BOSTON -- Boston University College Republicans are offering a Caucasian Achievement Scholarship.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that they said the goal is to point out what they call the absurdity of race-based scholarships.

Applicants must be at least one-quarter Caucasian. It's a direct response to a Boston University Hispanic scholarship, which requires applicants to be one-quarter Hispanic.

"Some people are pretty upset about it and upset at us for it. We are trying to explain to them that they should be upset about this regarding any race or culture," Boston University College Republicans spokesman Joe Mroszczyk said.

Applications were made available on Nov. 7. To qualify for the $250 grant, a student must be a full-time undergraduate student at BU, have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and be 25 percent Caucasian. Two essays are also required.

"We ask them what it means to be Caucasian-American today," Mroszczyk said. "We also have an essay where the student has to describe their ancestry," Mroszczyk said.

"I am a little surprised. I don't really find it funny," one student said.

Mroszczyk said that the grant is aimed at stirring debate about the Hispanic scholarship that is offered at the school.

"I think college Republicans around the country need to use the tactics to break through to Liberals," Mroszczyk said. "The only way we can get our word out, often times, is to do something controversial, do something satirical."

"Our goal is to try to increase diversity on the campus, and that usually means diversity from an ethnic and racial standpoint. This scholarship does not further that goal," Boston University Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said in a statement.