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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- College is expensive, and in fact it takes many families years to pay off student loans.

But there's one way college tuition seems a little bit more acceptable: scholarships.

McKenzie Parker a student a Truman State University says "Financial assistance should be for people who need it."

But what happens when one of the richest celebrity's sons is the recipient of one?

Justin Combs, son of rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs, better known as P-Diddy recently received a $54,000 merit-based scholarship to UCLA. Some say he should have have refused the money and given it to another athlete more financially in need

However, Drake Abbey a student at Truman tells us "If they can show academic potential, they deserve the scholarship."

While Geoffrey Havens said "If you're well off and you're willing to maybe accept a little bit less, that wouldn't be a bad thing either."

Combs graduated from New Rochelle Iona Prep in New York with a 3.75 grade point average.

Regina Morin, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management at Truman tells us in many institutions there are various categories for scholarships, and sometimes that means pure academics and others it could mean talent.

"It's true that many times with those merit scholarships they will go to students because we're not looking at need, we're looking at merit and there's an important distinction," Morin said.

Other students at Truman are torn between the issue, they say it's a toss up.

"I can kind of see both sides of the issue. You know, on one hand you have people who might be from a very well-off background, but they performed academically well," Truman student Keller Ryan said.

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