During these tragic economic times in America, colleges and universities have stopped spending money. Building projects are being canceled, faculty is being let go, and these institutions are doing whatever else they can in order to survive. Many people, including myself, believe that these institutions will decrease the amount of financial aid given out to students, but these colleges and universities are doing just the opposite. I read an article from the New York Times titled, "To Keep Students, Colleges Cut Anything but Aid." The name says it all, as it has been discovered that colleges will not cut financial aid during these times and may even expand the aid at some points.
Many students cannot afford to pay for college due to the economic crisis, and if financial aid spending was cut by the colleges, the number of students able to attend these colleges would drop significantly. These colleges understand that these students are the future and to prevent them from having even a shot at attending college would be taking away their privilege to acquire a formal education. Speaking of privilege, the word brings up an entirely new side to this discussion. There is no doubt that if colleges did cut financial aid spending, only those who are truly privileged would be able to attend the institutions. Hope would be diminished for millions of Americans, separating the country into two cultures: Those who can go to college, and those who never will; the privileged and the unprivileged.
Colleges have made the correct decision, however, and prevented this separation of cultures from occurring. College always will be a privilege for people, for there will never be a time when every person can attend college. However, by not cutting financial aid spending, colleges have shown that they still believe all Americans can at least obtain this privilege. Those who cannot afford college still have a hope to during these hard times, and this decision by colleges in America was the best possible one. When it comes down to black and white, these potential college students are our future, and if we are to deny them the chance to gain a college education, problems like the ones we face today may very well reoccur. Colleges, therefore, by not cutting financial aid during this economic crisis, are ensuring that the privilege of education is not just for the privileged, but for everyone who represents the future of America.
Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/education/28college.html?pagewanted=2&em
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