The Main Influence On The Medieval Financial Aid System

A main influence on the financial aid system in America was that of the western medieval universities. During this time period, students had to rely on their family’s wealth in order to attend college. However, there did exist a few exceptions for aid, such as clerks who were bound for work in the theological field, and an early form of a scholarship developed by wealthy families. However, both of these “financial aids,” had certain conditions. Poor students often had to do chores in order to gain access to certain provisions, such as food, and were “frequently made to work […], often through apprenticeships, labor positions, or as servants to professors” (Fuller, 2014, p. 44). In addition, the “scholarships” awarded to individuals were usually “gifts …show more content…
44). This early form of financial aid was seen as the beginning of an “ethic of aid,” which was carried over into the American higher education system through sponsorship, charity, and patronage (Fuller, 2014). However, poor students who attended college did not have the same privileges as those of wealthy backgrounds. While they gained admission into school, they were forced to work harder, and often received a lower quality experience than their classmates.
One may see the historical lessons of the financial aid system in relation to students of lower socioeconomic statuses in the present. The medieval financial aid system, after which the American higher education system is modeled, included an idea of charity to those less fortunate. As is the case in the present,