By Greg Warzecka It could be seen as a radical change of the highest sort. To offer athletic grants-in-aid at UC Davis is a considerable move from the program's "non-scholarship" philosophy. But change with an eye on both the future and the past is what the Intercollegiate Athletics program is considering. The department is seeking to offer the best possible and least burdensome experience for its future student-athletes. Maintaining the traditional student-athlete and teacher-coach philosophy of the program is crucial while considering an evolution that addresses the fact that economics, financial aid and the competitive environment in college athletics have changed drastically over the past 80 years of athletics at UC Davis, and even more radically over the past five years. For these reasons, ICA is seeking feedback from the campus community on its plan to offer athletic grants-in-aid starting in 1997-98. The following is a discussion of the plan from rationale to execution. Economics Survey data reveal that, beginning in 1988, students expected to rely less on family contributions and personal savings and more on loans and grants to help finance their educational expenses. Each year, increasingly higher percentages of freshmen plan to take out loans to help finance their first year in college, suggesting that available family resources have dwindled considerably. Over the past 10 years, public colleges and universities have experienced a significant decrease in federal funds for financial aid. A new financial-aid policy being considered in the UC system specifies that all students are expected to work and borrow a minimum amount in order to be eligible for university need-based grants. Meanwhile, student fees have almost quadrupled in nine years. In 1986-87 the cost for institutional fees was $1,286. For the 1995-96 academic year fees cost $4,174. In direct response, the number of student loans taken out to pay for college has doubled in the past 10 years, according to the Education Resources Institute. Student-athletes quite often are faced with even higher loan debts because they don't have enough time to work. A case for support Offering athletic grants represents a proactive approach to solving the challenges we face with recruitment and retention of scholar-athletes. Financial-aid professionals nationwide are forecasting an overall decrease in student access to higher education for high-school graduates, especially for the economically disadvantaged and those from the middle class. A consensus exists among those involved with athletics that the ICA program will have great difficulty recruiting the scholar-athlete in the future if athletic grants are not offered. Because of recent increases in student fees and the volatile environment for athletics in the West and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, UC Davis must look at a variety of alternatives for athletics. Sports sponsorship at UC Davis has certainly grown. Starting in 1996-97, the university will sponsor 23 intercollegiate sports for men and women (12 for women and 11 for men). Twelve sports will compete outside the Northern California Athletic Conference, while the remaining 11 sports will not be provided with equitable competition within that league because not all NCAC member institutions sponsor those sports. Sports outside the NCAC will play non-conference schedules against schools offering some form of athletic aid. This will be a difficult challenge for our student-athletes and may include physical mismatches in some sports. A healthy and successful ICA program is important to the general-educational mission of the university. A successful ICA program will provide for a wholesome social experience for students, alumni and friends of Aggie athletics that will lead to long-term emotional and financial commitments to the university. A grant-in-aid program A grant-in-aid program would include the following qualifications: 1) academic standards for admission to the university and the determination of initial and continuing eligibility will not be altered; 2) state or student funds will not be used to finance the grants; and 3) grants will be distributed equitably among all teams in terms of participation levels, gender and different sports. The goal of the program will be to provide money to as many student-athletes as possible, while maintaining a self-imposed cap of $2,500 per recipient during 1998-99 and 1999-2000. A general philosophy has emerged from discussions on this issue that we need policies that offer no special privileges to athletes but, at the same time, no special barriers. It is recommended the same admissions standards and policies be applied regardless of whether or not an athlete is being considered for a grant-in-aid. The intent is to not discriminate against students in the admissions process or in the awarding of athletic grants. Athletic grants should be available to any student admitted to the university who meets all NCAA eligibility requirements. With regard to awarding athletic grants, NCAA regulations obligate an institution to further, more stringent guidelines. As part of the proposal, all student-athletes under consideration for an athletic grant would be mandated to apply for financial aid. A large amount of athletic grant-in-aid money will be directed toward those students who have a demonstrated need. The grant-in-aid program at Davis will place emphasis on awarding of grants to those who best exemplify and represent the UC Davis academic/athletic philosophy. The ICA program is a product of its rich tradition of success and its insistence on the student-athlete and teacher-coach. To ensure that we maintain our role of being one of the university's most visible, successful and self-reliant programs, we should be prepared to recruit students who thrive here and then offer them the best possible chance for equitable competition and a positive experience without burdens of not enough time and too much debt. Clearly, if UC Davis wants to continue to offer an inclusive intercollegiate athletic program that maintains a diverse population of academically qualified students, the university should seriously consider a grant-in-aid program. Responses to this proposal are welcome. Please direct comments via e-mail to Greg Warzecka, director of athletics, at gdwarzecka@-ucdavis.edu. They are needed by Oct. 1 to meet a campus deadline.