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Controversy

It has become more prevalent today that scholarships are misconceived[by whom?] to have a discriminatory quality to them. For example, as demonstrated by student-specific scholarships, minorities are thought to have a priority over Caucasian students when it comes to receiving these scholarships.

These beliefs are known to come from college students themselves who have been affected by their failures at obtaining adequate financial aid. Mark Kantrowitz, author of Secrets to Winning a Scholarship, explains that the average family tends to overestimate their eligibility for merit-based awards and underestimate their eligibility for need-based awards. These high expectations lead to disappointing results, and many people tend to find someone else to blame for their faults. In turn, the most persistent target of this disapproval tends to be high-profile, minority-based scholarships.[citation needed]

Most scholarships are based on merit or talent, withholding any designation regarding race or nationality. While Caucasians account for 62% of full-time college students in America,[7] they receive 76% of all scholarships.[8]