Financial Aid Letter?

johnnycomelately
Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:04:47 +0000

miasmom - I appreciate your kind words. Our decision was not based on this one factor, although it was the most significant. We liked our visit to Vanderbilt and everything about the university was a good fit - but at their age, acceptance by peers plays an important factor in freeing up one’s mind for joyful learning, intellectual exploration and physical growth. There will always be many other things working against him, to an equal measure, like his own character, attitudes, ethnicity and religion - and we just did not want to add one more.

For the record, I do not know who is right or wrong - except that I do understand that the system is not fair on everyone - or is it, in the final analysis?.

Hard work, honesty, integrity, good planning and family values are all great attributes to bring to an institution and those who have lived around those principles must never be made to feel like Losers. But denying those very values on others just because they are in financial need is also not fair or right - but that judgment is inevitable and is made quite often.

What is not completely understood by many is that - that is the way of the system. At any point there will always be some “haves” supporting the many “have-nots” in our current social and economic infrastructure, as it is set up now. It cannot sustain without that balance. Only the players are constantly changing but the roles and the ratio will remain unchanged. For lack of any better explanation, let me just say, that “Balance” defines the “Capacity” of our economic system. There is just not enough money in this world to back the financial needs of the entire population and there never will be - in the monetary system.

I apologize for the diversion, but that is the way I try to reconcile these issues

In the end, it is not the location that determines our son’s success, but rather his character and attitude. Therefore, I am sure all our kids will end up fine.