Nixon bill proposes cut in private scholarships
Matt Webber
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: News
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If the bill is passed, the maximum amount of funds a student at a private institution can receive will decrease from $4,600 to $2,850.
Currently 597 Southwest Baptist students receive a total of $1.28 million in financial aid from the Access fund.
"Missouri legislators should change the Access Missouri scholarship program to provide equal benefits to students attending both public and independent colleges and universities," said Scott Holste, Nixon's press secretary.
Access Missouri is a need based scholarship, and is available only to Missouri residents.
The maximum amount for students attending a four-year private college is now $4,600, while the maximum for those attending a public college is $2,100.
"It's helped a lot of Missouri kids go to any college they want to," said University President Dr. C. Pat Taylor. "We have documentation that this is helping a lot of students … it's having a very positive impact."
Part of Nixon's platform on the bill was to increase funding for public universities.
Due to economic issues facing the state, Missouri is about $350 million short on funding.
Nixon has proposed to give extra support to public colleges by decreasing the maximum amount that each private college student can receive from Access Missouri to $2,850, while increasing the amount that each public college student can receive to $2,850.
While this means a 25 percent increase in funding for public university students, it also means a 38 percent decrease for students attending private institutions.
"The governor can recommend that all he wants… but changes have to come through the legislature," said Taylor. "So we're lobbying really hard to keep the funding like it is."
The Access Missouri Scholarship was put in place in 2007, after much lobbying from the Independent Colleges and universities in Missouri.
"Our argument is that the new program has only been in place two years … we need to study it more … at least four to six years before we start changing it," said Taylor. "I want students to be assured that as your president that I'm doing all I can to keep this program in place … and I'm optimistic."
Taylor also encouraged students receiving aid from Access Missouri to register online.
Whether or not students receive Access funds, they can register at www.keepmeincollege.org to petition Congress to keep funding for Missouri colleges steady.
"This is a website we want students to sign up for… [to] show the Legislature that this has an impact on a lot of people, said Taylor."
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