Letter to the editor

Scholarships should increase proportionally with tuition

Although I graduated in May 1999, I still read the Skiff online from time to time. Your recent article, “Tuition rises as awards stay fixed” really struck a nerve. During my four years at TCU, I watched countless friends and acquaintances leave TCU because they could not afford the school any longer. They would receive a generous financial package to attend, but tuition would rise the next year, and their financial aid package would stay the same. In my opinion, TCU made a false promise to those students. If the university cannot afford to increase TCU scholarships when tuition goes up, the school should only offer scholarships to as many students as it can afford to truly help for four years.

Students also bear a responsibility for addressing this issue. Students need to become more aggressive at pursuing other ways to finance their education such as applying for non-TCU scholarships. Do not accept credit cards from the companies who set up tables in the Student Center and offer free T-shirts if you sign up for their credit cards. Also, students need to not allow their parents to control how much loan money they accept. Before you apply for a loan, assess how much money you can realistically expect to earn after you graduate. A fellow graduate of TCU who is a friend of mine allowed her parents to fill out and file paperwork for school loans. When she graduated, she discovered her parents had taken out $50,000 in loans on her behalf. Remember, those credit cards and loans will need to be repaid with interest. Can you afford them?

Marken Baker
TCU alumnus, Fort Worth

Editorial policy: The content of the Opinion page does not necessarily represent the views of Texas Christian University. Unsigned editorials represent the view of the TCU Daily Skiff editorial board. Signed letters, columns and cartoons represent the opinion of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board.

Letters to the editor: The Skiff welcomes letters to the editor for publication. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, signed and limited to 250 words. To submit a letter, bring it to the Skiff, Moudy 291S; mail it to TCU Box 298050; e-mail it to skiffletters@tcu.edu or fax it to 257-7133. Letters must include the author’s classification, major and phone number. The Skiff reserves the right to edit or reject letters for style, taste and size restrictions.