The kindness of strangers helps college students pursue their dreams
Local college students who were receiving scholarships from the long running Schuler Scholar Program must have felt the rug pulled out from under them when the wealthy north suburban family behind the initiative announced they were no longer providing funding.
But thanks to the assistance of former Schuler staffers and others, many of these first-generation and low-income students haven't been unmoored for too long.
The Schulers cited financial constraints for their decision to stop payments last month. They didn't provide further explanation to the scholarship recipients, who were promised $2,500 per year for tuition, plus thousands more for health insurance.
While questions linger, good Samaritans have been stepping in to answer these students' prayers through the mutual aid network established by ex-Schuler Scholar Program employees.
South Side native Marcus Jackson said the $2,500 someone Zelled to him may not seem like a lot, but would go a long way as he starts his junior year at Lawrence University in Wisconsin.
"I don’t know if this person is super-rich or not, but regardless of their financial status, they gave unselfishly," Jackson told WBEZ's Lisa Kurian Philip.
The willingness of people to step in and uplift those who need a boost is a testament to the abundance of hope and goodwill we tend to forget exists.
The benefits a four-year degree remain invaluable. But the rising cost of college tuition and the burden of debt that follows too many young people well after they've been handed a degree has left them wondering if that notion still rings true.
Only 22% of people surveyed said the cost of higher education is worth it, even if someone has to take out loans. And 29% think college isn't worth the cost, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.
Another troubling statistic: Nearly 60% of college students said they considered dropping out due to financial stress, a survey released earlier this summer by the higher education tech company Ellucian revealed.
The kindness of strangers has kept many Schuler Scholar Program students from feeling abandoned and helped free them from the financial worries that could have shattered their dreams and pursuit of higher education.
Money does indeed talk, but the lack of it shouldn't talk students out of the benefits that come with earning a college degree.
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