My first post was a bit reactionary, lol.
It's interesting to me that this thread popped back up considering I just finished my FAFSA. My EFC is/was $0, unbelieveable. I suppose that's what happens when you get the fee waivers.
I don't mean to take it off-topic, but I'm probably gonna be given some sort of de facto URM status at some of the schools that practice AA, and I don't know how I feel about it. I mean, if I get into a school, I'll surely take it, but I'll wonder if it was my accolades or some sort of handout that got me in the door. Compare making your own fortune to winning the lotto. Sure you get the loot either way, but there's a bigger sense of accomplishment when you earn it.
In any case, I think blk_reign makes good points about motivation. In HS, I had to work because if no one got haircuts, we weren't going to make our bills. Because I had class during the day, then work in the afternoon, my h/w grades in classes suffered, and it had nothing to do with my motivation.
Perhaps SES-based AA should be optional, like the diversity statements that people submit. I doubt people would apply for it if they didn't have the the income #'s to back up their claim of being poor.