Need help Debunking a Mayflower Myth

[BMalion]

My friend, a barber, has a customer who swears that if you can prove that you are a descendant of the original Mayflower passengers you can get free college education. Sounds completely bogus to me.

I googled around, tried Snopes and whatever else I could think of, but I can’t find anything about that.

I know it’s wrong to try and prove a negative, so I tried to find out if it’s true, no evidence. Good so far.

My whole point is that I will be showing him how to do some basic myth-busting searches on his own and try to fight ignorance.

Am I missing anything?

[SilentButDeftly]

Googling “mayflower scholarship” lists a few pages like this:

http://members.aol.com/calebj/scholarships.html

I would point him to a site like this and ask him why there would be scholarships available for Mayflower descendants if they’re getting a free college education anyway…

[Hedda_Rosa]

My husband is a Mayflower decendant through his mom, who is very up on all the Mayflower stuff. And she’s frugal. If Mayflower decendants got a free education you can be sure my husband and his sister woulda taken advantage of it.

I think it is a load of bunk.

[TellMeI_mNotCrazy]

There may not be a sweeping federal rule that says “If you’re a Mayflower descendant, your education bill is gone!” but there certainly are plenty of scholarships that are geared towards Mayflower descendants.

An example:

Each year we award the Mrs. Henry G. Isham Scholarship.
Just recently we have established a second scholarship: The Bernice A. Livingston Rieg Scholorship.
Both scholarships adhere to the same guidelines and deadlines.
Any graduating high school senior who is a resident in Connecticut is eligible for these scholorships.
Academic achievement, extra-curricular involvement, community service and financial need are considered in the review of each application.
Applicants must have confirmed plans to attend a college or university to be considered as a bona fide scholarship applicant and provide evidence of actual acceptance at a college or university prior to receiving this award.

Granted, this one does say that any senior is eligible, but there are a lot of societies that set up funds to develop scholarship programs for its members and their children. This may the kind of your thing your friend has heard about.