Grant reductions will hurt Gorloks
By: Karen Myers
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Opinion/Editorial
Of students receiving the Access Missouri grant, 60 percent are first generation college students who have an average family income of $35,000.
College students attending private universities need the money just as much as public school students. In fact, Missouri ranks 45th in per capita state appropriations for higher education. Our state needs to help students who don't necessarily have the money to attend college.
The discouraging truth is that when something involves money, it will never be fair. Somehow it's OK for a sex-addicted golf player to make more than a billion dollars while ambulance workers barely make more than minimum wage. It's OK for students who are already under-privileged to bear the brunt of this bill.
Somehow, someone always suffers. But, in this case, it shouldn't be the students who are trying to eke out an existence and to make life better for their future generations.
Last year, a similar bill, proposed by the same politician, didn't make it out of committee. The divisiveness of these bills suggests that Missourians just aren't ready to mess with programs that are working for our students.
But, on Feb. 24, SB 784 was voted "do pass," meaning the bill passed on to committee but can still be amended. The fate of HB 1812, which will do the same as the Senate bill, is scheduled for public hearing on Tuesday, March 2 at 8 a.m. in the basement of the Missouri State Capitol. To find out more or to join the fight against cutting Access Missouri, visit www.keepmeincollege.org.
College students attending private universities need the money just as much as public school students. In fact, Missouri ranks 45th in per capita state appropriations for higher education. Our state needs to help students who don't necessarily have the money to attend college.
The discouraging truth is that when something involves money, it will never be fair. Somehow it's OK for a sex-addicted golf player to make more than a billion dollars while ambulance workers barely make more than minimum wage. It's OK for students who are already under-privileged to bear the brunt of this bill.
Somehow, someone always suffers. But, in this case, it shouldn't be the students who are trying to eke out an existence and to make life better for their future generations.
Last year, a similar bill, proposed by the same politician, didn't make it out of committee. The divisiveness of these bills suggests that Missourians just aren't ready to mess with programs that are working for our students.
But, on Feb. 24, SB 784 was voted "do pass," meaning the bill passed on to committee but can still be amended. The fate of HB 1812, which will do the same as the Senate bill, is scheduled for public hearing on Tuesday, March 2 at 8 a.m. in the basement of the Missouri State Capitol. To find out more or to join the fight against cutting Access Missouri, visit www.keepmeincollege.org.
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