‘Squeeze on Campus’

Your editorial in opposition to further cuts in postsecondary educational scholarships and loans correctly concludes that adding to the debt burden of graduating students will make college that much less possible.

However, an overlooked and major area of funding under both the current and proposed funding laws is private financial aid. It has been estimated that there is more than $500 million in scholarships, loans, grants and work-study opportunities available to college students. These funds are given by major corporations, trade and civic groups and private philanthropic foundations. This aid can make an important contribution to a student’s ability to stay in school and may average up to one-fourth of the student’s overall budget. Some of the 5,000 different programs are based on merit, not need; some loans are deferred for a number of years following graduation, and a number of work-study programs offered by the private sector give the student a “first shot” at the corporate employer’s job openings.

STEVE DANZ

Los Angeles