Short response

ENG 203: Short Article Response 2

Sample Answer

(Worth 13 marks)

ENGL 203 -Response Assignment 2: Sample Answer

1

Writing a Short Article Response (3 paragraph format + concluding sentence)

A Response to “Access to Higher Education”

First sentence: APA Citation + reporting verb + main idea of whole article

In the article “Access to Higher Education,” Moola (2015) discussed the possible factors affecting one’s choice in attending higher education. Many people believe that the dramatic rise in college tuition is the main cause of inaccessibility to college. However, parental education backgrounds and their influence on children, admission selectivity categories in universities, unawareness of student aid opportunities, and coping with personal and social challenges are all having effects on a person’s option regarding their enrollment in colleges. Several negative consequences may occur if tertiary education is considered as a right such as negligence of studies and decrement in pass rate. While it is true that higher educational institutes admit students based on certain criteria, one could argue that it is unfair that universities prefer the wealthy, and those who are academically excellent.

Summary sentences (2 to 3)

Student Thesis : 2 focus points + opinion/position phrases (one positive, one negative)

Firstly, this article overlooked the fact that financial aid is not available for everyone and student loans have to be paid back. The author suggested that if university fees are not affordable, students can apply for academic grants and loans. However, scholarships and academic awards are distributed on a highly competitive basis, and therefore, only students who meet the eligibility requirements can benefit from them. Student financial aid does not cover all fees as well, and students awarded grants have to find other sources of financial aid to cover university fees and living costs. Many universities have a limited number or do not offer merit-scholarships at all, making it difficult for low-income students to be enrolled in their institution. Moreover, student loans usually carry interests that will keep increasing until repaid, resulting in large numbers of fresh graduates getting into debts.

Topic sentence: 1st focus point + position/stance

Paraphrased sentence of first idea from article that is being responded to.

Explanation of position/opinion + examples to back up argument

The author has not mentioned that universities being selective allow only students with high grades to benefit from higher education. The article mentioned that university education is limited to those who excel in academics because of universities’ selectivity. Nonetheless, a number should not be controlling one’s future and GPA cannot define a person’s abilities. Many other factors should be considered when accepting college admissions such as extracurricular activities and talents regardless of what the GPA is. Contributing to non-educational programs reflects dedication and commitment, which should be as important as academic performance. It is not necessary to earn straight A’s in order to succeed in life and make a difference in the world, as GPA is not an indicator of intelligence nor success. Life experiences and knowledge gained is what matters in the end, and not the number that inhibits them from being enrolled in college.

Topic sentence: 2nd focus point + position/stance

Word count: 423 [honors student higher word count]

Access to Higher Education

Nabeela Moola (2015)

With the recent riots causing universities to come to a near standstill in South Africa over a proposed fee hike, there is no question that education is important and people take it seriously. There is a widespread belief amongst many students that the proposed fee increases will make tertiary education inaccessible. However, even as they strongly fight to keep that from happening, many others see things quite differently.

When discussing access to education, one of the main arguments tirelessly and repeatedly brought up is university fees. It is no secret that university fees are gradually increasing, thereby making access to higher education difficult for those wanting to further their education, but being unable to afford it. This is the reason why so many students are outraged over university fees. Students cannot possibly continue to pay these fees, and soon enough there will not be that many students in university.

If access to education is what they are worried about, maybe these protestors should look at other, arguably greater, barriers to tertiary education. These other obstacles begin long before anyone sets foot on a university campus. The fact of the matter is that preparation and information about university while in high school is equally as important as how much a university or college education costs. Furthermore, parents’ educational level and influence often affect students’ decision whether to enroll in university. These are all factors that are not controlled by university fees, but can be cited as barriers to tertiary education.

Universities are also selective by nature. They choose some applicants over others. Usually this choice boils down to academic excellence and the students’ interest in investing in their education. No one has the “right” to be a scholar. However, we do have the right not to be discriminated against by universities because of our race, religion, political beliefs, or gender.

Furthermore, if a student cannot afford these university fees, they can turn to scholarships, bursaries, and loans. The government in South Africa distributes student aid through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), to which many students do not even apply. What we need to do is make potential students more aware of this kind of assistance from a younger age, so more people can enroll in higher education.

On the other hand, students find it difficult to cope with the challenges of higher education as they try to manage classes, a social life, and an adequate amount of sleep. Adding a part-time or even full-time job to this schedule is unimaginable. The fact is financial aid barely covers university and book fees, much less living expenses. Without the support of parents, or a large scholarship, it is nearly impossible to attend university full time and obtain a degree in four years. If higher education was recognized as a right, and university fees were drastically lowered, there would be more youth considering university or college.

The risk of higher education being recognized as a right and university fees drastically lowered is that some students may take advantage of this and not make the best of the opportunity. Students may not take studying as seriously as they would if they were funding their own education. Furthermore, we may risk seeing a decrease in the university pass rate as students may become more neglectful of their studies after having been relieved of the burden of working and paying for their university fees.

Higher education is certainly a privilege; however, for a country that prides itself on equality, it seems unfair that tertiary education favours more affluent and academically inclined students. Everyone should have a chance at an education, regardless of how much money they own.

The Task Instructions:

1. Read the article on the next page.

2. Then write a response paper.

a. Your response paper should be between 300 and 400 words.

b. It has to include your response/reaction to 2 key points from the original article.

c. It has to have (a) an introduction, and (b) two body paragraphs. A conclusion is recommended, but is optional.

d. The response should be justified with specific examples and logical analysis.

e. Your paper should be typed, double-spaced, left-justified, in 12 pt Times New Roman font, with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins. Paragraphs should be indented.