Increasingly, with the numerous outreach and college preparatory programs available
to youths, there are large numbers of low-income students graduating high school
who are academically prepared to enter college, but are unable to enroll or maintain
enrollment due to tremendous financial barriers.
In February 2001, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
published a report entitled, Access Denied: Restoring the Nation's Committee to Equal
Educational Opportunity. The Advisory Committee found that while 60% of jobs
available today require some college, "only 6% of students with the lowest
socioeconomic status (SES) earn a bachelor's degree compared to 40% with the
highest SES."
The committee found that our federal, state, and institutional policy makers are
working at an unprecedented rate to provide students with better academic
preparedness through early outreach programs, are simplifying the financial aid
application process, and are providing better and earlier information about financial
aid. However, they have not accounted for the excessive unmet need that will
skyrocket as a consequence of their outreach efforts. The Filipino American Studies
Scholarship Fund is our effort to remedy this situation.
In addition to outright grants from the University, the state, and the U.S. government,
Filipino American Studies Program scholars will receive up to $7,000 per year,
depending on individual need, to replace the work study and loan component of their
financial aid package. The first recipients of the scholarship will be awarded at the
2nd Annual Filipino American Studies Gala in Spring 2008.