Time running out
The baseball team lost to Washington on Friday night and cannot afford many more losses if it wants to make the NCAA Tournament. By the way, earlier this week I addressed why schools such as Stanford have advantages over USC in minor sports with limited scholarships.
I forgot to mention the new policy allowing free tuition, room and board to any student whose family earns less than $60,000 or free tuition to a family that earns less than $100,000.
USC already announced it will not institute a similar policy (of course). So where do you think a smart baseball player, pole vaulter or swimmer might end up next year?
Congratulations. That *might* explain next year. Now go ahead and explain the past. 'SC gives student aid to students in need too, after all.
'SC plays sports besides Football and Basketball?
We like to bitch and moan about Scott and his sometimes snarky reporting about the team, but one thing I never have a problem with is his snarky comments about the administration. Any honest alum understands that while the school has made enormous strides in creating a better, more diversified undergraduate experience that gives lie to the dumb-jock, University of Spoiled Children stereotype, the one habit the administration can't seem to quite shake is their love of money. As someone who once worked with the University regarding fundraising, the administration throws nickels around like manhole covers. Not that they are cheap, but ideas like free tuition, room and board and books to middle-class students would be considered an apostasy. I can imagine the rolling of eyes over at Bovard when they heard about the Stanford policy.
Is this free tuition for ALL students with family incomes under 60,000 or just student athletes?
A lot of schools are doing this, especially top schools back East. Most of the Ivies (some that have free tuition for families up with income well into the six figures), as well as the "Little Ivies", several elite publics like UVa and UNC, and a small number of better off medium and large private colleges.
USC does offer much better aid than a lot of private universities but getting our endowment up is what will be necessary to offer that sort of aid for our secondary sports teams and our jump to that top 15 or 20 schools academically.
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