by rerun Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:04 am
Youngblood,
I totally understand what you are saying. I can only speak about my personal situation coming out of high school. I was that kid with the 78% percent OAC average...not quite high enough to qualify for the $3500 off my tuition. I had several American schools offering me 80% scholarships in track and field and soccer, and York, Western and Toronto offering me nothing except the promise of a better, but, much more expensive education. They told me a million horror stories to about former Canadian athletes going to the States and having terrible experiences. I chose the scholarship offers over staying here and paying for everything. My family and I did the math and financially it made sense. I was saving thousands of dollars in the long run! As I said before, this is such a complicated issue.
There is no doubt that Canadian schools provide a better educational experience. The CIS over the years has really tried to raise the profile of University sports in Canada....more exposure, TV Coverage...better facilities, but, the lack of scholarship money for athletes who have an average of less than 80% is a huge problem. Let's be honest.....that excludes a vast majority of the top players....especially the black players.
Secondly, it is very expensive to attend school here without some type of
financial aid. Many of the players we are talking about simply don't have
the money. You can pay 16k-20k a year in Canada or considerably less if you are on a basketball scholarship in the States. If you are making an informed decision and not foolishly compromising your education, then it is a no brainer. My parents are hard working, middle class people who did plan for my post secondary education and put away some money. The parents of the kids we are talking about probably didn't. It easier for most to think short term....get a basketball scholarship to the United States and if that fails go to Community college. That plan is much more affordable and attainable, than the long term planning and saving it takes to attend a Canadian University. A lot of this comes down to parents and proper parenting and that is a whole different issue. The US university option is not for everyone. I just want people to make informed decisions about their post secondary education, but, that takes some patience and long term planning. I don't see a lot of that taking place with many kids and their parents.
Lastly, the reason why people want to attend IVY League schools is not primarily the education. It is the alumni connections! The money you are paying to attend Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Cornell etc gives you access to some of the most powerful, well paid, well connected people on the planet.
The high cost of attendance to these schools is the price you pay for that exclusive access. Most Queens, Western or U of T. grads might not make 100k upon graduation, but, a Harvard, Princeton or Yale grad knows that he/she will easily surpass that figure upon graduation when he/she starts in the workforce. If I'm a genuis and money driven as well, I'm definitely attending Harvard or some other IVY League school because I want that exclusive access to that inner circle that I can't get in Canada.