A DIFFERING VIEW: Scholarship provisions will be discussed this summer

By David Skaggs

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Regarding the proposed Colorado Promise Scholarships, I'd like to correct an assertion in the June 14 Rocky editorial that it will be Labor Day before "even the broadest outlines of the program are proposed" ("Scholarship puzzles").

In fact, at its June 5 meeting, as reported in the Rocky, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education instructed staff at the Colorado Department of Higher Education to prepare recommended policies to implement the provisions of the scholarship ballot measure and to have them ready for the commission to consider at its next meeting, July 10.

These policies should provide a reasonably complete understanding of how the scholarships will be administered if the ballot measure passes. The policies will also provide direction to department staff in working over the summer with the state's colleges to develop more detailed draft guidelines for the commission to review in September.

We expect those draft guidelines will answer very specific questions about the proposed scholarships. The commission will then be able to adopt the actual guidelines promptly after the election.

David Skaggs is executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

• June 18, 2008

  6:12 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Earl writes:

  IF the measure passes they will get right to work handing them out. why not just tell all the illegals they can walk into any state college and take a seat no charge. after all they are here to better their lives and shouldnt have to pay dime for it. All of the nasty rich US citizens can do it for them. now will the classes have to be taught in spanish or will they still be bi lingual?

• June 18, 2008

  7:37 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jacka writes:

  David Skaggs,
  It doesn't matter. This tax hike lacks any strategic vision and as I read the language plows way less then 60% of the new taxes into scholorships.