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Diddy's son's $54,000 scholarship. fair or not??

Came across a couple articles on the internet about Diddy's son.

Basically, he's recieved a full football scholarship from UCLA worth about $54,000 and a lot of people were commenting about how unfair it was and how he shouldnt be entitled to recieve such a scholarship when his dad is a billionaire and would have no trouble putting him through college.

personally, i feel like his son most have worked really hard to even be noticed by such a well known college, despite the fact that his dad is wealthy, he's obviously good at what he does, has a good GPA, i see no reason why he shouldnt be entitled to a scholarship like every other student. he didnt ask or choose to be born into wealth, why should that stop his chances of being rewarded for hard work like everyone else?

now i'm not ignoring the fact that there are just as or even more hard-working students who come from poorer backgrounds and whose parents may not be able to put them through college, but i feel like it will always be like that, unfortunately, not everyone will have that opportunity or will be given scholarships, even if diddy's son's scholarship was given to someone else, it wont change the fact that there are less fortunate people who wont get scholarships. fact is, life is not fair, things dont always go the way we want them to, but we move on and learn from it, as they say, the closing of one door leads to the opening of another (or something like that)

after reading a couple of comments, i would just like to say that people talking about equal opportunity and being fair, surely it would be unfair on him if he was excluded from getting a scholarship based on his dad's wealth?

so my question is, do you think celebrity kids, or kids from wealthy families should be excluded from getting scholarships to colleges?

a representative from UCLA had this to say "He's done what he needs to do to be successful, and in a meritocracy we have to accept that no matter who your father is, whether he be rich, poor or absent, that you can in fact be successful on your own merit" <--- this right here sums up what i'm trying to say
(edited 11 years ago)

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But HE CAN pay when most who want scholarship CANNOT. When you have enough money to put fifty plus LCDs in your bathroom, you should not get a scholarship that others less wealthy than yourselves could utilize.

Equal opportunity? Distributive justice?

EDIT: Being negged for advocating equal opportunity? Only on TSR folks!
(edited 11 years ago)
Even if he earns it and gets it, if he has any self respect he should turn it down and pay for himself.
If he earned it fair and square then I have no objections. Also how do we actually know his parents would pay for him to go through university? Some rich parents don't pay for their children's higher education to try and teach them how to work hard.
Of course they should be excluded, $54,000 is a drop in the ocean to this kid, but that scholarship is $54,000 out of the scholarship fund that could have gone to someone else whose dad isn't the richest hip hop mogul in America. It undermines the whole concept of a scholarship.
If he's going for the sport side of the scholarship, surely he could take the sporting benefits and just turn down the money? Or give the money to a person that wants to go to college and actually needs it?
Reply 6
Why shouldn't he get it? If he turned it down and got his dad to pay people would make pithy comments at that too, as well as if he paid himself "oh thinking he's too good to get a scholarship". He's in a situation where he'll be criticised whatever he does - no doubt some fools think he shouldn't even go as he has enough money to never have to work.
Reply 7
Original post by Nightstar-27
If he earned it fair and square then I have no objections. Also how do we actually know his parents would pay for him to go through university? Some rich parents don't pay for their children's higher education to try and teach them how to work hard.


Although this could be a good reason, I'm not buying it. There are other ways for 'Diddy' to teach his son those things and this, I think, is not one of them.
Reply 8
Original post by theronkinator
Even if he earns it and gets it, if he has any self respect he should turn it down and pay for himself.


Exactly this. If I were him, I would have done this. He knows that there are many students from poorer backgrounds who need this chance when for him the money doesn't mean much.
I think the school only did it to get some fame going on... :rolleyes:
So much money from US colleges come from donations from alumni. I'm sure that, in the long term, him taking this money won't actually 'lose' the scholarship fund any money. Au contraire...
He earned it and worked hard for it it seems, why shouldn't he get it. Whether he decides to take it is up to him but if he does it shouldn't matter as he earned it.
The entire point of a scholarship is for people who want to go, UCLA wants at their uni, but cannot afford it. For every version of this story, there is the other half where the next great scientist, writer, or the surgeon that saves his dad later in life, doesn't get in for the sole reason they aren't rich enough.

Scholarship should be like a grant means tested. Its stupid people can get sports scholarships anyway, might as well include a drinking scholarship thats a popular extra curricular activity too.
Original post by Nightstar-27
If he earned it fair and square then I have no objections. Also how do we actually know his parents would pay for him to go through university? Some rich parents don't pay for their children's higher education to try and teach them how to work hard.


I think we can safely say that doesnt apply here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMfc_q6RToo&feature=related

(ignore the religious crap in the video - the point is the car)

if that is one birthdays worth... and it's worth nearly 10x the scholarship lol
Scholarships aren't means tested, they're based purely on ability. Bursaries are means tested. Children from wealthy families may want/need to prove their own ability by working hard and earning scholarships rather than leeching off their parents - of course they shouldn't be excluded.
Its not just about the money, its about the recognition/honour of getting the scholarship.
Original post by kka25
Although this could be a good reason, I'm not buying it. There are other ways for 'Diddy' to teach his son those things and this, I think, is not one of them.


Regardless if the boy earned the scholarship he earned it. Not all scholarships are wealth base, there are specific scholarships for children of poorer backgrounds and scholarships that everyone can apply for. I have no issues with those who work the hardest to get rewarded. If he didn't work the hardest then he doesn't deserve it clearly but there's no way for me to tell that with the information given.
Reply 16
Most people who get scholarships to universities or private schools who can easily afford the fees keep the award of the scholarship and pay for the fees themselves. That way you get the award for your achievement without screwing some poor kid out of getting a leg up in life, which you already have.
Original post by a.partridge
I think we can safely say that doesnt apply here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMfc_q6RToo&feature=related

(ignore the religious crap in the video - the point is the car)

if that is one birthdays worth... and it's worth nearly 10x the scholarship lol


How do you know it wasn't a reward? Also in America isn't the 16th Birthday a huge deal?

I don't see an issue of someone being rewarded for their hard work. In America there are scholarships specifically for poorer students and general scholarships everyone can apply for. If he worked hard why shouldn't he be allowed the same chances of getting a scholarship as everyone else? They're not just for the poor .
He most likely took it because of the certificates high position and in the sense that he can go far with a scholarship rather than normal student as it sets him apart from the rest
Original post by Nightstar-27
How do you know it wasn't a reward? Also in America isn't the 16th Birthday a huge deal?

I don't see an issue of someone being rewarded for their hard work. In America there are scholarships specifically for poorer students and general scholarships everyone can apply for. If he worked hard why shouldn't he be allowed the same chances of getting a scholarship as everyone else? They're not just for the poor .


All I said we his parents clearly are not stingy with giving him money - by demonstrating they have already given him things worth way more. I didn't say anything else.

Course it wasn't a reward it was a 16th birthday - on the show 'super sweet 16' I watched it and it wasn't in recognition of his charity work or anything like that it was just a big $300,000+ gift.

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