 23 INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN DECISION TO ENROLL AT MSU Male Female 17 70 87 Total A. Mother or Father B. School teacher or counselor 7 5 12 C. Friend or r e la tiv e connected with M.S.U. 1 4 5 D. Friend or r e la tiv e not connected with M.S.U. 3 1 4 E. P rincipal or other community workers 5 28 33 F. Someone from M.S.U. Admissions O ffic e 74 49 123 G. Other (Please specify) 1 0 1 113 6. So f a r , what has been your overall experience a t Michigan State University? TABLE 24 APPRAISAL OF MSU EXPERIENCE Really out­ standing Somewhat B etter Than Expected About as Expected Somewhat Less Than Expected Very Disappoi n ti ng TOTAL 9 48 37 10 1 105 Female 11 26 72 45 0 154 TOTAL 20 74 109 55 1 259 Male 1 7. P le a s e r a n k th e m o s t s e r io u s p ro b le m s in s e q u e n t ia l o rd e r. TABLE 25 SEQUENTIAL RANKING OF STUDENT PROBLEMS 1 M a k in g F r i e n d s / F i n d i n g D a te s Bad S tu d y H a b it s to do w it h FEMALE 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 11 9 2 3 4 9 40 7 8 57 4 4 8 28 22 44 12 22 16 31 TOTAL 5 6 7 8 4 10 40 52 22 14 68 9 1 0 22 51 11 42 4 7 8 4 8 53 10 21 10 13 10 37 10 14 60 24 27 24 17 4 8 10 29 7 3 7 7 29 6 7 14 7 7 4 1 3 11 16 10 35 12 0 0 2 5 20 16 8 35 13 15 6 6 8 14 42 33 53 21 6 44 68 19 59 33 14 6 7 6 6 31 4 6 17 2 8 0 6 11 26 6 8 10 36 15 2 1 3 7 4 28 7 8 67 10 10 10 29 3 5 7 8 4 5 4 8 29 52 6 14 10 8 3 5 21 64 65 21 22 14 13 5 17 7 12 5 3 2 5 68 13 15 5 22 7 8 6 11 13 21 8 17 24 46 8 12 28 7 13 7 19 5 7 6 10 85 20 27 14 37 1 9 22 42 17 43 29 26 54 2 1 7 26 14 20 38 43 28 4 87 26 18 13 36 7 33 14 12 8 8 29 114 E nough T im e t o Dorm L iv in g /R o o m m a te P ro b le m s 4 9 15 10 6 27 7 3 9 F in d in g C o u rs e s 2 6 14 11 Used t o in 1 7 G e ttin g th e M a te r ia l 9 7 3 P ro b le m s 8 8 Enough Money G ir lf r ie n d / B o y f r ie n d 7 6 G e ttin g S tu d y MALE 5 6 4 6 11 T h in g s B e in g Away From Home 3 3 31 12 15 F in d in g U n d e r s ta n d in g S p a re Tim e 2 8. Have you received any fin a n c ia l assistance from the following categories while attending Michigan State University? TABLE 26 SOURCES OF FINANCIAL AID WHILE ATTENDING M.S.U. MALE No Yes FEMALE No Yes National Defense Act Loan 43 62 53 99 96 161 Work-Study Program 29 76 82 72 111 148 Equal Opportunity Program Grant 29 76 86 68 115 144 104 0 154 0 258 0 Student Aid Grant 9 96 7 147 16 243 Academic Scholarship 9 12 12 142 21 238 Short-Term Loans 41 63 32 122 73 185 Loans From Private Banks 25 77 54 99 79 176 Parents or Relatives 32 72 84 70 116 142 Part or Full-Tim e Jobs not through Work-Study 48 90 64 138 120 A th le tic Scholarship 56 Total No Yes \ 9. Please check the three most important sources from which you receive money fo r your college expenses. TABLE 27 FINANCIAL SOURCES OF STUDENT AID MALE 3 4 FEMALE 3 4 6 1 2 36 24 10 1 49 11 3 1 2 7 105 4 32 4 7 16 37 44 2 12 47 18 20 5 Personal Savings 4 30 14 22 36 Other 2 8 24 19 14 2 1 18 13 87 5 Parental Contribution 9 Private Loans Private Contribution Through M.S.U. Financial Aids O ffice TOTAL 3 4 5 6 1 2 25 46 20 .2 67 24 40 0 1 4 191 9 11 5 8 19 66 53 5 36 15 31 62 4 8 0 42 36 57 9 35 0 11 44 31 15 5 6 61 70 30 43 1 3 11 43 9 15 35 103 7 48 62 49 82 9 8 4 72 50 79 35 16 51 2 19 68 50 29 86 116 5 1 117 10. Please rank your opinions of Michigan State U n iversity Financial Aids Counselors. A. Always do th e ir best to help B. Usually do th e ir best to help C. Sometimes do th e ir best to help D. Seldom do th e ir best to help TABLE 28 OPINIONS OF FINANCIAL AID COUNSELORS Always Usually Sometimes Seldom Male 38 37 20 10 105 Female 22 57 32 42 154 TOTAL 60 94 52 52 259 TOTAL 1 11. In order fo r the Financial Aids O ffice to become relevant and sensitive in assisting students with the financing of th e ir education, what would you suggest i t do f ir s t ? A. B. C. D. E. F. Provide Scholarships Develop new guidelines Increase EOG grants Encourage counselors to becomemore sensitive to student needs Increase student aid grants Abolish a ll loans to low incomestudents TABLE 29 SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVED FINANCIAL AID 2 Provide Scholarships 20 20 33 Develop New Guidelines 28 39 Increase EOG Grants 27 More Sensitive Counselors Increase Student Aid Grants Abolish a ll Loans to LowInccme Students FEMALE 3 4 5 6 1 2 35 14 49 6 54 36 68 25 41 21 3 6 85 64 10 27 10 54 49 4 37 28 23 55 16 24 31 4 35 42 1 0 8 4 26 11 16 30 24 48 14 15 5 6 1 2 17 8 6 35 16 18 9 7 3 57 9 14 20 25 9 10 14 19 16 18 2 5 7 13 18 18 13 29 TOTAL 3 4 5 6 31 57 12 59 30 10 9 36 24 74 74 13 33 69 35 40 49 32 6 109 13 11 39 41 151 42 61 43 26 23 48 39 118 MALE 3 4 1 119 11. (b) Have you any special suggestions to the Financial Aids O ffic e fo r improving its assistance to m inority and disadvantaged students? A. B. C. D. E. More Grants More Scholarships Fewer Loans More Work-Study Less Work-Study TABLE 30 SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVED MINORITY GROUP FINANCIAL AID Male Female More Grants 105 152 More Scholarships 105 153 Fewer Loans 104 153 More Work-Study 100 146 Less Work-Study 93 132 12. When promised fin a n c ia l aid at M.S „U ., does i t always "come through"? TABLE 31 DEPENDABILITY OF MSU AID COMMITMENTS Yes No Total Male 84 19 105 Female 87 65 154 171 84 259 TOTAL 13. Please rank in o rd e r the t h in g s you l i k e most about the f i n a n c i a l aid s program a t M.S.U. TABLE 32 MOST SATISFACTORY ASPECTS OF MSU FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM MALE 3 4 5 6 1 2 7 4 24 68 3 2 4 19 41 3 1 85 32 27 1 2 1 20 42 27 0 0 1 Work-Study Program 11 16 14 33 28 3 9 6 Scholarship Program 51 24 25 5 0 55 80 15 3 1 3 43 17 30 10 2 35 92 16 8 Counselors G ift Aids Loans Other 1 2 2 0 41 2 FEMALE 3 4 TOTAL 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 70 71 5 2 11 7 94 10 0 126 51 68 13 1 2 n 15 112 65 77 1 2 10 2 20 22 106 104 1 6 5 41 107 29 145 38 40 8 1 66 109 46 18 6 139 104 5 3 14. Please i n d ic a t e th in g s you l i k e l e a s t about the f i n a n c i a l aids program in ra n k in g order. A. B. C. D. E. Short-term loans EOG Grants National Defense Loans Work-Study Other TABLE 33 MOST LEAST SATISFACTORY ASPECTS OF MSU FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM 4 5 1 2 FEMALE 3 4 5 1 2 2 2 2 144 5 3 1 1 233 1 30 21 52 0 38 7 23 86 7 47 23 5 23 3 37 73 39 Work-Study 6 30 21 32 16 6 37 50 Other 4 16 28 45 12 1 36 21 1 2 89 10 EOG Grants 1 National Defense Loans Short-Term Loans MALE 3 TOTAL 3 4 5 15 5 3 1 39 37 44 138 2 10 84 96 44 25 44 17 12 67 71 76 33 47 48 5 52 49 92 60 3 122 15. Could you get enough money to continue your education i f you received no fin a n c ia l assistance from M.S.U.? TABLE 34 POSSIBILITIES OF CONTINUING EDUCATION WITHOUT MSU AID Yes Maybe No TOTAL Male 7 37 60 105 Female 3 82 69 154 TOTAL 10 119 129 259 16. Which o f the f o l lo w in g a l t e r n a t i v e s would you say i s the b e s t way to help a s tu d e n t f in a n c e h is education? A. B. C. D. E. A11 loans and No work-study Mostly loans an? some work-study About h a lf loans and h a lf w o rk-stu d y Some loans and mostly work-study No loans and a ll worlc-study TABLE 35 ALTERNATIVES FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION A ll Loans No Work-Study MALE FEMALE TOTAL Mostly Loans Some Work-Study H alf Loans H a lf Work-Study Some Loans Mostly Work-Study No Loans A ll Work-Study TOTAL 11 25 10 26 33 105 8 3 5 74 64 154 19 28 15 100 97 259 124 17. What is the biggest disadvantage of using loans to help finance your education? TABLE 36 DISADVANTAGES OF USING EDUCATIONAL LOANS Male Feir.a 1e TOTAL Repayment of Loans 79 94 173 In te re s t on Loans 82 64 146 Having Hold Cards a t Registration 61 75 136 Not Having a Job to Repay Loans 65 94 159 18. What i s the b ig g e s t disadvantage o f using Work-Study to fin a n c e y o ur education? A. B. C. D. E. F. Transportation o ff campus Lack of Good jobs available Jobs do not re la te to curriculum Takes away time needed fo r study Jobs do not pay enough Cannot earn the maximum of award TABLE 37 FINANCIAL DISADVANTAGES OF USING WORK-STUDY MALE 4 3 5 6 1 2 11 8 10 22 35 30 9 10 40 17 9 7 5 29 25 57 2 2 25 25 23 27 1 2 Takes away Time Needed fo r Study 5 4 15 17 28 35 40 Jobs do not Pay Enough 9 27 23 32 11 2 21 19 15 12 24 13 1 2 Transportati on 41 11 Lack of Jobs Available 26 Jobs do not Relate to Curriculum Cannot Earn Maximum FEMALE 3 4 5 TOTAL 4 5 6 1 2 3 11 58 76 41 20 18 21 80 8 9 25 55 65 74 17 16 30 31 68 19 32 3 4 56 93 42 59 4 21 42 32 14 45 8 36 59 60 49 11 28 23 10 77 4 20 55 46 42 88 6 37 64 12 15 5 20 58 83 27 27 29 33 6 126 19. Please rank the Work-Study jo b s you have had i n s e q u e n tia l o r d e r . A. B. C. D. F. Were Were Were Were Were almost always a relevant educational experience usually a relevant educational experience sometimes a relevant educational experience seldom a relevant educational experience almost never a relevant educational experience TABLE 38 RELEVANCE OF WORK-STUDY EXPERIENCE TO SPECIFIC EDUCATION Always Usually Sometimes Seldom Male 10 34 25 9 26 105 Female 16 59 52 25 1 154 TOTAL 26 93 77 34 27 259 20. Never TOTAL Based on your experience how would you assess Work-Study jobs? A. B. C. Often account fo r poor grades Usually don't make any d ifferen ce in grades Often account fo r b e tte r grades TABLE 39 PERSONAL ASSESSMENT OF WORK--STUDY JOB A. Often Poor B. No D ifference Male 46 32 26 105 Female 29 65 59 154 TOTAL 75 97 85 259 C. Often B etter TOTAL 127 21. Has i t ever been necessary fo r you to use your money to aid the fam ily back home? A. B. C. D. Yes, Often Yes, Sometimes Yes, Just once or Twice No, Never TABLE 40 PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO FAMILY FINANCES Often Sometimes Once or Twice Male 14 16 20 54 105 Female 25 18 77 33 154 TOTAL 39 34 97 87 259 22. Never TOTAL I f giv ;n a Work-Study grant large enough to cover most of your edu cational expenses, relate d to your college major and paying well enough, would you prefer Work-Study rather than a loan? A. B. C. A ll Work-Study Loan Both TABLE 41 IS ADEQUATE WORK-STUDY INCOME PREFERRABLE TO LOANS A ll Work-Study Loan Both TOTAL Male 50 33 20 105 Female 71 7 74 154 121 40 94 259 Both CHAPTER V SUMMARY, FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND EPILOGUE Summary o f the Problem and Methods of In vestig atio n The purpose of th is study was to in vestigate the new adm inistrative problems created fo r in s titu tio n s of higher education which provide a program of fin a n c ia l assistance to black college students with socio­ economic disadvantages, and to include: (1) a descriptive report of the impact of fin a n c ia l aid upon the academic and social survival of a selected group o f black students at -'■'igan State U n iversity; (2) a descrip tive summary report of opinions cu rren tly held by decision-m akers--state le g is la to r s , college adm inistrators and fin a n c ia l aid counselors— of fin a n c ia l assistance fo r the educationally and economically disadvantaged black student; (3) a comprehensive description of the types of fin a n c ia l aid a v a ila b le at Michigan State U niversity and, more im p ortan tly, the a ttitu d e s of the U n ive rs ity's decision makers towards the amount and d is trib u tio n of fin a n c ia l aid funds to disadvantaged students. (4) a descriptive report of opinions cu rren tly held by black developmental students and th e ir perception and a ttitu d e s toward the fin a n c ia l aid program at Michigan State U n ive rs ity. There have been few studies in vestig atin g the needs of fin a n c ia l aid recipients from th e ir point of view. 128 Many words undocumented by 129 students have been w ritte n about the fin a n c ia l-a id needs of black students of educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This study provides that student-oriented documentation. The population chosen fo r th is study was a randomly-selected group of black students enrolled in the Developmental Program during spring term 1972 a t Michigan State U n iversity. Six hundred and fo r ty of the 1,954 black students enrolled a t Michigan State U n iversity are enrolled in the Developmental Program. Most are the recipients o f some form of fin a n c ia l aid through the U n ive rs ity. Only freshmen and sophomores were selected fo r th is study and a ll 259 Developmental Program students in those two classes were questioned. I t was f e l t th a t these two classes would make the best population to sample, so no tab le of random numbers was u t iliz e d . Two d iffe r e n t types of questionnaire were developed, one fo r black Developmental Program students and another fo r Michigan State U n iversity adm inistrators, le g is la to rs , and state and national G ffic ia ls of the United States O ffice of H ealth, Education and W elfare. The student questionnaire consisted of twenty-three questions and eighty-one variables pertin ent to fin a n c ia l assistance to m inority students. The variables were divided into categories re fle c tin g the student view of the fin a n c ia l-a id package and program. The questionnaire administered to the other group was designed to s o lic it responses on how in s titu tio n s of higher learning should be funded, or how other guidelines should be developed fo r determining ways in which to aid disadvantaged students. A copy of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix A. 130 A survey of the 259 Developmental Program students was conducted. Each student was contacted, given a questionnaire, and allowed two weeks to complete i t . The students conducting the survey contacted each student who had been given a questionnaire to insure th a t each questionnaire was completed in e n tire ty . The questionnaires were then returned to the researcher fo r fin a l examination. The student responses were coded onto data processing cards and analyzed. The Computer In s titu te fo r Social Science Research (CISSR) Act Program was used to summarize the data in to contingency tables with accompanying percentage breakdowns. The Michigan State U n iversity computer laboratory f a c i l i t i e s and the Control Data Corporation's 3600 Computer were used to analyze the data. Findings and Conclusions The findings of th is study ju s t if ie d the follow ing conclusions: 1. Disadvantaged black students receiving fin a n c ia l aid feel th a t they are receiving enough money to make i t through school. They rank academic problems, such as understanding course m a te ria l, and social problems related to adjusting to dormitory liv in g as th e ir most serious problems. This perception is contrary to the assumptions made in most previously conducted studies which indicated th a t money, or the lack of i t , was major problem fo r such students. 2. Loans are the least desired types of fin a n c ia l assistance provided to black educationally and economically disadvantaged students, but more than h a lf of the Developmental Program students have loans as a v it a l part of th e ir fin a n c ia l aid package. In fa c t, more than h a lf 131 such students u t il iz e more than one loan program. The students give a high p r io r it y to the need to abolish a ll loans to low income students. Almost 100 per cent of the students agreed th a t there was a need fo r more grants and fewer loans (See Table 3 0). 3. Although the vast m ajority o f the surveyed students consider fin a n c ia l aid from Michigan State U n iversity to be the major source o f support fo r th e ir education, almost a ll of them l i s t parents, r e la ­ tive s and personal savings as s ig n ific a n t sources of th e ir educational funds. 4. Since fin a n c ia l problems are minimized fo r the surveyed students, they are b e tte r able to concentrate on th e ir academic and personal problems. 5. Despite a ll of the fin a n c ia l aid received, most surveyed students fin d i t necessary to work a t le a s t part o f the year. Those students who work during the academic year fin d th a t th e ir jobs do not in te r fe r s ig n ific a n tly with th e ir academic performance and progress. Recommendations 1. Before any fin a n c ia l aids o f f ic ia l is employed he or she should be throughly screened by a special screening committee to determine whether or not he is suited fo r the position . 2. The u n iversity should make i t manditory fo r a ll fin a n c ia l aids o ffic e rs to undergo a rig id on going tra in in g and s e n s itiv ity sessions program, enabling them to become more sen sitive to students and th e ir needs. 132 3. A task force should be immediately formed to study the fin a n c ia l aids program and it s problems to a lt e r guidelines and establish new ones to b e tte r serve the needs o f students. 4. The task force should consist of sen sitive fa c u lty members or adm inistrators and a t le a s t one th ir d student body who are recip ien ts o f fin a n c ia l aids. 5. Any fin a n c ia l aids o f f ic ia l who is found to be in sen s itiv e and a stone ra c is t should be removed e n tir e ly from his position as a counselor. 6. Social economic disadvantaged students should never be awarded short term loans or any type of loan unless i t becomes an extreme emergency in which i t should never be. 7. A ll social and economic disadvantaged students fin a n c ia l aids funds should be set aside before one penny is awarded to middle class students. 8. The parents con fidential statement should not be used as the only c r it e r ia in awarding fin a n c ia l aids to low income students i t is t o t a lly u n re a lis tic fo r determining needs fo r poor students. 9. I f the Parent's co n fid en tia l statements are continued to be the guideline in determining needs, a person to person in terview must be held with both student and parent by the fin a n c ia l aids o f f i c i a l to gain a more thorough in s ite on p e rtin en t inform ation which is not normally revealed in the P.C.S. 10. The work study program should become a s ig n ific a n t p art of the educational process used by the u n iv e rs ity to: A. Making a student job an in terg en t p art of his curriculum . B. Place students on jobs which w ill o ffe r meaningful and valuable experience which he cannot learn in theory or the classroom. C. The u n iv e rs ity must become much more sen sitive and committed toward an afirm a tiv e action plan in opening it s door in employing more m in ority in a ll departments to make students educational process become a r e a lit y . 11. Each fin a n c ia l aids counselor should be evaluated a t the end o f each term by the students and task force to determine how students perceive him and to be held accountable fo r greater output. 12. Financial aids o f f ic ia ls should always make themselves not be allowed to set his o ffic e hours to s u it his needs ra th e r than the students needs. 13. A c tively r e c r u it and educate more m inority students in the fie ld s of medicine, law, science, mathematics, business adm inistra­ tio n s , marketing, ad vertisin g and accounting. 14. Develop a new admissions and re c ru itin g system to involve more community m in o rity leaders in the selection processes o f the s o c ia lly , educationally and economically disadvantaged student. 15. P rio r to the recruitm ent o f s o c ia lly , economically, and educationally disadvantaged students, the U n iversity must be completely 134 knowledgeable and f u lly committed to the educational and social changes which must take place in order fo r a recruitm ent program to be f u ll y implemented. 16. For more positive results to be achieved, the academic fa c u lty must commit i t s e l f to the to ta l re s p o n s ib ility of tu to rin g students with academic d e fic ie n c ie s , rather than re fe rrin g students to a psychological counselor when the problem of the student does not warrant psychological help. 17. A thorough in vestig atio n of the social atmosphere arid problems confronting disadvantaged students should be immediately reviewed and d e a lt w ith . 18. The U n iversity should in vestigate ways of disposing of or reducing the number of short-term loans made to economically disadvantaged students. More g i f t aid and scholarships should be provided fo r the s o c ia lly , economically and educationally disadvantaged student. 19. New and better-paying jobs fo r students receiving work-study awards should be developed in order fo r the student to receive the maximum amount awarded. The Financial Aid o ffic e should develop jobs to match the major selected by the student in order to provide work experience th a t w ill b e tte r prepare him fo r the employment market. 20. Financial Aid O fficers should become more sen sitive and considerate of the needs of disadvantaged students. Also, the needs- analysis processes fo r disadvantaged students should be handled e n tire ly d iffe r e n tly from the processes fo r a student coming from a middle-class background. 135 21. Guidelines which s tip u la te th a t the s o c ia lly and economi­ c a lly disadvantaged student should save a large portion of his summer earnings should be modified to b e tte r assist students who are forced to make a contribution to the support of t h e ir fa m ilie s . Further Recommendations 1. A ll present guidelines set by U n iversity policy should be reviewed fo r m odification and, when necessary, methods should be implemented to b e tte r assist m inority students. M odifications should be made in the College Scholarship Services and American College Testing Program as they re la te to the Parents' Confidential Statement. These are presently designed to meet the needs of students from m iddle-class backgrounds rath er than students from low-income backgrounds. 2. The current needs-analysis system as applied to m in ority students is t o t a lly u n re a lis tic and, th e re fo re , should be completely revised to meet th e ir needs. Both federal and s tate le g is la to r s , in making appropriations and funding to assist college students, should develop new le g is la tio n which w ill have a greater impact on the financing of the education of the s o c ia lly , educationally and economically disadvantaged student. Epilogue The researcher wishes to make the follow ing comments regarding th is study. The major impetus fo r the increase in m inority enrollment has been the increasing amount of federal support of higher education during the 1960's and e arly 1970*s. Due to crises and social causes, higher education fo r m in orities has become almost a national goal in 136 its e lf. P rio r to th is tim e, federal support to colleges and uni­ v e rs itie s was almost exclusively on a quid pro quo basis with govern­ ment awarding funds to in s titu tio n s to achieve some goal deemed important by the Congress or federal agencies. With the r e la tiv e ly new supportive involvement by the federal government, colleges and u n iv e rs itie s o f higher education are expected to ass ist disadvantaged m in orities to p a r titip a te more f u lly in the b en efits and re s p o n s ib ili­ tie s of society a t larg e. In s titu tio n s receiving federal funding should be committed to providing special services and tra in in g to help students overcome the socio-economic disadvantages incurred a t b irth due to the social conditions and in ju s tic e s e xistin g in our so ciety. Society as a whole has yet to make a major commitment to the education of blacks and other m in o rities in whatever educational in s titu tio n they seek to be educated. Despite the d i f f i c u lt y o f funding, colleges and u n iv e rs itie s must recognize the need fo r changing p o lic ies relate d to the support of disadvantaged students. There has been a growing recognition th a t fin a n c ia l b a rrie rs have prevented or in h ib ite d a large number of talented and able m inority youth from a tta in in g higher educa­ tio n . This awareness sould have resulted in scholarships and fin a n c ia l- aid policy changes based p rim a rily upon economic need rather than so lely upon academic accomplishment. A change in fin a n c ia l-a id p o licies would s ig n ific a n tly expand the opportunities fo r economically disadvantaged students to b e n e fit from colleges and u n iv e rs itie s throughout America. 137 More and more we should recognize high school graduates with proven academic p o te n tia l, ta le n t and m otivation who are capable of attending an in s titu tio n of higher education, regardless of th e ir economic status. College students from afflu en t backgrounds have a s ig n ific a n tly greater likelih o o d of attending college than those who are poor. Students from a f f 1uent fami 1ies with an income of over $15,000 are fiv e times more lik e ly to attend college than students from a fam ily with an annual income o f under $3,000. This a ll comes about because black students and other s o c ia lly disadvantaged groups from low-income fa m ilie s are denied equal access to education. Society has made i t possible fo r students from a fflu e n t fam ilie s to attend colleges and u n iv e rs itie s throughout this country on a v a rie ty of scholarship programs designed s p e c ific a lly to bar disadvantaged students. Educa­ tio n a lly disadvantaged students not only do not have equal access to higher education but also find higher admission standards, lack of finances, and in a b ilit y to q u a lify fo r loans and other necessary funds as major stumbling blocks. This is responsible fo r the disapportionately low p a rtic ip a tio n in post high-school education by disadvantaged students. Educational in s titu tio n s must serve the needs of these students. tio n al in s titu tio n s must serve the needs o f these students. Educa­ Educational in s titu tio n s must serve the needs of these students i f the ghetto curtain is not to be perpetuated. A ll kinds of m otivational devices must be made a va ilab le to the disadvantaged student, now as never before, i f he is to harbor any hope. A tremendous e f f o r t on the part o f the to ta l society must be made to awaken the inner m otivation of individu als so affe c te d . To be sure, 138 the awesome and in s is te n t problems confronting th is nation a t home w ill not be solved by education alone, but our best hope of coping with these challenges must re s t heavily on heightened awareness of the social consciences o f a greater number of well-educated men and women. While young blacks and other m in orities are often viewed as e x tra d itio n a lly advantaged by th e ir own communities and peers, th e ir success and fa ilu r e are th e ir communities' success and f a ilu r e . The dilemma of being from a low-income, black community and attempting to succeed in the w h ite-o rie n te d , predominately m iddle-class community has made meeting the fin a n c ia l and relate d emotional needs o f black disadvantaged students increasingly complex. The f i r s t step in meeting the needs of a disadvantaged group is a commitment fo r the necessary social and fin a n c ia l support. The w rite r finds finances to be the most c r it ic a l problem facing disadvantaged students. This is p a rtic u la rly accurate because, in our society, the deficiences in incom e-distribution more heavily a ffe c t m in o rities than whites. The higher level of fin a n c ia l needs among blacks, chicanos, American Indians and poor whites is simply a re fle c tio n of the fa c t th a t a larg er number of th e ir parents f a l l w ithin the low-income groups. Colleges and u n iv e rs itie s have fa ile d to meet the fin a n c ia l needs of the economi­ c a lly disadvantaged student. Regardless of which form fin a n c ia l aid takes, i t should be 50 per cent of a ll higher education budgets by 1980. The College Entrance Examination Board, the American College Testing Service and College Scholarship Services should immediately more to a lte r th e ir existin g guidelines and to establish new ones where needed to meet the needs of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 139 Money is as v ita l to securing a college education as in te llig e n c e . I f fin a n c ia l continues to be unlim ited to middle-class outstanding students, a large number o f aspiring students from poor fam ilie s w ill autom atically be d is q u a lifie d . Some educators re la te the small number o f black students in predominately large white u n iv e rs itie s , such as Michigan State U n ive rs ity, d ir e c tly to lack of s u ffic ie n t funds to aid these students. The problem of providing a college education fo r disadvantaged blacks and other m inority students is a serious one. I f i t was possible fo r man to land on the moon, in spite o f the tremendous cost, i t is c e rta in ly possible to fin d the funds to aid m in o ritie s who are presently exempted from colleges and u n iv e rs itie s . Since the federal government awards b illio n s of d o lla rs to higher education, i t seems to be the trend o f predominantely white in s titu tio n s to en ro ll a few low-income m inority students so lely to f u l f i l l the technical requirements o f the federal government. Although discrim ination and segregation have taken a serious t o ll of the american blacks and are a long and unpleasant h is to ry , th a t americans can rig h t the wrong with th e ir abundant know-how and resources is a fa c t th at can no longer be hidden. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ad hoc Advisory Committee on Eq uality of Access to Higher Education. " ’ ' ty of Access to Higher Education State Board of Education, 1970, in Michigan. Lansing, Michigan 1 7 -2 2 . Alloway, David M. and Cordasco, Francesco. M in o rities and the American C ity . New York: David McKay, In c ., 19^0". American College Testing Program. Monograph No. 1, 1970. The Ghetto College Students, American College Testing Program. Issues o f the Seventies. Edited by Fred C. Harcleroad. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1970. American College Testing Program. Open Admissions and Equal Access. Iowa C ity , Iowa: ACT Publishing O ffic e , 1971. Bernard, Jessie. Marriage and Family Among Negroes. N. J .: P re n tic e -H a ll, In c ., 1966. B illin g s le y , Andrew. C l i f f s , N. J .: Black Families in White America. P re n tic e -H a ll, In c ., 1968. Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. McGraw-Hill, 1970. Englewood C l i f f s , Englewood A Chance to Learn. New York: Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. Less Time, More Options, Education Beyond High School. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971. Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968. Q uality and E q u a lity . Chroncicle of Higher Education, A p ril 22, 1968. 1. C l i f t , V i r g il. Negro Education in America. Edited by V ir g il A. C l i f t , Archibald W. Anderson and H. Gordon H u llfis h . New York: Harper, 1962. College Entrance Examinations Board. "Admission of M ino rity Students tn Midwestern Colleges." Higher Education Survey, May 1970. College Entrance Examinations Board. Higher Education, 1970. 140 "Financing Equal Opportunity in 141 College Entrance Examinations Board. "Student Financial Aid and National Purpose." Los Angeles: College Entrance Examinations Board, 1962. College Opportunities Unlim ited. Current Financial Aids fo r Under­ graduate Students. Edited by Dr. feernard G. Maxwell and Dr. Russell N. Consler, Peoria, I ll in o is : College Opportunities U nlim ited, In c ., 1969. D e tro it Urban League. Research Department. A P ro file of the D e tro it Negro, 1959-1967. Rev. Ed. D e tro it, 1967. Deutsch, Martin and Brown, B ert. In te llig e n c e D ifferences." ( A p r il, 1964), 24-35. "Social Influences in Negro-White Journal of Social Issues, XX Ginzber, E l i . The Middle-Class Negro in the White Man's World. New York: Columbia U n iversity Press, 1567. Goldberg, Miriam L. Education in Depressed Areas. Edited by A. Harry Passon. New York! Bureau of P ublications, Teachers College, Columbia U n iv e rs ity , 1963, 68-99. G oldstein, Bernard. Low Income Youth in Urban Areas. Rinehart and Winston, Inc. New York: H o lt, Higher Education Surveys. Midwest Committee. Admission of M ino rity Students in Midwestern Colleges. Report prepared by Warren W. Willingham. College Entrance Examination Board: Evanston, I l l i n o i s , 1970. Holland, Jerome H. Black Opportunity. Edited by Frank R. Donovan, New York: Weybright and T a lle y , 1966. Hough, John T. A Peck of S a lt, A Year in the Ghetto. Brown, 1970. Boston: L ittle Index to Periodical A rtic le s by and About Negroes. Compiled by the s ta ffs of the Hall is Q. Brown Memorial L ib ra ry , Central State U n iv e rs ity , W ilberforce, Ohio, and the Schomburg C o lle c tio n , New York Public L ib ra ry , Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1960. Annual P ublication. Knoell, Dorothy N. People Who Need College: A Report on Students We Have Yet to ServeT Washington: American Association 67 Junior Colleges, 1970. Kornegay, Francis A. and Warren, Donald I . A Comparative Study of L ife Styles and Social Attitudes of Middle Income Status Whites~and Negroes in D e tro it! Edited by D e tro it Urban League, D e tr o it, 1969. 142 MacVicar, Joan A. The Ghetto Family. Edited by Dr. Alan J. Burns. Westport, Connecticut: Pe'n'du1um Press, In c ., 1969. McCord, W illiam ; Howard, John; Friedberg, Bernard; and Harwood, Edwin. L ife Styles in the Black Ghetto. New York: W. W. Morton & Company, I n c . , 1969. Michigan Department of Education. State Plan fo r Higher Education in Michigan. Revised February 1970. Morgan, Gordon David. The Ghetto College Student: A Descriptive Essay on College Youth from the Inner C ity ! Iowa C ity , Iowa: American College Testing Program. P o lly , Ir a . Report of the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority to the Governor and L e g is la tu re . Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Department of Education, 1967. Relatio n s h ip of Education to S elf-C oncept in Negro Ch ild re n and Youths, The. T u fts U n iv e rs ity , 1963. Salk, Erwin A. (Ed. and Comp.) A Layman's Guide to Negro New e d itio n . New York: McGraw-HfTl C o ., 1^57! H is to ry . Seely, Gordon M. Education and Opportunity fo r What ar.d fo r Whom? Englewood C l i f f s , N. J .: P re n tic e -H a ll, 1970. S ta ff Report from Joint Economic Committee of Congress. The Economics and Financing o f Higher Education in the United S tates. W ashington, D. C.: Government P r in tin g O f f ic e , 1969. Thurow, Lester C. Poverty and D iscrim ination. Brookings In s titu tio n s , 1969. U. Washington, D. C.: S. Department of H ealth, Education and W elfare. O ffic e of Education. Financial Aid fo r Higher Education. Washington, D. C.: Government P rin tin g O f f ic e . U. S. Department of Labor. Manpower Adm inistration. Breakthrough fo r Disadvantaged Youth. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Labor. Manpower Adm inistration, 1969. West, Elmer D. Financial Aid to the Undergraduate: Issues and Im plicatio n s . Washington, D. C.: American Council on Education, 1963. W esterfield , Rex. "Are We Racist?" Impact I (1968-1969) 76-68. W ilkins, Theresa Birch. Financial Aid fo r College Students: Undergraduate. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department o f h e a lth , Education and Welfare. O ffice Education, 1957. 143 W olk, Ronald A. A lt e r n a t iv e Methods o f Fed eral^Fu n ding f o r H ig h e r E d u c a tio n . B e rk e le y , C a lif o r n ia : C arn eg ie Commission on th e F u tu re o f H ig h e r E d u c a tio n , 1968. APPENDIX A MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF SUPPORTATIVE SERVICES Dear Student: Re: FINANCIAL AIDS QUESTIONNAIRE The O ffice of Supportative Services is conducting a questionnaire survey to evaluate the fin a n c ia l aids program as i t re late s to black students. You are asked to p a rtic ip a te in the evaluation o f the program by f i l l i n g out the attached m u ltip le choice questionnaire. This should take not more than fifte e n to twenty minutes of your tim e. I t is very important that black students have an opportunity to express how they feel about th e ir fin a n c ia l aid progrma at Michigan State U niversity and to o ffe r suggestions as to what can be done to strengthen the program so th at black students can b e tte r complete th e ir educational programs. This questionnaire w ill help us understand your concerns and provide us with the necessary data to re v is e , i f necessary, the fin a n c ia l aids program. I t w ill also provide p ertin en t information to the adm inistration, to the le g is la to r s , to the Financial Aids D irector and counselors, and the Department of H ealth, Education and Welfare. This study w ill make av a ila b le recommendations which could insure the continued enrollment of low income students. I am asking your support and cooperation in f i l l i n g out th is questionnaire to evaluate the program. Be sure to answer a ll questions. A fte r you have completed the questionnaire, please seal i t in the envelope and return i t to the black aide in your dormitory. Your answers w ill be held in s t r ic t confidence. We must evaluate the program this term in order to have time to adequately plan fo r a b e tte r fin a n cial aids program next f a l l . Thank you fo r your cooperation and support. Sincerely, Morris Kinsey Graduate Student 144 145 FINANCIAL AIDS QUESTIONNAIRE The Financial Aids Program a t Michigan State U n iversity assists many low income and m inority students in the financing of th e ir education. Your cooperation in f i l l i n g out th is questionnaire e n tir e ly w ill support the continuing e f fo r t of adm inistration, Financial Aids o ffic e r s , state le g is la to rs and the O ffic e of Health, Education and Welfare in b e tte r determining ways fo r improving the financing of the education of m inority students. 1. Please check:_____________ M a le _____________ Female 2. Please indicate your present class standing a t Michigan State U n iversity; (check one) ____________________ Freshman '_____________ Sophomore 3. In what c ity did you ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 4. Have you selected the "Major" area of your degree? Junior Senior graduate from high school: D e tro it Grand Rapids F lin t Lansing Other (Please specify)_______ ____________________ No ____________________ Yes, i t is _____________ 5. Which of the follow ing people were most in flu e n tia l in helping you decide to come to Michigan State U n iversity (Check one)? ____________________ Mother or Father ____________________ School teacher or counselor Friend or r e la tiv e connected w ith MSU ____________________ Friend or r e la tiv e not connected with MSU ____________________ Someone from MSU Admissions O ffic e Prin c ip a l or other community worker ____________________ Other (please sp ecify) __________________ 6. What has been your overall experience so fa r a t MSU (check one)? ____________________ Really outstanding ____________________ Somewhat b e tte r than expected ____________________ About as expected ____________________ Somewhat less than expected ____________________ Very disappointing 146 7. Below is a l i s t o f several of the problems which students frequently have w hile attending the u n iv e rs ity . Please in d ic ate which problem bothers you most by putting a "1" on the appropriate lin e ; indicate the next most bothersome problem by using a "2". ___________________ Making frie n d s /fin d in g dates ___________________ Bad study habits ___________________ Finding things to do with spare time ___________________ Getting enough money ___________________ Getting used to being away from home ___________________ Finding enough time to study ___________________ G irlfrie n d /b o y frie n d problems Frequent illn e s s Understanding the m aterial in my courses Dorm living/roommate problems How are you financing your education and what is your opinion of the fin a n c ia l aid programs at Michigan State U n iversity. 8. Have you received any fiances while attending MSU from: National Defense Act Loan Work-Study Program Equal Opportunity Program Grant A th le tic Scholarship Student Aid Grant Academic Scholarship Short-term loans Loans from p riv a te banks Parents or re la tiv e s Part or fu ll- tim e jobs not through work-study 9. No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Please check the three most important sources from which you obtain money fo r your college expenses. (Please number in order of importance.) ___________________ P rivate contribution ___________________ Through MSU Financial Aids O ffice ___________________ Parent contribution ___________________ Private laons ___________________ Personal savings Others 10. Do you think the fin a n c ia l aid o ffic e rs a t MSU . . . (check one) ___________________ Always do th e ir best to help ___________________ Usually do th e ir best to help ___________________ Sometimes do th e ir best to help ___________________ Seldom do th e ir best to help 147 11. (a) In order fo r the Financial Aids O ffic e to be more helpful and e ffe c tiv e in assisting students w ith financing t h e ir education, what would you suggest i t do f ir s t ? _______________ Provide scholarships _______________ Develop new guidelines _______________ Increase EOG grants _______________ Encourage counselors to become more sen sitive to student needs _______________ Increase student aiddgrants Abolish a ll loans to low income students (b) Have you any special suggestions to the Financial Aids O ffice fo r improving it s assistance to m inority and disadvantaged students? _______________ More grants _______________ More scholarships _______________ Fewer loans _______________ More work-study _______________ Less work-study 12. When you are promised fin a n c ia l aid a t MSU, does i t alway "come through"? Yes No 13. In general, what would you say you lik e most about the fin a n c ia l aids program at MSU? (L is t preference by numbering 1, 2 , e tc .) _______________ Counselors _______________ G ift Aids _______________ Loans Wo rk -S tu d y Program _______________ Scholarship Program Other 14. What do you lik e le a s t about the fin a n c ia l aids program? preference by numbering 1, 2, e tc. (L is t _______________ Short-term loans _______________ EOG Grants _______________ National Defense Loans Wo rk -S tu d y Other 15. Could you get enough money to continue college i f you received no fin a n c ia l assistance from MSU? ___________ Yes, I think so. _______________ Maybe some assistance, but not s u ffic ie n t. _______________ No, I could not. 148 16. Which o f the follow ing a lte rn a tiv e s would you say is the best way to help a student fin a n c ie his education (check one)? ______________ A ll loans and no work-study _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ M o s tly loans and some w o rk-stu d y ______________ About h a lf loans and h a lf work-study. ______________ Some loans and mostly work-study. ______________ No loans and a l l work-study. 17. What is the biggest disadvantage of using loans to help finance your education? _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ 18. Repayment o f loans In te re s t on loans Having Hold Cards a t re g is tra tio n Not having a job to repay loans What is the biggest disadvantage o f using work-study to help finance your education? (L is t by number in order o f importance). ________________ Transportation off-campus ________________ Lack o f good jobs a v a ila b le ________________ Jobs do not re la te to curriculum ________________ Takes away time needed fo r study ________________ Jobs do not pay enough Cannot earn the maximum o f award 19. Considering the work-study jobs which you have had, would you say th a t they: (check one): ________________ Were Were ________________ Were ~ Were Were 20. almost always a relevant educational experience usually a relevant educational experience sometimes a relevant educational experience seldom a relevant educational experience almost never a relevant educational experience Based on your experience, would you say th a t work-study jobs: (check one) ________________ Often account fo r poor grades ________________ Usually don't make any d ifferen c e in grades ________________ Often account fo r b e tte r grades 21. Has i t ever been necessary fo r you to use some o f your money to "help out" fin a n c ia lly the folks back home? ________________ Yes, often. Yes, sometimes. ________________ Yes, ju s t once or twice. No , never. 22. I f given a work-study grant large enough to cover most o f your educa­ tio n a l expenses—a job which relate d to your college major and which pays w e ll—would you p re fe r work-study ra th e r than a loan (check one)? ________________ A ll work-study ________________ Loan Both 149 23. In your opinion, what are the two or three major problems which you as a student face while attending MS(J? (1) ______________________________________________________________ (2 ) (3).