Recruiting vs. Financial Aid

[FairInMyFavor]

I am not looking to get into a public/private debate, but I copied the line below from "The Tennessean" sports message board.

 

"supply me with one example of a boy on the montgomery bell academy (#9 in the nation according to usa today) football team who has been "recruited" by anyone to play. "

 

I wonder if the operative word is "recruited." If no players for MBA or BA have been "recruited," are there any from either school who are receiving "financial aid" for any reason? Offering financial aid, even though it may be "need based," is a form of recruitment.

 

My .02 worth.

[Bighurt]

This topic belongs in the Private-Public forum.

 

Have you ever considered the fact that probably 75% of the students who receive financial aid at MBA don't even play football?

[itzme]

This topic belongs in the Private-Public forum.

 

Have you ever considered the fact that probably 75% of the students who receive financial aid at MBA don't even play football?

So you're saying that fully 25% of all financial aid students are on the football team at MBA? That sounds high. How many students receive financial aid at MBA?

[rollredroll]

The most common definition I see of the word “recruit”, outside of those pertaining to military service, is “to register formally, as a participant or member”. MBA does register students as members of the student body. It would be safe to say that MBA actively markets its school, whether it be through “Admissions Open House” signs in the front lawn or its active presence on radio (football games, coach’s show, advertisements for night classes available to the community, etc.). That being said, MBA’s applicant pool primarily comes from word of mouth, tradition, and legacy (the same can be said for some other private schools). The students who are accepted from that applicant pool are subject to an admissions exam and a rigorous academic and extracurricular curriculum upon matriculation. The school's college acceptance rate, AP exam test scores, SAT scores, and National Merit students bears this out.

 

MBA does provide financial aid. Anyone can access the school’s IRS filings online for free (as well as the filings for BA, McCallie, MUS, et al.). The latest available filing shows that financial aid accounted for approximately 6% of total tuition dollars at MBA. Tuition covers only about 60-70% of the total cost to educate a student. The difference comes from generous donations made to the school, primarily by alumni and parents.

 

The vast majority of students on athletic teams at MBA - football or otherwise - are full-paying students, and with a couple of exceptions, these full-paying students are the ones who make the largest contributions to MBA's athletic programs. This may be tough to swallow for the non-believers out there, but it’s true. And, unlike many of the allegations made on the public/private thread, it can largely be proven with hard data, government filings, and school-issued annual reports.

 

Private schools do have an advantage by providing need-based financial aid - it allows them to have a more diverse student body. However, from what I have seen personally at MBA - this year and other years - I don't see how it tilts the scales so heavily in the Big Red's favor on the athletic fields.

[Nick]

My daughter attends a 1A private school. Students who receive financial aid are not allowed to participate in High School sports. Maybe this is a rule at the school level only. I thought it was a TSSAA rule, however, I am not well versed in these matters. Just another thought.

[OnlineLC]

My daughter attends a 1A private school. Students who receive financial aid are not allowed to participate in High School sports. Maybe this is a rule at the school level only. I thought it was a TSSAA rule, however, I am not well versed in these matters. Just another thought.

Nick,

Div II schools such as MBA, BA etc are allowed to offer financial aid. Div I Private schools are not allowed to offer financial aid.

[Bighurt]

This topic belongs in the Private-Public forum.

 

Have you ever considered the fact that probably 75% of the students who receive financial aid at MBA don't even play football?

So you're saying that fully 25% of all financial aid students are on the football team at MBA? That sounds high. How many students receive financial aid at MBA?

You are correct - 75% is probably too low. My point is at MBA - or BA - a very high percentage of the football team or basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, etc. teams receive no financial aid. I don't have a dog in this fight but it is my strong opinion that MBA and BA "recruit" students first and some of those happen to be athletes.

Edited October 29, 2003 by Bighurt

[RedUp]

Nick,

Div II schools such as MBA, BA etc are allowed to offer financial aid. Div I Private schools are not allowed to offer financial aid.

Or said another way, DI private schools that give financial aid CHOOSE to be in the division that prohibits them from allowing any child who receives financial aid to play a varsity sport. Don't forget, it is not the TSSAA that is disallowing financial aid recipients from playing---it is the board or the head of that particular school.

I do not understand that mentality.

[OnlineLC]

I think the major issue redup is the fact that it is a 3rd party who decide on the suitability of Financial Aid in Div II. Most of the Div I privates are church associated and want to make their own choices on aid for the kids they know about and not be governed by some organization hundreds of miles away.

[RedUp]

I think the major issue redup is the fact that it is a 3rd party who decide on the suitability of Financial Aid in Div II. Most of the Div I privates are church associated and want to make their own choices on aid for the kids they know about and not be governed by some organization hundreds of miles away.

 

Don't understand your point.

 

I don't think the "3rd party" deciding financial aid has anything to do with DI Fn Aid schools being in DI. According to what you seem to imply, DI schools want the freedon to give any amount they deem necessary to any student they want to give to and not be governed by Princeton. Any DII school can do just that, but NOT to an athlete. And of course the same applies to DI.

 

Any DII school, (a majority of which are church related), can give aid in any amount to a non-athlete---it is only the athletes that must be reported to TSSAA and who must be receiving only what SSS, the "3rd party" shows as need.

[OnlineLC]

Thanks for clearing that point up for me redup, I did not realize that Princeton only governed aid applied to Athletes.