Governor’s plan benefits students, colleges

On Oct. 6, Gov. Sean Parnell announced his idea for giving Alaskan high school students a generous financial break that, in itself, would be an educational incentive. Parnell’s recent proposal of a merit-based scholarship is called the Governor’s Performance Scholarship, which rewards students based on grade-point average.

A high school student with a 4.0 GPA would receive a 100 percent tuition scholarship. A 3.0 GPA student would have a 75 percent tuition scholarship and even a 2.5 GPA student could receive a 50 percent tuition scholarship. These incredible endowments would be a huge aid for many Alaska students looking to go to college or any job training vocational type of school in Alaska. Jeff Bowker of Colony High School’s math department said, “I’m all in favor of this plan, I think it’s a good step in the right direction, but it limits students by keeping them in state.”

While inspiring to go to extra schooling with financial aid is ideal, it also holds back students from venturing to other states because this is too great of an opportunity to pass up. According to an article written in May 2008 by the Institute of Social and Economic Research for the University of Anchorage Alaska, one-third of high school students fail to receive their GED, another third graduate but do not enroll in college and the remaining third enroll in college but only about one-fifth of them go to schools in Alaska. These amounts will increase no doubt by increasing enrollment and achievement.

For students looking to participate in this program there will be requirements. To be eligible, students must take four years of math, science and language arts classes, plus three years of social studies.

“Anybody that wants to go to college should be taking them already,” said Colony junior Miki Anderson. While students are only required to take two years of math and history, and four years of language arts, many continue to earn these extra credits to further their education and get into college.

Colony High School counselor Kim Howell said, “These requirement will limit choices for career pathways ,but they are very doable.”

Gov. Parnell’s standards motivate students to take classes beyond what a GED requires to earn what could be a free ride to college. It also truly exposes the students who excel in academics and deserve the tuition because they challenge themselves with more difficult classes.

It may seem too good to be true that students would be able to earn a 100 percent scholarship, but the governor already knows how he intends to afford this. While the state has more than $8 billion in the Constitutional Budget Reserve savings account, Gov. Parnell proposed to the Legislature that $400 million should be withdrawn, and it is estimated that about $20 million will be used each year.

With only 20 percent of Alaska high school students attending an in-state college, Gov. Sean Parnell’s new scholarship offer will surely attract more students to stay in Alaska. With hopes of it commencing by 2011, this stimulus package for Alaska universities will encourage more kids to go to college in state.

Casey Branch is a sophomore at Colony High School.