UT gives free tuition to in-state undergrads from homes of $65K or less

[Frog-in-law1995]

Certainly a good question. As expensive as competitive baseball has become you're probably right. Another thing that would keep this from benefiting the baseball program is that the elite baseball player would not only have to come from an extremely low income family, but he'd also have to graduate in the top 5% - 6% of his class or whatever the requirement is these days. That's probably going to be an even rarer bird. Much more likely in rural communities, IMO, where $65K for a family can go much further, you still see multi-sport athlete more prevalent, and it's easier academically to graduate with a high rank in the class.

Surely they could get around the 5% requirement for an athlete willing to walk on.

 

[Purp]

Surely they could get around the 5% requirement for an athlete willing to walk on.

Wouldn't that count as an impermissible benefit? The benefit, in this case, being admission. The athlete wouldn't be on campus otherwise, in this case, so he's being treated differently than other students who did and didn't get in simply because he's an athlete.

 

[Frog-in-law1995]

Wouldn't that count as an impermissible benefit? The benefit, in this case, being admission. The athlete wouldn't be on campus otherwise, in this case, so he's being treated differently than other students who did and didn't get in simply because he's an athlete.

How do they currently get around the 5% requirement for football players?

 

[Zubaz]

I thought the 5% rule was a guarantee of admission, rather than a floor? In other words, the Top 5% can't be denied,
not that anyone outside the Top 5% can't be accepted?

 

[Purp]

How do they currently get around the 5% requirement for football players?

I'm assuming there's a caveat for scholarship athletes. I truly don't know. But it would seem that before a player could walk onto a varsity athletics team he would have to have qualified academically and be enrolled in school first.

Maybe that's the idea behind the preferred walk-on? It can get you on campus when you otherwise may not have qualified academically, but doesn't give you any scholarship money or a guaranteed spot on the roster? Just spit-balling. Really not sure.

 

[Purp]

I thought the 5% rule was a guarantee of admission, rather than a floor? In other words, the Top 5% can't be denied,
not that anyone outside the Top 5% can't be accepted?

I didn't realize that. I thought you didn't have a chance if you were outside the top 5% with only a few diversity exceptions made.

 

[Zubaz]

I could be wrong, but I believe schools are at liberty to accept who they want and consider factors outside of academics, subject to protected classes of course. While there are some minimums, athletic ability can be considered for acceptance in addition to their academic standing.

I don't believe "His academics aren't good, he was accepted because he is an athlete" would be any more of a scandal or impermissible benefit than "Her academics aren't good, she was accepted because she's a world class Cellist" or something to that effect.

Could be wrong, that's just always how I've understood it.

 

[Frog-in-law1995]

They only fill 2/3 of the incoming class with the percentage thing.

 

[Ron Swanson]

I didn't realize that. I thought you didn't have a chance if you were outside the top 5% with only a few diversity exceptions made.

Todd’s right. They have to take you if you’re in the top whatever percent. They can still take people below the top percent if they like their SAT or extra-curriculars, etc...

 

[Purp]

Todd’s right. They have to take you if you’re in the top whatever percent. They can still take people below the top percent if they like their SAT or extra-curriculars, etc...

I've misunderstood that rule since we were in high school then.

 

[froginmn]

I'm assuming there's a caveat for scholarship athletes. I truly don't know. But it would seem that before a player could walk onto a varsity athletics team he would have to have qualified academically and be enrolled in school first.

Maybe that's the idea behind the preferred walk-on? It can get you on campus when you otherwise may not have qualified academically, but doesn't give you any scholarship money or a guaranteed spot on the roster? Just spit-balling. Really not sure.

A preferred walk on is guaranteed a spot on the roster but no scholarship.

 

[LVH]

I would imagine being in the Top 5% at FW Polytechnic or Trimble Tech is not the same as being in the Top 5% at Carroll HS or Highland Park HS.

 

[Frog-in-law1995]

I would imagine being in the Top 5% at FW Polytechnic or Trimble Tech is not the same as being in the Top 5% at Carroll HS or Highland Park HS.

 

[Bob Sugar]

I didn't realize that. I thought you didn't have a chance if you were outside the top 5% with only a few diversity exceptions made.

Well, I could be wrong, but I believe diversity is an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era.

 

[Bob Sugar]

I would imagine being in the Top 5% at FW Polytechnic or Trimble Tech is not the same as being in the Top 5% at Carroll HS or Highland Park HS.

 

[HToady]

Well we're re landscaping the center of campus for the students to enjoy....so there's that.....

 

[Mean Purple]

how can you hate on this? Extremely cool move by UT and good way to use a fraction of their enormous endowment. Good on the horns (hate to say it)

Nothing in his post indicated he was hating on it.

 

[Mean Purple]

Good idea. We can't have a college education limited to more affluent families. Financial aid debt is a really big problem.

Let's be honest. The root of the problem is overly priced education. The vast majority of colleges are bilking the [ Finebaum ] out of the system.
They love financial aid. They make a killing off of it.

 

[geezer]

I would imagine being in the Top 5% at FW Polytechnic or Trimble Tech is not the same as being in the Top 5% at Carroll HS or Highland Park HS.

 

[Pharm Frog]

I think Todd's point is (and I think he's right) it seems like this would still be a much more substantial benefit than a 1/4 or 1/3 baseball scholly, though, whether it covers food and living costs or not. If given the choice were I a top baseball player I'd probably take this every time and play as a walk-on. My loans to cover food and living arrangements would be much less than my loans to cover school and everything else.

The residual benefit to the baseball program, if this were permissible, is that larger fractions of full schollies might be available to other players and the rare full scholly may also be more practicable. This type of program would definitely make it much more possible to recruit with the strategy Michigan did.

Precisely