Latest news with #ChapelHill
Forbes
a day ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Scholarship Displacement Robs Students Of Much-Needed Financial Aid
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 29: People walk on the campus of the University of North Carolina ... More Chapel Hill on June 29, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admission policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution, bringing an end to affirmative action in higher education. (Photo by) When it comes to paying for college, common wisdom says to apply for as much financial aid as you possibly can. This includes scholarships and grants that come from institutions and government agencies, and private scholarships, too. Unfortunately, colleges and universities have policies that can rob students of aid they may have spent weeks or months pursuing on their own. They do this through something called "scholarship displacement," which reduces aid awards based on outside scholarships a student receives. To understand scholarship displacement, education attorney Dr. Gregory J. Vincent of Vincent Strategies says to imagine a student from a low-income household is awarded a $5,000 local scholarship. "The family is excited because they think this means a lighter financial burden," says Vincent. 'But when they submit it to the school, the institution reduces its own $5,000 grant by the same amount.' This means the net benefit of the scholarship to the family is zero, even if the student earned it based on their grades, an essay, membership in certain organizations or something else. Is Scholarship Displacement Wrong? Using outside scholarships as an excuse to reduce need-based aid for students may not be illegal, but most experts agree it's unethical. Higher education consultant Tom O'Hare of Get College Going says that, at the very least, the practice nullifies the hard work a student and their family will spend searching for and applying for scholarships. Not only that, but scholarship displacement typically takes place late in the enrollment process and after students have already committed to a school. This means it can place students and their families in a financial bind after it's too late to pick a different school or program. Danilo Umali of Game Theory College Planners says he has been helping his clients fight scholarship displacement for well over a decade, and that he considers the practice a type of "resource discrimination." Umali says that families who put significant effort into pursuing outside scholarships could even wind up paying more for college in the end since reduced aid offers can stick through four years of college even if the displaced scholarship was only offered for one year. He also estimates that families who are unaware of financial aid displacement could easily lose $10,000 to $30,000 from a single college offer. With higher education costs on the rise and cumulative student loan debt reaching more than $1.7 trillion nationally, it's a shame that colleges and universities are still using this practice — legal or not. How To Fight Scholarship Displacement While most would agree that scholarship displacement is a pretty bad concept, you don't have to blindly accept what your college says. There are steps you can take to fight against this practice or get the decision reversed. If you earn a scholarship from a third party organization and you're worried about scholarship displacement, you can ask them to pay you the scholarship funds directly instead of sending the money to your school. James Lewis of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) says they may also be willing to pay the scholarship into a 529 college savings account if you have one. That way, you can use the funds for room and board, tuition, textbooks, and other higher education expenses without getting the school involved. "This preserves a student's autonomy over how the funds are used while maintaining eligibility for need-based financial aid," he says. John Morganelli of Ivy Tutors Network says being a "squeaky wheel" may be enough to get your school to change course when it comes to scholarship displacement. "Schools are far more likely to make exceptions for families that speak up," he says. If aid has been reduced or displaced, pushing back, either through a formal merit appeal or an informal aid conversation, can prompt the school to reconsider. Vincent adds that students and their families should ask specific questions of the college's financial aid office about how outside scholarships are treated. Families should also request a copy of the school's displacement policy in writing, he said. Brian Safdari of College Planning Experts also says families can appeal to the university through a process many parents do not know about. This can begin a negotiation that could lead to scholarship displacement being reversed, more aid being offered and a better deal for the student overall. "If you know how to appeal or negotiate and have the right leveraging strategies, you can get the grants reinstated," he says. To appeal a financial aid offer through your school, you should reach out to the university's financial aid office to inquire. If you're worried about putting a ton of work into earning scholarships you never actually benefit from, you may want to go a different route altogether. Umali says that the best way to avoid displacement is to focus all of your efforts on obtaining grants and discounts directly from the college. Why? Because many "outside" scholarships are time consuming, overly competitive, and tend to involve smaller dollar amounts. By focusing on grants and discounts from the college instead, you can potentially obtain $25,000 to $45,000 a year from a single college. "That dwarfs the amounts you would typically see from an outside source," says Umali. "Plus, these college offers are good for all four years the student is in attendance." The Bottom Line While many people have never even heard of scholarship displacement, this sneaky problem can rob parents and students of outside scholarships they worked hard to find, apply for and earn. Unfortunately, this practice is used by all kinds of colleges and universities around the country, although some states have banned scholarship displacement or have laws that limit its use. If you want to actually benefit from outside scholarships, knowing how scholarship displacement works and how to spot it is your best first step. And if you find a school is limiting your aid because of scholarships from third parties, complaining loudly, filing an appeal, or both could work in your favor.
New York Times
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
Happiness Doesn't Have to Be a Heavy Lift
I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately, both by the news and by a bit of life stuff. I wish I could retreat to a mountaintop, but my more realistic plan is to seek out the smallest possible things I can do each day to give myself a lift. Every morning, for instance, I open my Merlin Bird ID app to see if any new birds have shown up in my backyard. (This morning I learned about a Northern Flicker, a bird I did not know existed.) Micro-moments of positivity like this really can improve your well-being, said Barbara Fredrickson, director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Even though these moments are fleeting, she said, they can 'act as nutrients for psychological health and growth, helping you become a better version of yourself, little by little.' Her research, and that of others, suggests that recognizing, cultivating and savoring these bits of happiness builds well-being, resilience and resourcefulness. I asked experts how to incorporate more low-lift, bare-minimum pleasures into your life. 'A pet peeve is something small that disproportionately annoys you,' said Bree Groff, author of the upcoming book 'Today Was Fun.' In contrast, she said, 'a 'reverse pet peeve' is something small that brings you disproportionate joy.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chapel Hill council member blames political climate for decision to step down
Adam Searing cited special-interest groups and political attacks Thursday among the reasons that he won't seek a second term on the Chapel Hill Town Council. Searing, who ran a heated but unsuccessful campaign in 2023 to unseat Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson, has served on the council since 2021. He was the only one of two candidates supported in the 2021 election by the grassroots group Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town, which advocates for shorter buildings, slower growth and environmental preservation. He regularly stood alone against other council members during the first two years of his four-year term. The opposition has softened somewhat since the 2023 election, with other council members voicing support for his ideas at times. Karen Stegman is one of those voices. She was elected to the council with CHALT's support in 2017 but lost that support in 2021, because of her development votes. On Wednesday, she stepped down from the council, five months before her term expires, because her family is moving to Carrboro. Chapel Hill races have always been politically charged, but in the last several years, Anderson and fellow council members have noted an increase in anonymous attacks and threats in comments from the dais and in blog posts and campaign messages. In an email message announcing his decision Thursday, Searing said he's enjoyed his time on the council, but 'the thought of enduring a third election in our current local political environment makes my decision today not to run again this November an easy one.' He noted other people involved in local issues are also 'finding other ways to volunteer and civically engage.' 'A few of the reasons include multiple special interest groups demanding several thousand-word 'election' questionnaires on obscure topics, political attacks that often get personal and even extend to family members and student volunteers, a local social media cesspool where any questioning of impractical or unpopular ideas can quickly lead to accusations of racism or sexism, and the appearance on the scene of well-funded anonymous-donor political group activity,' he said. The 2023 races set records for how much money the candidates and political groups raised — over $251,000 reported prior to the election — largely due to donations collected by political-action committees and local advocacy groups. Triangle Blog Blog, an online source for news and opinion, and the nonprofit Next Chapel Hill-Carrboro group emerged to counter CHALT's view of how Chapel Hill should be managed and grow. Next also has a NEXT Action Fund, a 501(c)4, or so-called 'dark money,' political action group that does not have to disclose its finances, and some of its supporters write for the blog. The group responded to online allegations about its money and donors by posting some information online. CHALT is allied with the Chapel Hill Leadership political action committee, which raised the most money ever in its history during the 2023 election cycle after the organizer of a rumored, new political action committee said that group would not be forming and urged donations to the Chapel Hill Leadership PAC. Anderson has announced she will run for another two-year term in November. A challenger has not yet emerged. Four Chapel Hill Town Council seats will be on the Nov. 4 ballot. Council member Paris Miller-Foushee has announced she will run again, and a challenger, Planning Commission member Wes McMahon, also plans to run. The filing period for the 2025 election runs from 8 a.m. July 7 to noon July 18. His supporters may be disappointed with his decision to leave the council, Searing said, but he will stay involved in local projects and activities. 'I share that feeling,' Searing said. 'But we've created a local political gauntlet where the price demanded for participating — personally, reputationally, and professionally — far outweighs my strong commitment to public service.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick, Tar Heels land commitment from 4-star DB Jamarrion Gordon
North Carolina continues to stockpile talent -- and added another huge piece to the puzzle on Wednesday. Four-star 2026 defensive back Jamarrion Gordon committed to Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels. North Carolina edged out Ole Miss and others for the one-time UCF verbal commitment out of Jackson (Ala.) High School. Advertisement "It came down to the coaching staff ... I know they're gonna develop me," Gordon told Rivals of his decision to pledge to the Tar Heels. "They know what it really takes to get there." There -- is the NFL. Belichick's staff in Chapel Hill boasts decades of NFL experience between coaches and former players -- now in coaching roles. North Carolina came on strong late with the No. 16-rated safety in the Rivals250 -- who is position-versatile and also played a key role on offense en route to Jackson High's state title run last fall. "As soon as I stepped foot on the campus, all attention was on me," Gordon said of his time on campus this month. "Since then, they've stayed in contact every single day… Whenever they played Duke in basketball, the fans and the coaches really made me feel home ... I didn't wanna leave them, so I've been knowing that was my home ever since."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UNC basketball star a late first-round in ESPN's latest NBA Mock Draft
The NBA Draft takes center stage in the sports world on Wednesday, June 25 – and there's a strong likelihood a former UNC basketball star will hear his name called. The Tar Heel in question is Drake Powell, who grew up minutes from Chapel Hill – and watched his dream come true last year. Powell started his freshman campaign as one of North Carolina's top bench options, but after a few strong offensives performances and consistent lockdown defense, Powell became a mainstay in the starting lineup. Advertisement Many wondered if Powell would withdraw soon after initially declaring for the NBA Draft, but Powell proved he was NBA-ready in just one year at UNC. In ESPN's latest NBA Mock Draft, Powell goes 28th overall – which is a late, first-round selection – to the Boston Celtics. Nothing says welcome to the pros like playing for arguably the NBA's most-storied franchise. Boston holds a league-leading 18 NBA titles, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 Finals. The Celtics are a deep team, with former Duke superstar Jayson Tatum and Cal-Berkeley star Jaylen Brown leading the charge. Boston starts former All-Stars Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday, with Holiday taking Tatum's starting spot after the latter's season-ending achilles injury. Derrick White, one of the NBA's top undervalued guards, rounds out the starting lineup. Advertisement The Celtics have all the offensive firepower an NBA team could imagine, but they're also a great defensive squad. Powell's defensive presence would only add to Boston's firepower, while Powell is also more than capable of dropping 10 points – on any given night. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC's Drake Powell 27th overall to Boston Celtics in NBA Mock Draft
