The sheer boldness of the request is perhaps dazzling. Rather than reforming the way Oklahomans are asked to pony up money to help wealthy families get cheap college, the regents want a nearly $400 million annual increase by 1919. Unlike the federal govt. which applies a means test for a FAFSA score which determines PAL grants, our Oklahoma Regents for Higher Ed. simply get about 1/7 of our annual budget given to them. Then they disperse that money so that govt. run colleges can cut the cost to every college student. This results in a predatory marketing scheme which seeks to close every private college in Oklahoma. What's worse is that along with the struggling working poor who pay a state sales tax so that wealthy families can receive 16% of that confiscated tax money in the form of cheaper college tuition. A Better Method.. The legislature would do better to apply a state grant to students which uses the FAFSA score as an indicator. It would have a sliding scale of assistance which phases out for wealthier families. This would assure that the truly needy have an opportunity to break the circle of poverty. It would end the disgraceful enabling of wealthy families expecting welfare handouts. It gives our great private colleges an opportunity to compete fairly for students. |
At some point this state needs to honestly answer;
- What responsibility should be placed upon the workers and consumers?
- Shouldn't a young adult and his family use their own money to attain a college degree?
- Will an education be appreciated more if the student spends his own money on it, rather than someone else's taxes?
- Is it a core duty of a state, to give away money to able-bodied adults?