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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1978)
dailflmerald Vol. 79, No. 101 Eugene, Oregon 97403 Wednesday, February 15, 1978 Skill counts in ‘financial aid game’ “I can’t afford it” is no longer a valid reason for staying out of college, says Edmond Vignoul, University director of student financial aid. ”1 honestly believe the situation doesn't exist anymore where a student isn’t going to school because he can’t afford it,” says Vignoul . “If, according to the rules and regula tions (of student financial aid), a student is not eligible,” he says , "we can sug gest viable alternatives,” such as guaranteed student loans or part-time jobs. By MARY BETH ALLEN Of the Emerald In some educational circles, the "fi nancial aid officers claim the amount of federal money a school receives is di rectly proportional to how well the aid officer can manipulate the system and how politically adept he or she may be. "The application process itself has lent itself to being subject to the best manipulators — they get more funds, admits Vignoul. However, recent changes in the University’s aid applica tion process will help equalize the sys tem, he says. "The application process, now in par ticular, is not going so much on project ing how much you're going to need, but how much you’ve utilized in the past,” he says. “I happen to feel pretty comforta ble with the application process.” The new system “precludes anyone from being more aggressive than they can justify,” he adds. Throughout the school year, between 55 and 60 percent of the University population will receive some kind of aid through the aid office, estimates Vig noul. Both the National Direct Student Loan program and work study program provided more than $1 million to stu dents, and the Supplemental Educa tional Opportunity Grant program con Play it right or feel the bite tributed more than $700,000 to the aid pool. In order to apply for financial aid, a student (and a dependent’s parents) must fill out an aid form and submit it to the college scholarship service, where a need analysis is done. It is necessary to provide an income tax verification and statement of taxable income. If aid is denied on the basis of the scholarship service analysis, or by the University aid office, a student is not without recourse. “Anybody can appeal the decision of the financial aid counselor,” says Vig noul. The first step is to contact the aid counselors who work in the office. “They explain how the analysis is computed,” he says. “If the counselor can't resolve the issue, it is appealed to me.” If they want to go beyond that, the next appeal is to the state financial aid appeals board. “The number of people seeking finan cial aid has increased dramatically over the past three or four years," he ob serves. He attributes this fact to “rising college and living costs and to the fact that more and more federal dollars are available.” Since 1972, the amount of dollars has increased significantly," he says. The financial aid office staff includes four full-time workers and three half-time employees, plus Vignoul. The aid coun selors account for five and a half posi tions. The staff works at full capacity, especially now, Vignoul says, since there is a recent increase in the number of students applying for aid. While some people have the impres sion that students from certain ethnic groups are given preferential treat ment, “this is simply not true,' according to Vignoul. In fact, under the stipulations of the federal money funds, it is illegal to set aside funds for certain groups. “All we look at is financial eligibility,” he says. Vignoul says the “ultimate respon sibility of funding the education lies with the student and his family.” But at the same time, he stresses, “If students have the potential and desire, we don’t feel he should be denied a higher educa tion because his family can’t afford to ‘buy’ it.” “Our primary concern is equal access to higher education,” Vignoul says. His main concern is his office can provide aid in a consistent, equitable and effi cient manner.’ He says, “That’s what we re striving for.” Title IX deadline confounding University By RICHARD SEVEN Of the Emerald A quickly approaching deadline for meet ing federal sex equality requirements has college administrators and athletic direc tors turning circles trying to comply — or determine what compliance is. July 21 was set as the final compliance date for Title IX, passed in 1972 to ensure women the same athletic pleasures as men. In effect, Title IX says no one may be subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex, under any educational program or ac tivity receiving federal funds. This, of course, means the government will use the familiar bludgeon of withdrawal of federal funds to make sure Universities comply. However, the University will probably not be in total compliance by July, according to Ray Hawk, vice-president for finance and administration. “It would be unfair for the federal government to punish us. We've made more than a reasonable effort,” says Hawk. Despite strides for athletic equity, the University does have some sore points — grants-in-aid, facilities and coaching staffs provided for women. The number one roadblock in total com pliance once again seems to be the elusive dollar. To comply with Title IX the University has to match the proportion of men (52 percent) getting scholarships with the 52 percent of the 200 women participating in athletics. This totals approximately $230,000. Yet, Becky Sisley, director of women's athletics, says full scholarship funding for the first year isn't reasonable nor desirable. She insists, “You don't give all your scholarship money in one year, obviously; our coaches are not experienced in evaluat ing talent and recruiting athletics, and in some cases the talent is not worthy of scho larships.” As a result, the women have proposed $100,000 to be appropriated for this year. With the full amount scheduled for three months from now. Finding adequate facilities is another concern. The women are currently looking for a softball field on which to play. Also. capital construction to provide adequate locker room facilities for women is becom ing essential to comply with facilities equity. “There is a lot of pressure on me to im prove the facilities at Mac Court for women,” said University Pres. William Boyd in a recent Register-Guard interview." But I will not put University money into Mac Court when there are two capital building projects on campus that are more important than the entire Athletic Department." So where does the University expect to find the probable $300,000 needed to com ply with Title IX, when women's sports does not generate any income, the state Legisla ture refuses to appropriate any money and (Continued on Page 6A)
