Student Financial Aid and Persistence

Rhetorical Analysis:

Student Financial Aid and Persistence

Johnny Guerrero

University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

February 13, 2019

Student Financial Aid and Persistence

Abstract

This paper has no abstract.

Student Financial Aid and Persistence

Introduction

While not everyone has gone to college, most people know someone who has, and most

likely have heard about financial aid. Most people know financial aid as money that is given to

someone to help them go to college when they can’t pay for the cost of tuition. So, the problem

being addressed is whether there is a relationship between financial aid and student persistence

and if there is, if the relationship beneficial or if it hurts the student’s persistence rate. I believe

that there is a relationship between the two because the financial aid should act as an incentive or

extra push to do good to maintain the aid. The significance of knowing this is important for most

people because most students use financial aid or some type of assistance to pay for college.

Also, the government pays financial aid therefore it is important to them because it is paid for by

the government while the source is from tax payers therefore involving the coon people as well

indirectly. Financial aid is when the government steps in and helps to pay the tuition cost of

college or living costs for students. The difference between the upper and lower classes are that

the lower class will get more money than the upper class, if they get any. The reason being that

the government will investigate the students or care-takers income, age, intended degree and see

if the student can pay for tuition. Therefore, often the lower class will be accepted, the upper

class is often denied financial aid. Financial aid is awarded based off multiple inputs, the how

much your family makes and if they can pay it, whether you have a dependent, someone who

relies on you, the major you are in while some programs are or expensive that others such as

engineering and liberal arts, etc. Also, to know financial aid, it is important to know the

difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan, which is where the government pays the

interest on a subsidized loan while the student is in school while unsubsidized loans accumulates
Student Financial Aid and Persistence

interest as soon as the loan is taken out. To further understand financial aid, we must also know

some types of financial aid, being that there are different types that vary the two most used are

housing programs, dorms, direct financial aid in the form of money deposited into your school

account and the money goes towards tuition and if any left over, to you.

Discussion

The genre of the book is nonfiction. Throughout the book, it uses real data and includes

graphs with accurate data to keep the information creditable and the research is also used by

intuitions and anyone who is researching the government in student aid. The book also doesn’t

include any stories even if related to the subject if there isn’t proof of the event or story taking

place.

Ethos

John J. Agria is high qualified to write on this topic. John Agria has his doctorate at the

University of Chicago specialized in intergovernmental relations, public policy formation and

impact. He also is a chairman of the Department of Political Science at Alma College (Agria

1972). Therefore, his research is relevant to his area of study making it in his expertise and he

may have a better understanding of the topic. Also, under “Evaluative Studies”, the book is

mentioned as part of a series used to help bring more understanding and promote review of the

federal government (Agria 1972). Agria also has a foreword from Yale Brozen, who is also

qualified to input on the topic because he is an economics professor at the University of Chicago

and a scholar and director of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

Pathos

The book takes a clinical approach to the topic not using pathos. Throughout the book,

Agria does not use any pathos by not including pictures, having a blank book cover with only the
Student Financial Aid and Persistence

title, and he also uses a claim, data, warrant style for his paragraphs. And Pathos is the use of

emotion which would show through the writing structure or in pictures therefore, since pictures

are absent, and the paragraphs are just data there is no room for the author to put any pathos

which, could also affect the creditability of the writing because of the subject’s seriousness.

Logos

The book uses logos with their claim being, that the college housing program is flawed

where the program should be terminated or revised. Under the “Conclusion” chapter, Agria

(1972, page 92) summarizes that the housing program, which is the type of aid he researched, he

claims it should be discontinued or for an alternative, should change the style of the loan in direct

student aid.

Audience

The author’s intended audience is to scholars those who specialize in intergovernmental

relations and those in political science. On the back of the book, his related information is

provided and shows he is researching within his degree. Under the “Evaluative Studies” page, it

is announced that the series of studies are to review activities and functions within the federal

government.

Conclusion

WHAT IS YOUR THESIS? WHAT RESEARCH QUESTION WERE YOU

ANSWERING? WHAT IS THE PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED? WHAT IS THE

CONTEXT?
Student Financial Aid and Persistence
Student Financial Aid and Persistence

References

Agria, J. J., & Brozen, Y. (1972). College Housing. Washington: American Enterprise Inst. for

Public Policy Research.

[CBFA 3/2/19 11:36 AM]

Student Financial Aid and Persistence