I think that you know by now I am a big proponent of small government, Save Jerseyans, which brings me to my concern du jour – tuition assistance for higher learning.
We have heard about one of Obama’s “wins” to successfully increase the amount for need-based Pell grant awards. He plans to continue augmenting the federal aid programs as well, mind you, if elected to a second term. While financial aid is almost a necessity these days considering how the cost of college has gone up over the years, I am of the belief that this type of program should not be managed at the federal level.
At a recent rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, Romney was asked about his plan to handle student debt, and basically his response was that it is not the job of the government to get involved (AGREED!). There is also speculation that Ryan’s House budget will drastically cut the Pell grant program, but nothing has been stated definitively to that end by either candidate (IT SHOULD!). The bottom line here is that Romney and Ryan both understand that the federal government should be limited in its efforts to manage programs such as this because it drains our national resources and takes money and focus away from other important initiatives that require funding, such as defense.
The reality is that the federal government cannot “boil the ocean” and take on primary responsibility for every social program in the country. There are just not enough resources available to provide benefit to all who need it, and the end result is going to entail either a tax increase or more national borrowing. I support the federal government in providing grants to states for tuition funding programs. However, it is the state governments that should be responsible for handling matters that impact the day-to-day lives of their respective residents, education being one.
State efforts around tuition assistance would be more focused on a smaller population, and programs can be developed on a lesser-scale to address the needs AND merits of a more targeted number of prospective students.
There are a lot of ways that states can both support the needs of its residents AND raise money for various endeavors.
Consider the state of Georgia. Their lottery generates proceeds that go into an educational assistance fund (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally), enabling prospective students who achieve specific grades to attend eligible colleges within the state – public or private. True, they may not be the top choices of kids residing in the state, but this successful program makes the dream of going to college a reality for so many who need assistance and demonstrate dedication to their studies. Everyone gets to take advantage of this program, and it is very successful.
The bottom line is, college is what you make of it. You don’t need to attend the most prestigious schools to find success in your chosen career. If you work diligently, you can be just as prosperous as someone graduating from a top-tier school.
Another telling point made by Romney around students funding their own college experiences during the rally in New Hampshire? The best the government can do is to “give you a great job so you will be able to pay it back yourself and to get government off your back so you can keep more of what you earn.”
Amen to that!
Small Government can make a big impact when it's not concerning itself with the outcome of every pregnancy in America. Or telling gays who they can marry. Or Giving ethanol producers massive subsidies. But you decide to go after Pell grants curiously enough.
And FWIW I'd be weary about following Georgia's model for …. anything. But it was nice to see you slip the "state's rights' meme into the post for good measure. I'll give you style points for that.
Jay, thanks for the feedback! I will always welcome style points!
College tuition is something I think (read: panic) about pretty frequently, since I have three kids. That is why I chose to address the Pell grants (and tuition assistance in general) in this post.
With reference to your points above, I am of the opinion that states should be responsible for addressing these issues(among others), not the federal government. The Constitution makes very clear that the federal government should be limited in its powers and that states should handle the day to day issues impacting the people.
As far as Georgia goes…I'll just say that they deserve kudos for the successful implementation of their program.
Thanks again for the comments!