Top college athletes in America have it easy when it comes to financial issues while applying to college.

College athletes don’t deserve money while playing sports at the NCAA level. They already get paid, because most are on a full-ride scholarship.

College is about education. And, yes, I agree that sports are part of education. But while at college, you should not be getting a check in the mail worth thousands.

Some colleges also feed their players with special meals — another way college athletes are getting paid.

And some programs, like Ohio State University’s football program, use “other items” to pay their athletes. It paid eight players in checks and in tattoos. Terrell Pryor, a star quarterback, was suspended six games because of his selling of memorabilia items.

Cam Newton, now a pro player for the Carolina Panthers, was a target of investigations involving improper benefits his dad solicited in an attempt to persuade his son to go to Auburn. (Newton was eventually cleared.)

So college athletes are getting paid, getting special leeway, and by no means need the money.

Students go to college to learn and get an education. Sports are another way young athletes can get an education.

But students don’t get paid to do school work, so why would you get paid playing college sports?

Meanwhile, athletes not only get to attend the college of their choice, it’s also completely paid for while other students are going to spend years paying their college loans.

College athletes who want to get paid are the likely the ones that will go pro anyway, so do they need to get paid in college?

A college makes millions of dollars each year from sports, so the argument is that they should pay their athletes with some of that money. But they could be spending it to hand out more academic scholarships instead.

Only 15 percent of college athletes will make their living off their sport of dreams; the others will have to go out into the real world to find a job.

By paying college athletes, schools would almost be telling them not to worry about class anymore: “With this money we’re going to give you, your job is covered, so don’t worry about school.”

Lastly, college athletes don’t need to be making money in college: They live on campus and don’t have any expenses.

Besides, that is what the professional league is for.

MICHAEL CRAWFORD is a sophomore at Mt. Ararat High School.