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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: the Opportunity Society
Message-ID: <322@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Nov-84 08:38:01 EST
Article-I.D.: whuxl.322
Posted: Fri Nov  2 08:38:01 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Nov-84 03:26:41 EST
References: <52@mit-athena.ARPA> <577@loral.UUCP>, <370@fisher.UUCP> <1050@pyuxa.UUCP>, <317@whuxl.UUCP> <1055@pyuxa.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs
Lines: 25

> Straw man, Sevener, Straw man.  If you would care to look into
> who gets the student loans, you might find that, because there
> were students getting these loans who came from families that
> can be considered 'rich', students from 'working class' families
> were being short-changed because the well went dry. 
> T. C. Wheeler

I am afraid it is not a "Straw man" T.C.  The program under which I went to
college no longer exists.  Reagan's proposed cuts in student financial aid
will hurt working-class and lower-income students--they are not restricted
to upper-income groups.  When I applied for student aid my parents had to
fill out financial statements based on their income tax returns every year.
Those financial statements were then monitored by a national organization
similar to the National Testing Service.  If my parents made over the
eligible income levels I would have been ineligible for any student aid.
Moreover, aid levels are graduated so that those with less income are eligible
for more aid.
Obviously some parents will lie and cheat on these forms, just as some people
lie and cheat on anything (as they would do for tuition tax credits).
That does not mean that programs which have helped unprecedented numbers of
Americans afford to go to College should be summarily cut.
Reagan's concern is the wealthy and affluent.  He has no desire to "waste money"
on programs like student aid which might allow those less fortunate to 
become wealthy and affluent.
Tim Sevener whuxl!orb