Higher
Education
Partnership
Volume 3 Issue 3
In support of and working together with
Alabama A & M Univ
Alabama State Univ
Univ of Alabama
Univ of Ala at Bham
Univ of Ala at Huntsville
Auburn Univ
Auburn Univ at Mtgy
Jacksonville State Univ
Univ.of Montevallo
Univ of North Alabama
Univ of South Alabama
Troy State Univ
Troy State Univ Dothan
Troy State Univ Mtgy
Univ of West Alabama
Inside this Issue
Partnership meets membership challenge
Partnership Update
Partnership Update |
Making Scholarships
a Reality
Specifically,
his office is to be congratulated for their commitment to education.
The Higher Education Partnership applauds both the Siegelman Administration and legislative leaders like Representative Howard Hawk and Senator Hank Sanders, who orchestrated a 6% increase in university funding during 1999. While a 6% upward swing is not enough to make the long-term improvements that are needed, it is a good start.
Governor Siegelman is offering the Alabama Education Lottery to address important issues like college scholarships, pre-kindergarten education and technology needs. The Partnership agrees that the lottery-funded programs the governor is proposing offer a promising start to resolving the complex challenges facing Alabama education. While the lottery will not provide enough revenue to solve all of the state’s educational concerns, it will help generate momentum from which long-term solutions can evolve. If the dollars that are generated are used wisely, as they were in Georgia and as the Siegelman Administration has projected, the lottery revenue will make a big difference to the average Alabamian.
How can the lottery help? Alabamians should be able to gain maximum opportunity as a result of the HOPE Scholarship. The HOPE Scholarship is the top priority for Alabama’s lottery revenue, and it will be a reward for good students. Once HOPE is implemented, Alabamians will also benefit from funds for the pre-kindergarten and technology components of the Alabama Education Lottery proposals.
Students from University of South Alabama (behind camera) "make a difference" by joining students from universities across the state, at the Higher Education Day Rally held April 8, 1999 in front of the Alabama State House.
The Higher Education Partnership,
representing students, faculty, staff, alumni and other university
supporters, has followed the Alabama HOPE Scholarship proposal
very closely. The Partnership has also studied the Georgia scholarship
plan. Without a doubt, the scholarship program has been a positive
addition to Georgia’s education offerings. Therefore, the
Partnership encourages Alabama to hold true to the strategy of
following the Georgia model. The Siegelman team has followed
Georgia through each stage of the lottery plan, and the Partnership
encourages the administration to hold true to that strategy.
In Georgia, the scholarship plan requires individuals entering
the academic studies component of a university or two-year school
to meet merit-based qualifiers in order to earn the scholarship.
Georgia also allows the scholarship recipients to select which
school they want to attend. In addition to academic scholarships,
the Georgia plan allows all other high school graduates to attend
a two-year vocational or technical studies program on scholarship.
As a result of implementing these programs, Georgia has experienced
a growth in enrollment at both academic and vocational/technical
levels. Georgia’s HOPE scholarship has provided assistance
to over 371,000 students in the past five years.
The Georgia model is fiscally sound because it not only provides
an attractive scholarship program, it also allows for r evenue
to be available for the pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs and
for the technology program.
Obviously, the Partnership
will be interested in the way the HOPE Scholarship’s regulations
are ultimately designed. The Partnership will work to see that
the program encourages hard work and gives students the freedom
to choose which institution they want to attend (so long as they
meet admission requirements).
It is important to note that the Partnership is encouraged by
our experience with Governor Don Siegelman’s office. The
Governor’s Office has stated that the regulations for the
scholarship plan will not be written without the input of representatives
from the state’s colleges and universities. The Partnership
is pleased that universities will have the opportunity to design
the guidelines.
We have no reason to doubt Governor Siegelman. We are confident
that the Governor wants this to be a successful program that
provides meaningful opportunity from Alabama’s citizens.
The Governor has been faithful in his support of university budget
requests and worked closely with the Partnership in the drafting
of the original lottery bills.
Therefore, the Partnership is asking that all members and other
university supporters focus their attention on making the lottery
a reality. Between now and October 12, “taking action”
is important for all who believe the lottery is a good first-step
in the process of resolving Alabama’s education funding
issues. The Lottery Foundation is looking for volunteers of time
and money. Certainly, the Partnership believes and strongly supports
the concept that the more young people that Alabama can encourage
to earn their four-year degrees, the better the state’s
people will be.
If you are interested in Alabama having this scholarship program,
please note the lottery must come first. To get involved in supporting
the lottery, you may notify the Partnership. The Partnership
wants to help facilitate active grassroots involvement. Therefore,
if you want to help, you may email the office at causey@mindspring.com.
P. O. Box 761, Montgomery, AL 36101-0761
334-832-9911Fax 334-832-9995