Grant reductions will hurt Gorloks
By: Karen Myers
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Opinion/Editorial
Three years ago, the Access Missouri Financial Aid program was created to help Missouri students obtain need-based financial aid to attend their choice of Missouri schools. The grants - which need not be repaid - are disbursed to students on a sliding scale based on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid results and the type of institution they attend. Now, about 46,000 Missouri students obtain at least the minimum amount of grant money.
The maximum award for students attending public, four-year institutions is $2,150, while students attending private universities can receive a maximum of $4,600.
Recently, Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, proposed a bill (Senate Bill 784 and House Bill 1812) that would make the maximum grant amount for both four-year public and private institutions the same - $2,850. That amount represents a $700 increase for public school students and a $1,750 decrease for private school students.
Does anyone see a problem here?
The reason Access Missouri currently awards more to students attending private schools is because tuition is significantly more expensive at those schools. As it stands, the average grant covers 22 percent of independent institutions' tuition and 25 percent of public institutions' tuition. So, while it may seem like public school students are getting gypped, they're actually doing better than those going to private institutions. The biggest argument is the "fairness" of all of this. Public school attendees are crying foul, saying they deserve more money and that equalizing the loans would reward the student rather than the institution.
Because the Access Missouri program grants money on an individual basis, students are getting the amount they deserve. Even if the maximum amount public school students can receive increases by
$700, those students won't necessarily ever see that money. The grants are need-based - students get what the government determines they need.
The maximum award for students attending public, four-year institutions is $2,150, while students attending private universities can receive a maximum of $4,600.
Recently, Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, proposed a bill (Senate Bill 784 and House Bill 1812) that would make the maximum grant amount for both four-year public and private institutions the same - $2,850. That amount represents a $700 increase for public school students and a $1,750 decrease for private school students.
Does anyone see a problem here?
The reason Access Missouri currently awards more to students attending private schools is because tuition is significantly more expensive at those schools. As it stands, the average grant covers 22 percent of independent institutions' tuition and 25 percent of public institutions' tuition. So, while it may seem like public school students are getting gypped, they're actually doing better than those going to private institutions. The biggest argument is the "fairness" of all of this. Public school attendees are crying foul, saying they deserve more money and that equalizing the loans would reward the student rather than the institution.
Because the Access Missouri program grants money on an individual basis, students are getting the amount they deserve. Even if the maximum amount public school students can receive increases by
$700, those students won't necessarily ever see that money. The grants are need-based - students get what the government determines they need.
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