Taylor Martinez Comments on cheating?

[Hercules]

The commitment you have to make to college athletics takes up a lot of your potential time, making it very hard for a student-athlete to get a job...so unless your family is loaded, you're going to be broke...of course these guys are going to take the money!

 

This is just plain false, but it gets said constantly. The money from scholarships is easily enough to get by. I know this since I'm doing it right now. On the other hand, I don't feel the need to buy multiple pairs of $150 shoes or fancy cars. Perhaps that's considered a basic need if you're a football player.

You're saying you're on a Division 1, full ride athletic scholarship? And, I don't see how his statement is plain false.. I know most players physically aren't allowed to get a job due to the coaches being concerned over it interfering and causing way too many problems.

 

I'm not saying that it's not hard for them to get a job. There was no need for me to comment on that part because I said in the original post that I'm getting by on financial aid. I don't have a job. I'm saying the broke part is not true. People have strange definitions of broke and scraping by, though. I can afford cable and internet, go out to eat on occasion, buy movies/games sometimes, and I'm fine. But that's about the extent of "sh*t I don't need" that I buy. I don't see how it's relevant what type of scholarships I have. What I get is the same or possibly less than what a player gets, because like you just said, they have a "full ride." But someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I am, however, a lot older than 18, and I'm sure at 18 I would have run out of money faster. So I will give them that, but I still don't consider it an excuse for taking money/gifts or whatever.

 

You're obviously not in the same position as these players. A full ride scholarship covers tuition, room/board etc, but there is no stipend. They don't get a check every week that they can deposit into their bank account and then spend on movies, games, they certainly can't pay monthly utilities. The players who can do those things may have been able to get a job on campus or something that the NCAA allows, or they may get some allowance from home. Scholarship money alone would not give them any spending cash though.

 

If you're getting financial aid that is giving you extra spending money, I can only assume you have a stipend in addition to having tuition/room/board/books covered. I've also met some students who received a regents scholarship and then applied for multiple scholarships/grants outside of the university, so they have extra "scholarship" money that becomes spending money since they don't need it to pay for school. I highly doubt that student-athletes are afforded the luxury of applying for scholarships beyond their University athletic scholarship. They might be allowed to fill out a FAFSA and take on federal student loans, but that's very different than scholarship money.

 

They can get federal need based money, they DO get a housing allowance equal to what it would cost to live in the dorms, they take that then 2-3 players get an apartment together and use the leftover cash for utilities and other things. They get tuition, books, housing, meals, clothing, access to medical care, tutoring and world class workout facilities. Excuse me as I shed a tear for these poor student athletes, especially considering a lot of them would be stuck at home working at McDonalds or Wal-Mart if it weren't for the opportunity that the NCAA gives them.

 

Ah, thanks for clarifying. I didn't know their room/board money could be transferred off campus.

[Moiraine]

You're obviously not in the same position as these players. A full ride scholarship covers tuition, room/board etc, but there is no stipend. They don't get a check every week that they can deposit into their bank account and then spend on movies, games, they certainly can't pay monthly utilities. The players who can do those things may have been able to get a job on campus or something that the NCAA allows, or they may get some allowance from home. Scholarship money alone would not give them any spending cash though.

 

If you're getting financial aid that is giving you extra spending money, I can only assume you have a stipend in addition to having tuition/room/board/books covered. I've also met some students who received a regents scholarship and then applied for multiple scholarships/grants outside of the university, so they have extra "scholarship" money that becomes spending money since they don't need it to pay for school. I highly doubt that student-athletes are afforded the luxury of applying for scholarships beyond their University athletic scholarship. They might be allowed to fill out a FAFSA and take on federal student loans, but that's very different than scholarship money.

 

They can get federal need based money, they DO get a housing allowance equal to what it would cost to live in the dorms, they take that then 2-3 players get an apartment together and use the leftover cash for utilities and other things. They get tuition, books, housing, meals, clothing, access to medical care, tutoring and world class workout facilities. Excuse me as I shed a tear for these poor student athletes, especially considering a lot of them would be stuck at home working at McDonalds or Wal-Mart if it weren't for the opportunity that the NCAA gives them.

 

Ah, thanks for clarifying. I didn't know their room/board money could be transferred off campus.

 

Ya... I'm literally in the same exact position as they are, or one that's slightly less good. Otherwise I wouldn't be posting about it. I don't get any extra money. Room & board covers my rent and food and I have some left over.