Legislators urged to fund need-based aid
As the higher education bills progress through the Minnesota Legislature, many voices are urging legislators to target funding on need-based aid. This aid, through the State Grant Program, helps make college possible for one in four low- and moderate-income undergraduates in Minnesota. Here are some examples:
- The March 18 Pioneer Press editorial, "It's time to sharpen the aim:
"Why not find a target and shoot at it? We don't have enough money to help everyone, as we might have a generation ago, when we were able to provide nearly free college tuition. Why not aim property tax relief, pre-school assistance, health care and tuition help at those who need it most — and where the greatest return on investment is likely? It's impossible to overemphasize this point: Money should arrive on a laser beam to solve specific problems, not be scattered from the sky." - An April 1 Star Tribune editorial, "To enlarge workforce, fund financial aid":
"But holding down tuition for all isn't the most cost-effective strategy for putting more disadvantaged young adults on a path toward college and keeping them there. Generous financial aid better serves that end." - Admission Possible newsletter: "From the Desk of Jim McCorkell," Winter 2007:
"There is no question that we need to provide low-income students with greater financial aid. In my estimation, access to adequate financial aid is perhaps the most important determinant in the likelihood of a low-income student staying in college and graduating."
A column in the April 1 St. Cloud Times by Randy Krebs, “State's higher education faces crisis,” adds this perspective:
"The biggest challenge for Minnesota's higher education is volume. The state needs to find a way to generate more college graduates. The fertile ground here comes in ‘first-generation’ students, or those whose families have never been to college. Demographic realities, though, mean these students also tend to be on the short end of the state's infamous academic achievement gap…."
The institutions of the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) are raising these points with policymakers. For example, an April 17 President’s and Parent’s Day at the Capitol triggered thoughtful conversations with key legislative and administrative leaders including Sen. Larry Pogemiller, Susan Heegaard of the Office of Higher Education, Rep. Tony Sertich, Rep. Tom Rukavina, Sen. Sandy Pappas, and Matt Kramer, Gov. Pawlenty’s chief-of-staff. Public expressions of our perspective include the recent Pioneer Press column by MPCC board chair Brian Rosenberg, president of Macalester College. Other columns by MPCC President David Laird have appeared in papers as diverse as the Fergus Falls Daily Record and the Twin Cities’ Insight News. Read all advocacy news stories.
At a time when the economy will require twice as many college-educated employees as it does today, targeting and increasing spending on need-based aid that goes directly to students who need it most makes good sense. To communicate your views on need-based aid to legislators, join our Legislative Action Network.