The athletic scholarship has long stood as an example of the fulfillment of the American Dream.

Young men and women, who excel in their respective sport, pouring hours and hours in, earn a free ride to a good education.

You can’t argue with the value to society as a whole when these scholarships afford opportunities to underprivileged kids who otherwise could never afford to pursue a degree.

Ralph Nader, a political activist who ran for the presidency of the United States in the last four elections, said in a recently surfaced proposal that athletic scholarships should be discontinued and those funds should be disbursed to those in financial need.

The suggestion that financial woes with education could be addressed and fixed by eliminating athletic scholarships is difficult to comprehend.

The most absurd part about this proposal is its failure to include specifically how it would positively affect students; what constitutes need-based financial aid?

It’s a vague call-to-action like this that makes the effectiveness of Nader’s idea easy to dismiss.

Let’s get to the root of this. Is it personal?

Athletes receive scholarships because they’re considered the elite, whereas Ralph Nader was a third-party candidate running for president against two juggernauts.

Was Ralph Nader the kid that always got picked last for P.E.?

According to achievement.org, Nader said in a 1991 interview that he didn’t spend much time playing sports, and if he did play it was informal because he didn’t have time to commit to a team.

If Nader had become more involved with formal sports, maybe he would have been enlightened to discover all the benefits.

The best athletes must dedicate themselves to push themselves physically and mentally, breaking barriers not only in the way of setting records but also breaking racial and gender barriers, as well.

Fix the system that allows top prospects to be coaxed into accepting deals and packages involving money and gifts.

It cannot be said that every NCAA athlete to be awarded an athletic scholarship has been offered compensation, but it has happened before.

Colleges who have issues with this should be investigated and penalized for corrupting the young adults with shiny toys and false promises.

Above all else, keep the scholarships. They build a bridge for the many young people who have the dream but not the means.