> I should note, I suppose, that the other one was the correct answer.
> If someone donates some money for a scholorship, they should be able
> to put whatever restrictions on it they want.  Race, grandparent
> served in a war, wealth, hair color, whatever.  I think that's pretty
> much how it works now...

Ayup. I got a small scholarship because of my SATs and my father being
employed by the railroad. Such is life. Somebody a long time ago put
up money for the children of railroad employees. Some of the other expenses
of college were paid by the government because my father (well, my first
father) died while on active duty in the Air Force. He killed himself
in his office when I was 4 years old. This, by definition, made me a
"war orphan" (I don't make the rules).

I benefited mainly by reasons of chance. My family wasn't poor, though
we weren't rich.

> Then again, *I* would rather see money donated to a school evenly
> distributed to all the students in the form of reduced tuition,
> instead of lumped together to give an advantage to one student.  All

It's a nice thought.
There are several problems with this.

1. The schools would come to treat this as part of their normal budget
   and it would be forgotten. I've seen too much of university budgeting
	to believe that this would really help.

2. People with less money need more help to afford college than rich
   people. This is an idea that *sounds* fair but isn't (sort of like
	a flat income tax). It serves to further separate the poor and the
	rich.

> of that scholorship/grant/endowment/whatever money would probably help
> some in decreasing the general "stupid" level.  I don't think poor
> people should be rewarded for being poor, *or* that rich people should
> be punished for being rich.  I guess that makes me unpatriotic or
> something.

Considering income level as part of the equation when granting scholarships
is *not* rewarding the poor or punishing the rich. By definition in the US
the rich have many fewer opportunities.

I do feel that many of these regulations and equations hurt the middle class.
There have been times where various laws and regulations hit me harder
than they would have if I earned less. The government isn't perfect. Sorry.

Though I have noticed that anytime the "middle class" gets a tax break I
earn too much to get it, but whenever the "middle class" gets a tax increase
I suddenly am included. :)

Though I think a much better example of earnings discrimination against
the lower middle class is the US medical system. Currently I am the caregiver
for my dying wife. Because I had to quit my job to do this I only have
insurance through her workplace (Penn State). We have enough to live
on with savings, my meager pension (try to cash out at 47 and you'll see
what I mean), and her disability. However, if she dies I lose half our
income *and* I have to get private medical insurance. I have too much in
assets for Medicaid and too little to get decent insurance.

Oh well. I think that life is good, but I've never thought of it as fair.
-- 
D. Jay Newman           ! Author of:
jay@sprucegrove.com     ! _Linux Robotics: Building Smarter Robots_
http://enerd.ws/robots/ ! (Now I can get back to building robots.)
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