Fmr USD QB Emerges at CSU-Pueblo After Running Out of $$$

[TexasTerror]

Wonder if this is a first? A former Payton Watch List member and starting quarterback at San Diego ran out of money and moved on to a Div II school, who was able to get him a waiver from the NCAA allowing him an extra year of eligibility...good for him!


After a great ’08, Trujillo started the ’09 season full of promise.

Then, he ran out of money. The school is a member of the only non-scholarship conference in the country in that division.

Capo petitioned the NCAA on behalf of Trujillo and CSU-Pueblo, arguing that the senior from Durango shouldn't be penalized a season simply because he couldn't pay his tab.

http://www.chieftain.com/sports/local/article_dda2cd2a-5b1e-11df-822b-001cc4c03286.html

[DetroitFlyer]

I have never really understood this story.... It is hard to believe that he could not have at least borrowed enough to stay in school one more year.... Given USD's knack for developing NFL players, (best in the PFL year in and year out), one would think that he would have found a way to stay in school.... I also would think that if USD wanted him to stay, something would have been worked out to keep him in school.... My guess is that something happened where it was not working out with a high profile QB, (Payton Watch). The "excuse" for leaving USD was "packaged" in the cost element. I'm not sure I'm really buying it.... Glad to see he is getting another chance. Hopefully he earns a degree and maybe even gets an NFL look or two.... Also glad to see that USD is still helping him. Nice to see from a good Catholic school. At the end of the day, I think there is just much more to this story that we will ever know....

[Lehigh Football Nation]

It's a rare story - that one year a player can qualify for more assistance, then does not - but one that can definitely occur in a non-scholarship sort of situation.

But there's no "controversy" here:


After a great ’08, Trujillo started the ’09 season full of promise.

Then, he ran out of money. The school is a member of the only non-scholarship conference in the country in that division.

Capo petitioned the NCAA on behalf of Trujillo and CSU-Pueblo, arguing that the senior from Durango shouldn't be penalized a season simply because he couldn't pay his tab.

"It costs $52,000 to go there a year and Seb didn't qualify for as much aide in his last year than he did before and he couldn't pay his tuition," Capo said. "So we started the paperwork trying to get him eligible to play here. I've seen kids get another year for a lot less of a deal than this.

"We did one waiver request, and then another. And (the NCAA) kept coming back to us saying we needed to do this, we needed to do that. In reality, if it wasn't for the people at USD, this wouldn't have happened. They really wanted to help Seb out."

USD worked to give the kid a chance to play, and he got it. Good on everybody.

****

What this does demonstrate, however, is the dirty little secret of non-scholarship (and grant-in-aid) football. The folks who are most willing to play football for these types of schools are either no-need (in which case they can pay 100% for a quality education, and that's most important to them) or full-need (where the school is paying their way anyway, so in effect they have a scholarship). There's a huge "donut hole" there, where so many kids fall: middle-class kids, who can get a full scholarship elsewhere but (thanks to the need-based formula) would have to pay something to go to school.

At many private schools, even having part of your way paid for may not be very tempting, with tuitions well over $50,000 per year not counting room and board. To say "just borrow the money" is simplistic and wrong, especially in this day and age when some families are suffering from their decisions to borrow too much, whether to pay for a nice home or a quality education.

[MplsBison]

It's a rare story - that one year a player can qualify for more assistance, then does not - but one that can definitely occur in a non-scholarship sort of situation.

But there's no "controversy" here:



USD worked to give the kid a chance to play, and he got it. Good on everybody.

****

What this does demonstrate, however, is the dirty little secret of non-scholarship (and grant-in-aid) football. The folks who are most willing to play football for these types of schools are either no-need (in which case they can pay 100% for a quality education, and that's most important to them) or full-need (where the school is paying their way anyway, so in effect they have a scholarship). There's a huge "donut hole" there, where so many kids fall: middle-class kids, who can get a full scholarship elsewhere but (thanks to the need-based formula) would have to pay something to go to school.

At many private schools, even having part of your way paid for may not be very tempting, with tuitions well over $50,000 per year not counting room and board. To say "just borrow the money" is simplistic and wrong, especially in this day and age when some families are suffering from their decisions to borrow too much, whether to pay for a nice home or a quality education.

Being a "full-need" kid does not guarantee in any way, shape or form that you get your school paid for you.

It means you get low-interest loans, back by the government.


That's no where close to what athletic scholarship provides.

[Uncle Buck]

Not true. I was a middle class white kid who played at Hofstra and at the time, i got what they called an activity grant that did not have to be repaid for basically 1/2 of what it cost to attend. The rest, came from federal aid and loans. So there is institutional money that can be used to boost aid packages.

[UNI Pike]

Tuition & fees as USD are $25 K per year. How did he spend the other $27 K? I know there is rent, but is his share $2,000 per month?

Something fishy about that number.

[MplsBison]

Not true. I was a middle class white kid who played at Hofstra and at the time, i got what they called an activity grant that did not have to be repaid for basically 1/2 of what it cost to attend. The rest, came from federal aid and loans. So there is institutional money that can be used to boost aid packages.

I didn't say there wasn't. Absolutely there is and especially at these private schools, they typically have all kinds of grants and scholarships that are "available" to anyone enrolled in the school (but in reality we all know athletes get top priority).


My point was that being "full-need" does not guarantee in any way that you will get institutional aid to make up for what the Pell grant does not cover. And if you don't, the only resort is to borrow money, either from private sources or via government-backed financial aid loans.

They'll never be a guarantee in the way that an athletic scholarship is.

[UAalum72]

Tuition & fees as USD are $25 K per year. How did he spend the other $27 K? I know there is rent, but is his share $2,000 per month?

Something fishy about that number.
Because USD estimates $25K per semester
http://www.sandiego.edu/administration/businessadmin/bursar/studentaccounts/uexpense.php
Undergraduate Educational Cost 2010-2011


Undergraduate Students
Estimated Cost of Attendance
Full-Time
(per semester)
(12-18 units)


Block Price

Tuition 1

$18,475
Fees 2

$211
Housing 3

$4,305
Meal Plan 4

$1,496
Total 5

$24,487

[UNI Pike]

I missed the semester part - who posts tuition rates by semester?

That price is f***** ridiculous. $1,000 per credit hour, on a fully loaded schedule? Unbelievable. California community colleges charge about $20 a credit hour. Is the education really 50x better?

[danefan]

I missed the semester part - who posts tuition rates by semester?

That price is f***** ridiculous. $1,000 per credit hour, on a fully loaded schedule? Unbelievable. California community colleges charge about $20 a credit hour. Is the education really 50x better?

The really expensive schools usually put their tuition up by semester. Less shock and awe I guess.

More interesting to me is the fact that USD is a Catholic school. I never knew that.

[UAalum72]

I missed the semester part - who posts tuition rates by semester?

That price is f***** ridiculous. $1,000 per credit hour, on a fully loaded schedule? Unbelievable. California community colleges charge about $20 a credit hour. Is the education really 50x better?
BUt that's the list price. Like many (or most) private schools, USD gives large amounts of both need-based and non-need aid, so the net price is nowhere near $50,000 per year unless you're a millionaire.

http://www.sandiego.edu/irp/cds/cds-2008/cdsh.php

This also plays into the accounting games when they talk about the 'cost' of athletic scholarships - they'll say one scholly costs $50K, but needy students get up to 50% off or more anyway.

[Dane96]

I have never really understood this story.... It is hard to believe that he could not have at least borrowed enough to stay in school one more year.... Given USD's knack for developing NFL players, (best in the PFL year in and year out), one would think that he would have found a way to stay in school.... I also would think that if USD wanted him to stay, something would have been worked out to keep him in school.... My guess is that something happened where it was not working out with a high profile QB, (Payton Watch). The "excuse" for leaving USD was "packaged" in the cost element. I'm not sure I'm really buying it.... Glad to see he is getting another chance. Hopefully he earns a degree and maybe even gets an NFL look or two.... Also glad to see that USD is still helping him. Nice to see from a good Catholic school. At the end of the day, I think there is just much more to this story that we will ever know....

Knack for developing NFL players?

Seriously?


That said, this situation just sucks for the kid.

[DetroitFlyer]

Knack for developing NFL players?

Seriously?


That said, this situation just sucks for the kid.

USD has something like four players currently on NFL rosters, (active or practice). I think at least two more USD guys have been invited to NFL camps this year. They are doing an excelent job of geting NFL opportunities for their players. Much better than the rest of the PFL....

[Dane96]

So did Albany at one point. We dont have a "knacK" for developing NFL players either.

University of Florida, with 9 top picks in the first two rounds (I believe that is the number)...has a knack for developing NFL players.

But yes, compared to the rest of the PFL...they are doing a fine job.

[MplsBison]

BUt that's the list price. Like many (or most) private schools, USD gives large amounts of both need-based and non-need aid, so the net price is nowhere near $50,000 per year unless you're a millionaire.

http://www.sandiego.edu/irp/cds/cds-2008/cdsh.php

This also plays into the accounting games when they talk about the 'cost' of athletic scholarships - they'll say one scholly costs $50K, but needy students get up to 50% off or more anyway.

I think the NCAA only counts aid that is technically only available to players against the 63 equivalency maximum. So if a rich Pioneer League alum sets up a scholarship foundation where any enrolled student at the PFL school can qualify for the award, and the award happens to be granted to a football player, then that doesn't count against the max.

Now obviously if 50 players on the team are getting $20k "academic scholarships" from the Jim Q McKickback foundation, they're going to investigate that.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I think the NCAA only counts aid that is technically only available to players against the 63 equivalency maximum. So if a rich Pioneer League alum sets up a scholarship foundation where any enrolled student at the PFL school can qualify for the award, and the award happens to be granted to a football player, then that doesn't count against the max.

Wait a minute - did I just agree with you? xlolx

The Ivy League offers a "full ride" to any student that can get through admissions and makes under a certain amount per year (I think the number at Harvard was $120,000). It's, of course, open to football players. But since it's also open to cellists, it does not count towards the equivalency limit.

All academic scholarships work in the same way. If you're valedictorian, and you qualify for an academic scholarship, you get college paid for but it doesn't count towards your "limit". However, if it's for football players only - it does.

[MplsBison]

Wait a minute - did I just agree with you? xlolx

The Ivy League offers a "full ride" to any student that can get through admissions and makes under a certain amount per year (I think the number at Harvard was $120,000). It's, of course, open to football players. But since it's also open to cellists, it does not count towards the equivalency limit.

All academic scholarships work in the same way. If you're valedictorian, and you qualify for an academic scholarship, you get college paid for but it doesn't count towards your "limit". However, if it's for football players only - it does.

That's because most football programs in DI give their players athletic scholarships, aid that only football players can qualify for.

It doesn't sell very well to walk into Johnny's house with mom and dad in the living room saying "Johnny...we want you to come to ____ University and be our starting QB! And we're going to make sure your paperwork is all in order so that you can be considered for our school's grants and academic scholarships, along with all the other enrolled students who are going to apply for them. Sound good?".

[ncbears]

Wait a minute - did I just agree with you? xlolx

The Ivy League offers a "full ride" to any student that can get through admissions and makes under a certain amount per year (I think the number at Harvard was $120,000). It's, of course, open to football players. But since it's also open to cellists, it does not count towards the equivalency limit.

All academic scholarships work in the same way. If you're valedictorian, and you qualify for an academic scholarship, you get college paid for but it doesn't count towards your "limit". However, if it's for football players only - it does.

Is that why my 2.8 GPA in high school wasn't good enough to get into Harvard???