Scholarship controversy

[tornado]

Some academic scholarships are dependent on need - in fact a lot of them are...
but athletic scholarhips go to whoever earns them.......

I recall only hearing a little of this perspective when Michael Jordan's kids were being recruited....but now there's a large number of media people who are apparently incensed that certain kids get scholarships
...they appear to want to have some litmus test of wealth before any athletic scholarship is given...

Here we have an uproar because UCLA gave a scholarship to a wealthy rapper's kid...

P. Diddy's kid gets scholarship...

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1686165/diddy-son-ucla-scholarship-controversy.jhtml

http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2012/05/30/should-kids-from-ultra-wealthy-families-get-college-scholarships/

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/28/should-p-diddys-son-return-54000-college-scholarship/

Oddly UCLA has also offered a scholarship to Snoop Dogg's kid

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/19415973/ucla-offers-scholarship-to-sophomoretobe-son-of-snoop-dogg

...and recall that USC gave a full basketball scholarship to wealthy rapper Lil Romeo....son of rapper Master P..but everyone knew this kid didn't deserve a scholarship - he only got one so USC could go after his buddy DeMarr DeRosan.

http://www.rapbasement.com/news/master-p/romeo-signs-full-scholorship-with-usc-basketball.html

BUT we have seen many, many ex-NBA stars' kids get scholarships, too.......so should there be some rule against giving a scholarship to wealthy rappers kids and NBA stars' kids?

[PTownHawkeye]

This is a good question...

I believe that scholarship discrimination is wrong. Yes, it doesn't seem fair that some of the wealthiest kids out there are getting their education paid for, but it is Ludacris to penalize a kid because his dad happens to be a famous rapper/actor/ex-athlete. If the kid is deserving, why punish the parents for making them pay for his schooling? Yes, $100,000 out of a $500,000,000 fortune (in MJ's case) may seem like peanuts, but some of the wealthiest people are also the ones who do the best job of keeping track of their cash flow.

[NSBF]

I consider it an investment on the University's behalf. So you give Lil' Romeo or P Diddy's kid a scholarship and give away $250,000 in free education, with the hopes that later down the road Diddy writes a check for $1-$2 million dollars for a new athletic dorm or weight room. No different than wealthy alums paying for libraries for their kids to get admittance to a school in my book. No one ever questions the shady details on the academic side, but sports is somehow front and center.