I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Ellie1959

Hey - Iowa and Maybe Wisconsin (because of the Packers) are the "real God's Country". Haven't you ever heard - " Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa!" Let's keep the record straight for once girls!

lassie11

Another Canada / US difference - we don't have athletic scholarships at university or college (unless there has been a big change since I retired a few years ago).

Bren-2007

Hey Ellie .. I think I read somewhere that IA got a bunch of Democrat legislators from WI in for the weekend!

Bren

leggo

I guess that's why my artsy-fartsy kids are on their own when it comes to paying for university. They both got little bursaries in elementary school and high school, but that's all.

BarbaraA

Sorry, I gotta go Gators!

I can't believe the dems would stoop to such a pathetic stunt. I guess it is all about saving their a$$es in the voting booth for the public employees impacted by the budget.  Wait, I can believe it. Welcome to Politics in the 2010's.

leggo

Yes lassie, they seem to be more academically driven here. My oldest son's friend (who has a brain like a supercomputer) was "scouted" for his mind by the University of Waterloo. Didn't pay for his education, though.

pickle

There are sports scholarships available in Canada but they can only be granted in the second year and there are a lot of rules and $$$ caps that apply.

Ellie1959

Bren, that sounds like a very important group who take after my own heart. Thanks! Hope your brother continues to improve Barbara.

leggo

I wonder if that's why tuition is so high in the US. Perhaps they have to make up for all the kids who are getting their education for free?

leggo

Any idea what that dollar cap might be pickle?

pickle

I have no idea how much tuition is in the states but my DD's friends that went to the US on sports scholarships still paid quite a bit themselves. The lacrosse player's parents took out a second mortgage on their house. He wasn't a scholar by any means but was able to get into the college because of his Lacrosse skills.

My kids tuitions at the U of A was about 5500/ yr including books but I know it has gone up to about 7000 now. My friend's daughter who is now a phtysioterapist received numerous grants and scholarship $$ because she held a 4.0 average. Smart girl but still needed student loans to cover her tuition.

leggo

From reading all these interesting posts, I have to draw the conclusion that our system is more fair. Nobody gets a free ride for their education. I think I like it that way. I'd be pissed if someone got their entire education paid for because of their athletic abilities.

rosemary-b

My son who is an electrical engineer got a paid internship as an undergraduate, then a job and then tuition and fees for his masters degree all paid by the company he now works for. My other kids who pursued art and liberal art degrees, owe lots of money for student loans.

As for colllege athletics. It is big business and the full ride scholarships attract the big talent. 

208sandy

Athena - very, very funny - hope the spray works.  Otherwise we'll have to resort to MT and sprouts!

Sandy

Bren-2007

Seafoobs is the one with mental telepathy .. we'll have to see what she has to say about deletions today!

leggo

Upon re-reading some of my posts, it occurred to me that I may come across as having a hate-on for athletes because of their education being paid for. That is not the case. My oldest son was an outstanding hockey player, though the two of us had different reasons for him to play (he being competitive, me being in it for the excercise and team comraderie). I saw first hand what dog-eat-dog athletes are capable of. He was checked so hard his kidney blew up. That hit being on the instruction of the other teams coach. Hockey careeer over. Just wanted to clear that up. I think it's great that someone is that good at their chosen sport; but don't think it's fair to provide them with a free education because of it. How do you guys in the US feel about it? Do you think it's fair?

BarbaraA

Gracie, I never really thought about it as it is pervasive and has been since before I was born. I suppose it isn't since there are plenty of so-so atheletes paying their way with loans who end up with 100K in debt. But since it is a way of life here, I figure it isn't going to change anytime soon.

Alpal

On one level, I agree completely with you. However, when I'm watching our beloved Cats, I think it's just dandy! I do think that something needs to be done about drafting into the pros after just one year of college. No player in their right mind is going to turn down millions, especially when they risk being injured and losing out completely. There's also the issue of admission criteria - I guarantee you that if shokk's DD was 7 feet tall and an accomplished basketball player she'd meet the requirements to be admitted to Vanderbilt. The whole system is rife with abuse, even tho the NCAA regularly imposes sanctions. But - we love it!

otter

gracie1 asked:  "Wow!  Does one need to maintain a certain grade point average [for an athletic scholarship]?

The short answer is, "Yes."

College-level athletics in the U.S. are regulated by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association).  The NCAA is a semi-voluntary consortium of more than a thousand colleges and universities that have banded together to come up with consensus rules to govern intercollegiate sports. Here's Wiki's explanation:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA

The NCAA member schools are represented on committees and boards that come up with all the rules. (I don't know how that works.) The NCAA regulations dictate things like eligibility criteria for high school students wishing to play college-level sports; restrictions on things a school or its supporters can do when trying to recruit a student athlete; the number and dollar amount of scholarships that can be awarded to student athletes; restrictions on other "benefits" a student athlete might be given while enrolled; the grades a student athlete must maintain and course credits he or she must complete each term in order to stay eligible to play intercollegiate sports; etc.

The list of things the NCAA regulates is really long and very detailed.  Violation of any of those regulations can result in an athlete (or recruit) being declared ineligible to play college-level sports. A violation can also result in a college or university being punished by having its athletic program(s) cut back (fewer scholarships, fewer new players, no post-season games) or even eliminated ("death penalty" = discontinuing that sport at that institution).  An NCAA violation can also result in retroactive penalties, like erasing the win-loss record from the year in which the violation occurred, voiding a tournament win or a championship, and taking away trophies and awards from the institution.

The NCAA regulations are a huge deal here.  These days, most institutions that want to compete at a national level in any of the big sports end up hiring people as "compliance officers" to make sure everything is done according to the rules.

Although it isn't true for all schools or even all sports at a particular school, many big-league schools operate their athletic programs separately from their academic programs.  So, expenses incurred by the athetlci department (scholarships for student athletes, expansion of the stadium, uniforms for the women's soccer team, the cost of trips to away games) come out of the athletic department's budget.  And, often, much (or all) of the money in that budget is generated by the athletic department itself through ticket sales, money from TV and radio contracts, fundraising, etc. (separate from the rest of the university).

There are schools and sports programs that don't bother with all the NCAA regulations.  Those are not the games we see on TV on Saturdays, though.  The Wiki page tries to sort it all out.  Here's the NCAA home page, which I found pretty worthless because it loads too slowly (they tried to make it pretty rather than useable): http://www.ncaa.org/

otter

leggo

That makes a lot more sense (money coming from ticket sales etc). It doesn't seem as unfair to me now. I was under the impression that perhaps the money came from the college itself, which in turn made it more expensive for non-scholarship students. Very interesting.

AnnNYC

Sorry to be so far behind the times, but congratulations to Lindasa for the all-clear!  And Barbara, I'm so happy to hear your brother is doing so much better and you're getting some sleep!

And Pickle, you posted my favorite! "Spinach, goatcheese and beet salad with a few roasted pecans on top" - yummm!

Although Lewing's lamb/bean stew and roasted potatoes runs a close second!

1Athena1

3:35 pm Eastern - very quiet here.

otter

(Can you hear the ticking, where you are?)

River_Rat

Lindasa, congratulations on your good news!

Otter and Athena, I'd settle for a quiet weekend. 

crazy4carrots

Thanks everyone!  All those antioxidants and exercise (plus the bear Femara) seem to be doing the job.....so far!   But don't you just hate those blasted tests and check-ups?  I don't know whether to be blase about them and not worry "until there's something to worry about" (which feels like I'm tempting fate) OR to prepare and expect the worst and be incredibly elated when the news is good.  You all know what I'm talking about, thank goodness, 'cuz what I just wrote does seem kind of silly.

Anyhow, let's hope it's a peaceful (but fun!) weekend here in this place.  I'm having company but I'll check in on the "action" from time to time.

Hugs to all!

BarbaraA

Looking forward to a quiet weekend. Making jumbo shrimp sauted with garlic, olive oil, white wine, spinach and chopped tomatoes over angel hair rice pasta. And Shari's Berries for dessert.

Here's a pic missing the two I ate.

1Athena1

Barbara - that is not nice - I am reporting your post - lol!

(Enjoy - I am still trying to lose cancer treatment weight).

River_Rat

Lindasa, I go back and forth between not worrying and trying to prepare for the worst.  I keep trying to hang on to the "not worrying" strategy but I just can't help myself.  I think that it's a self-protective mechanism to not fall into the pit that I went into initially - didn't like it there don't want to go back - and somehow I feel like if I prepare for the worst that won't happen.

River_Rat

Barbara, if you get tired of eating those I'd be glad to take them off your hands.  

1Athena1