A Fascinating Look at Financial Aids By David Barton For the most part, the average student at Weber State College is not different form the average student at any campus in the country. He is the accumulation of fifteen to eighteen years of knowledge, wisdom, and advanced technology. He is intelligent, aware concerned, and unfortunately, in most cases broke. Ah, Yes. "If I could just get my act together." For you who have competed the long grind, please program to laugh quietly to yourselves. For those of you who still have some time to spend here, take heart, there are, believe it or not, ways to get the extra buck for the rent, lights, books, or whatever. "What," you say. "are the magical ways to gain access to the wiley green-back dollar?" Well, fellow Wildcats (or whatever), listen closely and Old Uncle Daye will try to shed some light on the subject. (Lights please...hey you!..hey!) many of the more industrious students at our fair school already know the value of a job and work part time or full time, in the Ogden area. This is the student who is carrying the brunt of his education, and quite possibly that of his wife's education too, by himself if this student is a female- liberated or otherwise- she too know the value of an education. Both appreciate it all the more when reflecting on those years with the dear old purple and what. This self-made type of education can not be found in the college bulletin. A combination of practical experience and academic training at the college level lends a touch of humble, self esteem to the Weber State experience. These students' benefits extend beyond a diploma. There is no way to place value on hard knocks. Then there is also the student who, because he can't handle cutting his hair for the conservative employers of the surrounding job market, has the options of starving to death, holding up a gas station, which would probably be the only place that would have hired him, or trucking into Financial Aids and talking to a counselor. Financial Aids. So that's how most of those freaky looking people in the Union Snack Bar get all the dimes to buy all those delicious cups of WSC coffee. Here at Weber, Mr. William D. VanDyke is the man to get in touch with ant the Financial Aids office. He can explain the many programs, both federal and state that are available to students who qualify. These programs involve; scholarships, grants, in-aid loans, and the work study program. Once inside the Financial Aids Office the first thing you do is scream, "MONEY". Seriously, you talk to one of the counselors about your financial need and he will explain to you that the best thing for you to do is to hold up a gas station. No, that's not true either. What you do is, fill out the necessary confidential forms about your income (and your parents income if you still live with them) and then the counselor will decide if your case is one that deserves assistance. If you don't' qualify, then you go and hold up a gas station . The qualifications vary, depending on the type of assistance in question. Scholarships and grants are far and away, the best type of financial aid. Some scholarships at Weber next year will emphasize the incoming freshmen, according to Mr. VanDyke. But, the scholarships could be transferred to any deserving undergraduate in the event the original recipient were to drop out or transfer. Scholarships are categorized into the following areas: Academic scholarships, Activity scholarships, Athletic Grants-In-Aid, State Normal scholarships, and Sponsor scholarships. Academic scholarships are offered for the most part to Freshmen, but if they drop out the rest of the scholarship is available for those who might need i. The academic scholarships are based on the student's needs and his scholastic ability. The class of '76 will be offered about 300 tuition scholarships this Fall. Academic scholarships available to the other undergraduates, for the same value, number 180 for next fall. Qualifications include high grade point average with emphasis on full unit course; school and community leadership. Economic need is also considered. Activity scholarships are open to all classes, and include; athletics, debate, drama, music, and publication. The activity grants are for talented debaters, musicians, athletes, and possible journalists. Candidates for these scholarships must be willing to give unrestricted attention to the activity. Again, the amounts vary depending on the needs of the students and the activity which he is applying. The publications scholarships are for the editors-in-chief of the three campus publications. The Sign post, that batian of journalistic awareness and prophetic prose, is allotted a budget from which the editor-in=cheif gets a fixed salary for just putting out two editions each week. (har, har ahem...) The editor of the campus literary magazine, Probe, is also allowed to collect a salary for his efforts. Contrary to popular belief, however, the Acorn editor is not a volunteer. Yes, fans, he too receive a mere pittance for spoiling the better part of 144 pages.