I have found a varying form of a single question on every college and scholarship application. In the University of Kansas college application, one question asks, “What is your parents’ yearly income based on your 2013 tax return?” I understand where they are coming from with this question, but my parents will have no effect on how I pay for college. I have talked to a few other people in the senior class and many parents, and the recurring question from them is, why does their income apply?

Many students from this area will pay for their own education after high school; some of the money will come from college scholarships based on ACT score and GPA, but after anything recieved from that source, students must make up the difference in cost through other sources. But if scholarship committees are mainly basing their choices on the applicants’ parents’ incomes, then many students won’t get scholarships they deserve.

I will pay for my college, and I know that I will need all the money from scholarships and grants that I can get. College costs continue to increase, and yet, I’m making no more money than I was these past three summers. Students in high school can only make so much money when they have school, sports, organizations and homework, so I don’t think the majority of students will be able to work enough to pay for their own college and yet parents won’t be helping either, which I understand. Parents have other expenses and can’t pay for their children’s college. Since they can’t, though, the scholarship committees should make more scholarships that are not based on the applicant’s parents’ incomes.