News

Give vouchers a college try

Colorado ranks among the worst states in sending low-income students to college.

Only about 16.8 percent of low-income kids are getting a shot at higher education – and eventually the higher salaries that often accompany a degree, according to Postsecondary Education Opportunity, a national policy analyst.

Shame on us.

Denver Post Editorial

In this "Leave No Child Behind" world, we’re leaving lots of kids in the dust.

Colorado doesn’t fare much better regarding the number of all students who go to college, about 38 percent. That ranks us 31st among the states, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Gov. Bill Owens, who made education a cornerstone of his first term, says one of his priorities is getting more kids into college.

To do that, he convened a blue-ribbon task force to study the problem.

And while it seems that’s every bureaucrat’s answer to a complicated problem – create a paper-pushing, task force – this one may work.

Headed by Republican party chief Bruce Benson, the panel is tossing around some interesting ideas worth more than just idle discussion, including one to create the nation’s first voucher system for colleges.

Vouchers can be political hot potatoes, and Benson stresses it’s just one of the proposals.

But we think it’s definitely an idea worth exploring.

Vouchers for higher education don’t carry much of the political baggage of traditional vouchers.

Here’s why:

The state now subsidizes higher education to the tune of 70 cents on every dollar it takes to educate a student. It’s already a voucher-like system.

Under the proposal, colleges would no longer receive that money. Instead, it would be shifted to the pocketbooks of students or their parents.

Students usually have no idea the state is already subsidizing their education, said Tim Foster, state Higher Education Department director.

But handing a student a check for $4,000, makes college seem a bit more realistic, even though students still need to make up the difference between the actual cost of tuition and the voucher’s value.

Having more control over paying the total tuition bill also may help allay the fears of falling deeply into debt that keep many young people from even dreaming about college.

The system also could make higher education more market-driven. Think about it: Many students now labor in college longer than needed because the courses they need aren’t offered at a convenient time, or they fill up too quickly. If the full cost of tuition is suddenly coming out of your pocket – with the hidden subsidy to the schools gone – you may be a bit more adamant about getting into that class.

Colleges would have to start listening a little more closely to the demands of their customers.

Just pushing more students into college won’t solve our woes, though.

The state should also look at expanding its accountability requirements for higher education. Universities and colleges receiving our money must have programs to help retain students.

Keeping them there is as important as getting them there. Otherwise, Colorado will find itself at the bottom of another list: Number of students given the chance to succeed.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E417%257E863375%257E,00.html

Posted in:

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.