Bill could spell trouble for
Colorado merit scholarships
By Jesse Stephenson
The Metropolitan
Metro administrators say proposed legislation meant to help freshmen pay their tuition might wreak havoc on merit-based scholarships funded with state dollars.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bill Thiebaut, D-Pueblo, would entitle high school students who excel academically to a $1,000 grant toward tuition at a Colorado college or university.
Thiebautâs program would not require any new state funds. It would draw on money already earmarked for scholarships that reward exceptional athletes, musicians, and scholars. Thatâs the problem, college administrators say.
The program would establish an entitlement, meaning it guarantees money to every academically eligible high school senior. As an entitlement program, it would siphon funds away from performance scholarships and grants that make no promises about who gets money, said Mary Anne Romero-Hunter, Metroâs Financial Aid director.
Metro gave out $1.4 million in state-funded merit scholarships during the 1996-97 school year. None of those scholarships were
entitlements, said Romero-Hunter, who is the financial advisor representing all four state colleges to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
ãMost institutions are concerned about this program because we would have to dig into our existing merit money to pay for it,ä she said. ãBy (Thiebaut) not tying new money to this, it is not a very attractive idea ÷ especially since this particular population of high school students is already being offered scholarships.ä
As part of last yearâs Taxpayerâs Relief Act, students in their first two years of college are eligible for a federal Hope Scholarship Tax Credit of up to $1,500 per year.
But Thiebaut said the Hope Scholarship is not enough to cover the cost of tuition at most of Coloradoâs public colleges.
Thiebaut added that heâs aware that if his bill is passed into law, it will likely take funds away from other state-supported merit scholarships but said the measure is necessary because many colleges and universities skimp on merit scholarships for freshmen.
ãIronically, Iâve had more than one constituent call me and say their kid is No. 1 or 2 in their class but couldnât get a scholarship to a Colorado school,ä Thiebaut said. ãI am basically trying to make sure most of the top high school graduates stay in the state.ä
Geoff Barsch, a financial analyst for the CCHE, which would be responsible for figuring out whoâs eligible for scholarships under Thiebautâs plan, said rewarding academically-elite high school students is a noble idea. But Barsch said the plan could backfire on other students unless the state allocates additional merit-scholarship money.
ãObviously if this bill does go through, the CCHE would support getting more money behind it,ä Barsch said.
Sen. Tom Blickensderfer, R-Englewood, a member of the legislative budget committee that allocates money for scholarships, said heâs not sure of the ultimate impact of Thiebautâs bill.
The measure has yet to be discussed by the Senate Education Committee, which will be the first legislative group to review it.
ãI donât know that this redistribution of funds is for the greater good,ä Blickensderfer said.
The legislature distributes millions of dollars in state funds each year to colleges and universities for merit-based scholarships. For the 1996-97 fiscal year, the state allocated $12.3 million for merit grants and, according to preliminary figures, will disburse about $12.7 million for the 1998-99 fiscal year.
