For most students applying to college, being admitted to their school of choice and getting the money to go there go hand in hand. With a limited number of academic and need-based scholarships, the competition for financial aid is just as fierce as the race to get your foot in the door.

It is understandable that the school lowered the number of credit hours required to renew a scholarship, considering many students come in with plenty of credit hours, and the hour requirements per academic year may hinder them. However, allowing students to submit pass/no credit courses to fulfill scholarship renewal requirements is not commendable. University officials said they made the concession to reduce the number of scholarship appeals because many students know the GPA requirement but are not aware of the required hours. All students who get scholarships receive a document clearly delineating the rules, and we all know financial aid is no light matter. There is no excuse for students claiming ignorance of the rules.

In addition, letting students take pass/no credit courses for scholarship hours does not reflect the standards to which scholarship students should be held. With so many students vying for financial aid and money being so tight, universities have high expectations of scholarship recipients. Scholarships are usually awarded to students who show promise of good academic performance.

When accepting a scholarship, students commit to the rules. Financial aid is a privilege, and recipients should comply with the responsibilities tied to it.

News editor Julieta Chiquillo for the editorial board.