A second look

State's college stipends still make sense, but need a review

Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The College Opportunity Fund, launched by Colorado in 2004 primarily to let higher education get around the spending limits in the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, should not be abandoned.

A review, however, is in order. Officials at several colleges find COF's stipend provision - $92 per credit hour this fall to any student at all public colleges and half that amount at some private schools - cumbersome. Some lawmakers believe it hasn't lived up to its promise of enrolling more low-income students. And not everyone who qualifies takes advantage of the benefit.

David Skaggs, director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, isn't fully sold on COF and says he'd welcome a top-to-bottom review.

The fiscal necessity that motivated Gov. Bill Owens and the legislature to create COF has not gone away. COF allows public campuses to claim "enterprise" status, freeing them from TABOR's spending restraints. And that will continue to be important unless voters pass a ballot measure that removes the spending limit for good (as opposed to Referendum C's five-year timeout).

The stipend covers about half the tuition and fees at community colleges, but a much lower share of the costs to attend four-year schools. It's roughly a third of the costs at Metropolitan State College, a fourth at Colorado State University and about 10 percent at the University of Colorado's Boulder campus.

A review designed to improve COF could answer some important questions, such as:

* Is the program effectively promoted? The state must inform parents of eighth-graders that COF stipends are available. But is the word getting out?

Nearly 1,000 eligible students at Metro State and 2,000 community college students did not take advantage of their COF stipends last fall.

Spokeswoman Cathy Lucas told us that with roughly 40 percent of Metro's students 25 and older, it's likely that some never heard of COF, which is only four years old. Others may not apply for the stipend because their employers pay their tuition.

A review should suggest ways to boost awareness.

* Would COF stipends be easier to administer if they were pure vouchers?

Now the stipends are allocated to schools by the legislature. Each campus estimates its fall enrollment to the Joint Budget Committee, which assigns funding based on those forecasts.

Campuses that sign up fewer students than expected have to return some money. Those that have higher enrollment than forecast must ask the legislature to make up the difference.

In the just-concluded academic year, for instance, community colleges had 800 more students than anticipated and lawmakers didn't provide the $2.2 million in stipends campuses were due, which angered community colleges chief Nancy McCallin.

If COF funding really followed the student, schools wouldn't have to come, hat in hand, to the legislature to ask for what they're due.

* Finally, why has COF not increased enrollment of low-income students? Is the number of college-ready students smaller than proponents of the stipends thought, or are there other reasons that the share of Colorado college students eligible for federal Pell grants fell to 8 percent this year?

A robust review of COF might answer those questions, and guide policy-makers to improve the program - without killing it.

• May 21, 2008

  6:34 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

  TABOR was tax payer mandated and the legislature has no business trying to circumvent the desires of the people in this manner.

• May 21, 2008

  7:34 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  vudumom writes:

  When things are given to you free to help you better your life, it is the person's responsibility to see that the paperwork is filled out and they do whatever they can to take advantage of this money. Once again I read a story about people complaining about money that is available free and people don't want to be bothered to fill out some forms to get it. This is along the same lines as the free health insurance for kids fund. You can get free medical care for your child but the parents are too bothered by the forms to fill out. Then the agencies handling the monies claim it's too hard on the people to fill out forms to get the help and they think the tax payers who are usually paying for these programs, should make it super easy to get free money? What would they suggest a one page form? Name, address,phone number? As far as the college money is concerned, if a student can't be bothered enough to fill out a form, what does that say about them as future job prospects?

• May 21, 2008

  8:24 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  anarchist writes:

  vudumom, it doesnt apply to all students, only low income students,so they cant be bothered, they are low income and so special rights, they expect thier handouts to be given them. To fill out forms, to research is what non-low income kids have to do. I heartily agree with you when you question why they don't avail themselves to this program and others, its to much effort for them apparently, so why should My tax dollars help them? An old saying states you can lead a horse to water, but you cant force it drink, if these kids werent so used to, for the most part I think, being handed everything they want all the time, I think they would fill out those pesky forms. If they wont help themselves, why should I worry over helping them, let the liberal professors hold thier hands and cuddle them, and inform them of the programs, then if they dont fill in the blanks, denver needs janitors too.

• May 21, 2008

  8:26 a.m.

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  jacka writes:

  Democrats and some Republicans looking for loopholes to take more and re-distribute more in the name of education. Trashing other handouts they created because well ya know they just want their hand deeper in your pocket.

• May 21, 2008

  8:30 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  anarchist writes:

  Mike, you state "TABOR was tax payer mandated and the legislature has no business trying to circumvent the desires of the people in this manner." , what next, government for the people, by the people? Are you sure you aren't just picking on those liberal do good politicians that know whats best for the voters even if the voters dont? TABOR hurt the politicians, because it tried to make them accountable to the people, not the social agenda du jour. I say contact your elected officials, tell what you as a voter and citizen want, if they listen, great, if they dont, when you step in the voting booth, remember them well, and vote accordingly.

• May 21, 2008

  8:34 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  anarchist writes:

  jacka, Uncle Sam wants you, but Nancy Pelosi wants your wallet, and her foot soldiers locally are here to help you, wait, "here to help you", isn't that what the ATF said in waco?

• May 21, 2008

  10:22 a.m.

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  jmorgansmith writes:

  I am so tired of people talking about TABOR who have no idea what TABOR really is. TABOR was passed 16 years ago and then the legislature made it virtually impossible to re-visit TABOR with single subject. Essentially, the "will of the people" no longer have any say in the matter. Also, if I had a nickel for every person who professes to be a proponent of TABOR, who did not actually vote for it or live in Colorado when it was debated as an amendment, I could probably afford to go to college in Colorado.