<p>Saturday, August 19, 2006 (Channel 9 in ElPaso) — "Recent high school grad Benito Rodriguez is ready to make his way to Harvard University this fall, but he is in need of a little help.
Today friends and family gathered at Del Valle High School for an enchilada dinner to help raise money for Benito's first year of college. The 18-year old Del Valle grad received a large scholarship to the university, but his family does not have enough money to pay for the remaining expenses. ....
<a href="http://www.ktsm.com/story_news.sstg?c=2510%5B/url%5D">http://www.ktsm.com/story_news.sstg?c=2510</a></p>
<p>Wait...</p>
<p>HFAI's stipulations state that families with incomes under $60,000 a year do not have to contribute to the cost of attendance at Harvard. Families with incomes between $60,000 and $80,000 a year have their contributions substantially reduced.</p>
<p>There are a ton of employment opportunities here that really match with a student's interests. I myself will be a Peer Advising Fellow as well as a research assistant in a laboratory this fall. I make well above the expected "self-help" amount of $3,750 a year (other colleges' self-help expectations are higher, our director of financial aid Sally Donahue states this proudly).</p>
<p>He could have applied for outside scholarships... there's always the Federal Perkins Loan available as well as Beneficiary Aid (for emergency term-time costs) and no-interest computer loans...</p>
<p>Harvard has an excellent, unmatched financial aid program!</p>
<p>I think I met this guy at pre-frosh weekend!</p>
<p>Sounds like the community is mighty proud of him.</p>
<p>I wonder what he'll do if he can't raise the funds....</p>
<p>He could hit up some old Harvard alums...</p>
<p>I assume the ElPaso enchilada-eaters will come through for him. Wouldn't want the kid to have to get a part-time job in college!</p>
<p>Byerly, you are out of line. Unless you have some insight into this family's financial situation, your speculation is uncalled for. </p>
<p>
[quote]
the ElPaso enchilada-eaters will come through for him
[/quote]
When I see comments like these, I begin to realize how the image of Harvard as an elitist "old, white boys club" came to be. For the sake of Harvard's image, lose the pretension. </p>
<p>Humbly,
-T</p>
<p>Before calling Byerly out of line for reporting the case, or even commenting on the enchilada-eaters, one might also attempt to understand the background of this story. In this case, while it is commendable to report the efforts of a community to help one of its citizens, there are parts of this story that are less commendable, namely the blatant and repeated misrepresention of the nature of the scholarship (four year MERIT scholarship?) to a very gullible press, and the attempt to milk the generosity of others by falsely presenting the financial implications of attending Harvard. Kook-Young Benito Nishizawa Rodriguez had and has several options at his disposal, but selected the one requiring the least amount of personal responsibility and work.</p>
<p>Do you know more than we do xiggi? </p>
<p>All I did was report the interesting story about the community running an enchilada dinner for the kid to presumably bridge the gap in his resources and his college costs. </p>
<p>I admit it did seem strange to me what with Harvard's advertised efforts to elimininate most expenses for low income admits, but I assumed there were special circumstances.</p>
<p>I call ******** on that. </p>
<p>Like xjayz said, Harvard is extremely affordable for low income students, and with loans/work/outside scholarships even 80k range should have extremely low Harvard costs. I'm not white either, and I completely agree with Byerly's thoughts.</p>
<p>Flipsta G is this kid cool or just an ******* like some Harvard kids I've met?</p>
<p>And I totally agree with Bylerly damn. Kid better be working, cuz I've had much tougher times than that kid, never had to ****ing ask for help from everyone.</p>
<p>This <strong><em>es me off, asking for money like that. Under 60k is free, under 80k maybe 5 grand or less, 100k you actually start paying some heavy money. The news site better explain their story a little bit better, because right now I'm thinking "this kid's a *</em></strong>ing ******." Also, I'm not rich. Came to the U.S. dirt poor and now I'm middle class, so don't give me that elitism crap.</p>
<p>Hey! Y'all don't even know this guy!</p>
<p>I mean, I've talked to him and he's a great guy...who cares if he's trying to get some help from the community. I'm sure he's not the only one.</p>
<p>Furthermore, those journalists often get real information and then mold it to suit their story. Don't blame him for misrepresented info.</p>
<p>I agree with Divanny. We are in no position to judge, although the story definitely makes one curious. Plenty of Harvard students benefit from local scholarships or awards. In one town, it might be a Chamber of Commerce or a church group, or the local Harvard Club that comes through. In the case of this kid, his family and friends are holding an enchilada dinner fundraiser. We may be seeing nothing more than the cultural differences between White Plains, Des Moines and ElPaso.</p>
<p>See, for example: <a href="http://hrcmcart.ccilink.com/%5B/url%5D">http://hrcmcart.ccilink.com/</a></p>
<p>And note the discussion HERE:</p>
<p>LOL, Byerly, you can't even remember your own posts:</p>
<p>Ah yes; now I recall! If the truth be known, I have little sympathy for the kid, based on what I've seen, having done a turn or three on the dorm crew cleaning toilets myself. There happens to be a fairly large fund for buying winter clothes for those who don't have them and can't afford them, so I wonder if the neighbors really have to chip in at an enchilada dinner. Still, if you can get it, why not, I guess.</p>
<p>Harvard also offers a $3,000 loan for a laptop, with no interest charged as long as you remain a student.</p>
<p>No, I don't care about the community help. What I'm really ****ed off about is that with the thousands of kids that need help everyyear, this kid gets a little article in Time, and a little bank account number started asking all the readers to "give to this kid cuz he deserves it since he got into Harvard" crap. What about the thousands of other kids who need financial aid and didn't get lucky enough to go to a place like Harvard which is one of the most generous places in terms of aid for the lower income students?</p>
<p>This is different. Having a local kid get into Harvard - often a rare event or nothing that has ever happened before - can be a source of great pride for his or her school and home town. They want to celebrate the moment and share in the joy experienced family.</p>
<p>i def met him at prefrosh, he's a nice guy and why are we all bashing him for trying to get money for an education?</p>