Tribune managing editor
— The good news is that the number of students enrolling in the state’s 21st Century Scholars program more than doubled last year.
The bad news is that the program is running out of money.
A recent examination by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education found that the program’s $28 million annual budget will come up $30 million short next year. By 2017, the commission says, the shortfall will nearly triple.
This is a great program. It calls on youngsters who qualify for the free and reduced-price lunch program to a sign simple pledge that they will remain drug-free and maintain a C average. In exchange, it promises a full-ride scholarship to a state-supported college or university.
It’s an audacious promise, and that’s the appeal of it.
It says to kids from struggling families that if they study hard and stay out of trouble, they can earn a shot at a brighter future by pursuing a college degree.
What could be better? We want kids to stay away from drugs, to focus on their studies and to chase their dreams by going to college.
There is no reason to tinker with these goals.
The commission points out that kids sign up for this program in the sixth or seventh grade and that by the time they’re ready to start college, about one in five no longer meets the income guidelines.
Some are suggesting the state ought to consider changing the rules, requiring students to meet income requirements when they sign up and again when they’re ready to start college.
That’s a bad idea.
A promise is a promise. Students who hold up their end of the bargain should not be turned away simply because their parents land better-paying jobs.
Think about it. Will a family that has been scraping to get by suddenly have the money to cover the cost of college tuition simply because mom and dad are bringing home a few extra dollars a week?
That’s not to say the state should make no changes in the program. It might be a good idea to raise the bar a bit, to a C-plus average or maybe even a B-minus.
But let’s not pull the rug out from under a program that helps Indiana youngsters to break the cycle of poverty. What goal could be more worthy than that?
