The Michigan Doly - Saturday, Jun. 1 1985 -Page 3
Financial aid essential to Hispanics
By CHRISTY RIEDEL
Research has found that two. main factors af-
fect which college a student wants to attend:
Quality of the academic program and cost.
Although this finding is true for prospective
college students everywhere, University Finan-
cial Aid Officer Carlos Acevedo said yesterday
that because of socio-economic status, "Financial
aid is a major factor in guaranteeing access to
higher education" for minorities.
SPEAKING BEFORE the College Recruitment
Association for Hispanics, Acevedo said that
"eighty percent or more of Hispanics, to be on the
conservative side, rely on financial assistance."
Acevedo outlined some of the major concerns
and problems Hispanic students face in applying
for financial aid - an important factor in a
Hispanic student's decision about whether to at-
tend college.
, For Hispanic students, "Parents are the
decisive factor whether the students decide to at-
tend college or not to attend college," Acevedo
said. "What Hispanic parents are doing is in-
culcating the values of higher education in their
children.
"HISPANICS value education very highly,"
Acevedo said, explaining that they see education
as a way to combat poverty, get into the main-
stream of American society, and acquire power.
Prospective students run into problems,
however, because their parents are concerned
about the money it takes to send their children to
college and they often lack knowledge about
financial aid.
Acevedo said that ina recent survey, 70 percent
of parents of prospective Hispanic college studen-
ts were unable to accurately predict the costs of
education at a four-year public institution. That
rate for thestudents was63percent, he said.
"INFORMATION students receive . . . is
limited. (Therefore) access is limited," Acevedo
said.
According to Acevedo, Hispanic students
sometimes doubt the accuracy of financial aid in-
formation. He said that while institutions indicate
costs such as tuition, fees, room, board, books, and
transportation, a few institutions fail to include
personal expanses in the estimated cost of an
education. These expenses, which include clothing
and entertainment, are a reality of student life
that should not be omitted from a cost estimate,
Acevedosaid.
Hispanic students are concerned that they are
not receiving an accurate picture of the total cost,
and that they may not be able to get jobs after
college which will enable them to pay back money
borrowed for their education, Acevedo said.
ACEVEDO SAID students also face language
and cultural barriers when applying for financial
aid, and that 23 percent of all Hispanic students
who enter the University come from families
where Spanish is the dominant language. Because
of this, the student may have trouble com-
municating with the head of the household to ob-
tain the necessary data for financial aid forms.
According to Acevedo, a social convention in
some Hispanic families says that the head of the
household should be the only one concerned with
finances. A student in such a family may run into
conflict when trying to obtain financial infor-
mation from parents, he said.
Public policy issues affect prospective Hispanic
students as well, but in Michigan there is no
scholarship program specifically for Hispanic
students. Although Hispanics can apply for
scholarships intended for minorities asa whole or
the general student population, the possibility that
a Hispanic or other minority will win a scholarship
is lower than that of a majority student.
Acevedo said that one need-based scholarship,
the Michigan Competitive Scholarships, selects
recipients on the basis of ACT scores as well as
need. Minorities traditionally don't do as well on
the test, he said and so their chances of winning
the scholarhsip decrease.
To help meet the needs of college-bound
Hispanics, the association has formed a coalition
with other Hispanic groups to establish a Hispanic
scholarship fund in Michigan.
ISR survey says
teens are materialistic
(Continued from Page1),
"MANY ARE not sure if the world
is going to last their lifetime," said
Jerald Bachman, one of the three
researchers involved in the study.
According to Bachman, fear of
nuclear holocaust rose greatly in the
mid-'70s to early '80s because of
several foreign policy events. "They
were trying to negotiate a Salt II
treaty so there was a lot of discussion
about how much we had, how much
the Russians had," Bachman said.
"In addition there was the Soviet in-
vasion of Afghanistan, a grain em-
bargo, we didn't go to the Olympics,
and the hostage crisis in Iran. All this
added up to a greater concern that the
world wouldn't survive their
lifetime."
Interestingly, this rise in concern
about nuclear war leveled off since
President Reagan took office in 1980.
"I guess you could describe it as not
much of an increase," said Bachman,
"but there's certainly been no decrese
either."
THIS concern, as well as growing
concern about a crowded job market
has increased concerns about at-
taining the American dream. This has
resulted, says the study, in increased
emphasis on job status, income and
opportunities for advancement.
While many still name getting a job
High winds cause
blackout around
North Campus
Stong winds left 5,000 Ann Arbor
residents, many in the north
campus area, without electrical
power for approximately eight and
a half hours yesterday. Most power
was restored before midnight and
Detroit Edison spokeswoman said
the company was confident all
power would be restored today.
Area residents reported that the
power went out in the areas bet-
ween Fuller Road, Plymouth Road
and U.S. 23 around 2 p.m. Workers
at the Veterans Hospital said elec-
trical power had been flickering on
and off all afternoon.
-Nadine Lavagniro
that's "interesting to do," as their top
priority, an increasing number of
students place greater importance on
high-paying jobs.
According to Bachman, in 1978 54
percent of the males and 40 percent of
the females interviewed placed high
importance on pay. In 1984, 61 percent
of the males and 54 percent of the
females interviewed said that a high
salary was very important.
BACHMAN noted that the increase
among females in this category was
greater than that of males. "My hun-
ch is that it has something to do with
the changing roles of women as bread-
winners.
Bachman also said that when asked
whether it was right for women to
work outside the home, most people
said yes.
However, when asked about per-
sonal preferences, if they would work
outside their home or if they wanted
their wives to work, a great many said
that they shouldn't work.
BACHMAN said that even though
more men felt this way, not many
more men than women thought that
women shouldn't work outside the
home. "Both males and females expr-
essed this preference," Bachman
said.
In their political views, Bachman
said that there was a general shift
away from the Democratic Party -
like a similar trend with the general
population.
The Democrats, Bachman said, still
maintained a two percent advantage
over the number of Republicans, but
in comparison, they had about a ten
percent advantage in 1976. According
to Bachman, the number of
moderates and undecided students
have increased in the same time
period.
ALL IN all, "today's high school
seniors seem to be quieter, less con-
spicuous in dress and behavior, and
less radical in political behavior and
action," according to the study.
Bachman said he couldn't explain the
recent surge of protests.
The three researchers, Bachman,
Lloyd Johnston, and Patrick O'Malley
surveyed 17,000 high school seniors
over the last ten years in compilinig
their data.
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Moving food
Sandwiches stack up at the Subway restaurant on S. University for the opening today. Late night fixins' are
available until 2 a.m. weekdays and 4 a.m. weekends.
Judge orders community service
By ARONA PEARLSTEIN
Two women who were found guilty
last week of defacing a billboard on
North Main Street were sentenced
yesterday to 72 hours of community
service by Judge George Alexander of
the 15th District Court.
In addition Jennifer Akfirat and
Mary Emanoil must each pay $180 in
court fees and $1,400 in damages to
the company that owns the Black
Velvet billboard, which has been
denounced as being sexist.
PAYING damages for the billboard
presents a problem for Akfirat and
Emanoil, who are planning a hearing
on the restitution payments. "I don't
really want to pay the restitution for
them to put up more signs," Akfirat
said. No date has been set for the
hearing.
About 20 supporters were present
for the sentencing. Many of them
were from local feminist groups such
as Women Rebelling Against a Sexist
Environment and Community Action
Against Sexist Advertising, a local
group that wants to have the billboard
removed.
Carole McCabe, a spokesperson for
Community Action said "(the senten-
ce) was all right. My main concern
about the trial is the reason that the
sign was defaced. There was no forum
for it - it wasn't discussed."
THE defendants are still not sure if
they can seek an appeal. "A lot of
things are up in the air right now.
We're not sure if we can appeal or
even if that would be wise," said Ak-
firat, who wore a t-shirt that read
"Feel the Oppression."
Both women said the community
service sentence is fair. Said a
relieved Emanoil, "It's a deferred
sentence - it's better than going to
jail. It's a good program."
Akfirat was less surprised. "The
sentencing is pretty routine for a first-
time offense. It would have been very
bizarre for them to put us in jail," she
said.