thursday, January 22, 1976
page 4
daily nebraskan
guest
Abortion: A violation of human di
gnity?
r
By Michael Lang
Three years and several million abortions later, the real
question of the abortion issue "Is abortion the taking of
human life?" has not been faced by many and has been
minimized by the pro-abortion (euthanasia) groups. In
stead of the true issue, emotional appeals using evasive
rhetoric and ridicule were substituted. Slowly, almost im
perceptibly, the American people began to be indoctrinat
ed to the so-called "New Ethic, " without ever facing the
fact that abortion kills.
the September issue of California Medicine states:
"The process of eroding the old ethic and substituting the
i 6.0.
new has already begun. It may be seen most clearly in
changing attitudes toward human abortion . . . Since the
old ethic has not yet been fully displaced, it has been
necessary to separate the idea of abortion from the idea of
killing, which continues to be socially abhorrent. The re
sult has been a curious avoidance of the scientific facts,
, which everyone really knows, that human life begins at
conception and is continuous whether intra-or extra
uterine until death ... The very considerable semantic
gymnastics which are required to rationalizs abortion as
anything but taking a human life would be ludicrous if
they were not often put forth under socially impeccable
4 auspices."
Equal protection of the right to life from arbitrary
attack is, (or has been) firmly established, almost without
exception, in the traditions and religions of civilized man
. for nearly four thousand years.
"But tradition and law are not the source of man's
equality; they only acknowledge its presence as a fact of
his nature. The Declaration of Independence speaks of
men as created equal-created not born; it seems likely
that its authors intended to express their conviction, to
day verified by science, that humanity is conferred by
human parents at conception." (from The Death Peddlers
War on The Unborn by Paul Marx, O.S.B. Ph. D.)
"All men are created free and equal," we say in our
constitution. Obviously we do not mean equal in achieve
ment, ability, opportunity or material goods. The only
possible meaning is that each man or woman shares a dig
nity, a sameness which is intrinsic to their humanity. As it
is impossible for one person to be more, or less, human
than another at any stage of development, we must con
cede that the unborn human is the same as you or I, dif
fering only in non-essentials such as size and ability.
Equality is caused then by man's common and indivi
sible humanity, with all its dignity and uniqueness. There
fore, we as humans cannot exploit or enslave other
humans to achieve our ends, nor do we have the right to
terminate another human's life for the sake of conven
ience or expedience.
m w w
Michael Lanjis a sophomore from Lincoln, majoring in
chemical engineering.
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Alphabet soup jumble can spell B-U-C-K-S
ByNeilKlotz '
(This is the second of a three part series on obtaining
financial aid for the 1976-77 school year. Most deadlines
fall in January and February.)
NDSL, SEOG, CW-S, BEOG, GSL.
There they are, floating around in the bottom of ycur
bowl like noodles that all seem to spell the same thing:
zero bucks for next fall.
The federal financial aid cup never was overflowing,
and as we saw last time, boondoogles and scandals have
been boring holes into the spoons. Nevertheless, the five
federal financial aid programs represented by the above
aiaphabet soup account for $1.7 billion, so unless you
have a sugarparent, you'd better lean over the bowl and
start fishing.
National Direct Student Loan (NDSL). If you are
going to get a loan, this should bo your first choice. If
you're enrolled at least half-time, you can borrow up to
$2,500 for a vocational or two-year undergraduate pro
gram, up to $5,000 for your entire undergraduate career
and up to $10,000 for undergrad and graduate work
combined.
Unbeatable interest
Repayment doesn't start until nine months after you
leave school, and you have ten years to pay at an un
beatable 3 per cent interest. If inflation continues to rise
U per cent a year, at some time around 1986 you
probably could make your loan payment! with pocket
change. In addition, part of the loan may be cancelled
if you go into the military or certain areas of teaching.
National Direct Loans, as well as the next two
programs, are administered through campus financial aid
offices. This means that they are subject to the need
analysis nightmare described last time. At least for this
year, make sure that your office uses the College Scholar
ship Service (CSS) or American College Testing Pro
gram to estimate your need, but not the "income tax"
system or Basic Grant system. The last two could cost you
several hundred dollars in aid.
After you fill out the Parent's Confidential Statement
(CSS's system) or a similar form, the need analysis form
will estimate how much you and your family will be
expected to contribute toward your education and report
that amount to your school. Note: the Parent's Confiden
tial Statement is not an application for aid, just an
estimate of your need. Fill out a separate form for the aid
your institution will supply.
Unexpected expenses
If you feel the need analysis system has given you a
bad shake, say so. Despite what your financial aid office
tells you, it is not required by law to follow the need
report. Unexpected medical expenses, a sudden death or
unemployment in the family, or economic trends can all
affect your need, but might not be reflected in the report.
To figure out what you'll probably be asked to
contribute, write for a free copy of CSS's Meeting College
Costs 1976-77 from College Board Publication Orders,
Box 2815, Princeton, N.J. 08540.
If your school doesn't have information about these
first three programs, you can get it from the Office of
Education, Division of Student Support and Special
Programs, Health, Education and Welfare Dept., 330
Independence Ave., Washington, D.C. 20201.
2. Supplementary Educational Opportunity Grants
(SEOG). You may never hear about the SEOGs unless
you go into your aid office in a sackcloth after a month of
fasting. Supplemental or undergraduate students "of
exceptional financial need who without the grant would
be unable to continue their education."
For hungry students
In most cases, this means that you've just spent your
last dime on tuition and are heading for the Salvation
Army soup kitchen. Or your family has had unexpected
expenses that were not reflected in need analysis.
Grants range between $200 and $500, which your
school must match with scholarships, loans, grants or
employment. You can receive up to $4,000 for a four
year program (or up to $5,000 if you hava to go an extra
year).
3. College Work-Study (CW-S). To get work-study, you
have to have "great" (but not "exceptional") financial
need and be enrolled as a graduate, undergraduate or
vocational student at least hall-time. Your school arranges
a job with a non-profit agency either on or off campus for
up to 40 hours a week. Pay can range from minimum
wage to $3.50 an hour.
Unclaimed money
4. Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOG).
Basic Grants are the darlings of the current administra
tion's financial aid package, so much to that last year,
$135 million west unclaimed because no one knew about
them. An estimated 1.7 million students are eligible this
year, and because of an improved public relations pro
gram, all funds probably will be used. If you do nothing
else, apply for BEOG; any free money is worth the effort.
Step one: Procure an "Application for Determination
of Basic Grant Eligibility" from your school, library or
from PO Box 84, Washington, D.C. 20044. Fill it out and
send it back to the federal office stipulated, not to your
school. The deadline is March 15. In four to six weeks,
the federal government will tell you whether or not you're
eligible.
Step two: If eligible, submit the "Student Eligibility
Report" to your financial aid office. It will figure out how
much you get according to the stingy Basic Grant need
formula. BEOGs are supposed to be no more than half
the cost of your education and up to $1,400 a year.
Because of increased student eligibility and decreased
funds from last year, the average grant for 76 will be
about $600 and the maximum about $900.
Seniors eligible
For the first time, seniors are eligible, and although
few aid officers seem to know it, so are part-time
students. In addition, an Office of Education official told
me that next year it won't matter when you started
school; in the past, only those who were enrolled after
April 1, 1973 were eligible. One final change: If you quit
a job to go to school, you can estimate your current
year's income in the BEOG eligibility form, rather than
how much you earned while working.
5. Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL). While the National
Direct Loans use federal money, Guaranteed Loans use
private money that you receive after armlvina to a bank,
credit union, or other private lender. All "the federal
government does Is guarantee the loans, should you
default.
Need is not a factor in getting a Guaranteed Loan.
You can borrow up to $2,500 annually, up to $7,500
for your total undergraduate or vocational study and up
to $10,000 Including graduate work. Again you have ten
years to pay, but interest is 7 per cent. It your family
makes less than $15,000 or you can prove need, the
government will pay the interest off while you're in
school.
. , . . Banker say W
Aside from paying them off, the hassle with GSLs is
not proving you need one, but finding someone to give
you one. Unlike financial aid officers, bankers say "no"
for a living. And that 7 per cent interest isn't a real lure
when a bank can make 15 per cent to 18 per cent on a
consumer loan. Some schools have special arrangements
bank baRS" nct' Uy wher8 yu or your Parcnts
Although it's not generally known, schools also can
be GSL lenders, and will as a last resort. Ihey just need
a little prodding.
wr11 tieM federal programs, perseverance pays
off. Don't take "rules are made in Washington" for an
answer. Schools have a lot more financial aid options than
they let on-if you apply early (like right now).
in most cases, they'll be on your side, since eventually
it all ends up in their pocke to anyway.
Next time: Lesser-known cash sources.
.(Copyright Coitcea PrN Swvim)