It’s a flex. In a society that fools itself into thinking it is a meritocracy, people who buy privilege still think that means they are intrinsically worthy and amazing. Scholarship is thought to portray that the individual is so intelligent (or good at sports) that the university is ready to give up thousands in income to have that candidate.
Scholarships are not meant for the filthy peasants who need them, that would be like giving feebies to the undeserving freeloaders. Instead it should be given to those gifted and capable individuals who could afford an expensive private education.
Those universities are gambling thousands of current-revenue tuition dollars on millions of future-revenue philanthropy. The odds are good on a J-Lo level prospect.
I think it’s important to distinguish need-based financial aid from merit-based scholarships here, as well as exclude 3rd party scholarships. Need-based financial aid does exist, but only at top universities that don’t need the money and basically pay for everyone to go if their parents make less than $200k a year. Merit-based scholarships are exactly what you’re talking about and very very often go to upper-middle class students as an incentive to attend. I had a rich friend who didn’t want to apply to selective universities so they went to a random state university that offered them this type of scholarship, and I believe didn’t end up having to pay anything for college. At least that was the brag.
That being said, I want to say I’m shocked and appalled JLo would be so out of touch to think this would land, but that’s pretty par for the course for her.
It’s a flex. In a society that fools itself into thinking it is a meritocracy, people who buy privilege still think that means they are intrinsically worthy and amazing. Scholarship is thought to portray that the individual is so intelligent (or good at sports) that the university is ready to give up thousands in income to have that candidate.
Scholarships are not meant for the filthy peasants who need them, that would be like giving feebies to the undeserving freeloaders. Instead it should be given to those gifted and capable individuals who could afford an expensive private education.
Those universities are gambling thousands of current-revenue tuition dollars on millions of future-revenue philanthropy. The odds are good on a J-Lo level prospect.
I think it’s important to distinguish need-based financial aid from merit-based scholarships here, as well as exclude 3rd party scholarships. Need-based financial aid does exist, but only at top universities that don’t need the money and basically pay for everyone to go if their parents make less than $200k a year. Merit-based scholarships are exactly what you’re talking about and very very often go to upper-middle class students as an incentive to attend. I had a rich friend who didn’t want to apply to selective universities so they went to a random state university that offered them this type of scholarship, and I believe didn’t end up having to pay anything for college. At least that was the brag.
That being said, I want to say I’m shocked and appalled JLo would be so out of touch to think this would land, but that’s pretty par for the course for her.