'Ellen' gives Samantha Garvey $50G scholarship, but...

Samantha Garvey taped an interview on "Ellen" this afternoon, and while that's all well and good, she ended up with what might be called a bonus: Ellen DeGeneres, the show and AT&T presented her with a $50,000 scholarship that she can apply to the school of her choice. 

Ellen: I know you want to continue your education. You want to go to either Yale or Brown University. Well, we wanted to help you with that. So our friends at AT&T heard about your story and because of their commitment to the “Aspire” program to education. They want to help you achieve your dreams. So they are going to give you a $50,000 scholarship to go to the school of your choice.

By the way, just wondering, but isn't acceptance at schools like Yale and Brown entirely "need-based" and "need-blind" -- which means that if you get in, and your family is impoverished, then the schools will assume full payment of the tuition, now pushing past $55,000 per year, without any strings attached?  And if true, then what good would a scholarship like this do at schools like Yale or Brown?  Many top schools, by the way, are "need-based," and they compete aggressively for superlative students like Garvey. 

Nevertheless, still very nice and generous of Ellen D.  to give this extraordinary young woman's story more national exposure. Hopefully a lot of other wonderful things are coming her way.  

Samantha and family also got a $1,000 gift card to Whole Foods and $5,000 to J.C. Penney.