"All Scholars Regardless of Socioeconomic Status or Special Learning Needs Can Succeed in College"
Equality is the foundation of our country, and it must be present in all aspects of life if we are to have a just society. When it comes to a college education however, not all individuals are treated equally or given the same opportunities; if we do not give all scholars the same chance to succeed, then we are determining their entire futures based entirely on something they are not capable of changing. Many average citizens will not apply to, let alone graduate from a university; when it comes to mentally disabled students and low income scholars, most do not even apply to any university to begin with, let alone graduate. There are programs that offer financial assistance for those who cannot afford tuition, as well as colleges and universities with substantially lower tuition. In addition to financial help, there are also in school, and community run programs designed to assist those scholars in need of special learning assistance. The issue with these programs is as such that the majority of people eligible for this assistance either, do not know the assistance is available, or do not know how to take advantage of it to better their education. Many scholars with special needs are not aware that they are in fact learning disabled, or do not inform their professor; therefore their needs are not taken into account during their courses.
Equal opportunity for all scholars would not be an issue if all applicants were informed of the possible assistance they could get. There are about seventeen colleges and universities for special needs/learning disabled scholars in particular; we would not have or need these colleges if there were not issues with the ones not specifically for mentally handicapped scholars. Furthermore, when applying for a job, if the college on your resume is listed as special needs, your application is sometimes denied whether or not you are qualified, or, in other words, discriminate against applicants. Often if an applicant request assistance with their special learning needs, or financial assistance, many universities/colleges will reject their applications purely because they have a disability or they are not financially stable, or do not have academic prowess. Complaints have been filed in classes due to social unawareness by mentally handicapped scholars; these cases are most present in students with aspergers or other areas of the autistic spectrum. In most cases of special needs students, they are doing fine or excelling in one area, and doing noticeable worse in the other-the areas being academic and social interactions. Some disabilities affect a scholars' academic performance, other make them less sensitive to social protocol; the social disabilities will often interfere greatly with the application process of most universities.
Financial instability and and learning disabilities do not just affect a scholar's life during college; they also influence the hiring process and social life. Certain social skills can be taught to scholars by their teachers, starting in high school as well as in college; but most teacher training programs do not take into account the awareness of special needs. All teachers continue their training even while teaching; this training includes interaction protocol with students, as well as how to better support their education; the training however, does not teach the instructors how to accommodate the needs of the special education children they may teach, or how to adapt their methods so their students can advance at their own pace. College professors have less leniency when it comes to lesson adaptation for special needs; but some changes can be made; some special education assistance programs that are run through a university qualify a student for untimed tests, extended project due dates, and free after class tutoring.
For financial assistance, low income households and scholars without jobs, there are more programs readily available than there are for the mentally handicapped. There are multiple types of financial assistance for those scholars who are eligible, including but not limited to, loans, grants, and scholarships. Grants are gifts to a college or private university, specifically from the state or federal government. These grants will often be designated specifically for such things as financial assistance. A scholarship is a waiving of tuition, either based either on a scholar's grades or an aptitude for sports; scholarships are when a private organization or college pays for a scholar's tuition; however, the scholar must perform outstandingly in the chosen area-academics or sports. If the scholarship is based on a student's grades, the student's tuition will be taken care of by a sponsoring organization, or the university itself. This payment stops if the scholar fails to keep up their grades. In the cases where scholars are accepted in college due to their physical prowess, a college coach will find high school athletes and recruit them to join the team at said coaches' universities, when they agree to this; however, the scholars must be able to graduate, as well as fully participate in sports for their education to continue. One less effective assistance program for a low income household is loans. This is when a scholar borrows money from a bank to pay for tuition. This money however, unlike the other methods, must be repaid with interest over time. Universities are sometimes sympathetic to a scholar with money troubles, therefore, the U.S. Department of Education, or, if the university offers assistance themselves, will give scholars part time jobs to pay off their student loans. The majority of students not in the 1% who attend graduate school have student loans to pay off, mostly in medical and law school.
Moreover, it is recognized that special needs scholars have more troubles succeeding in college than lower income scholar; but for both, there are various options. We need to let people know that they may not learn the same way as everyone else, but they should not give up before they start, applying is the first step. Only nineteen percent of scholars with special needs even apply to a university or a college to begin with; this is because of fear, fear of failure. They do not know that there are people and programs that are happy to assist them, to drown that fear. If no one knows they have the chance, they will not try. Scholars need to take advantage of the assistance they are offered. Whether a scholar has learning disabilities, or whether or not they have financial troubles, they all have the equal right to succeed, and what is better, they all can.
