Articles

College Grads Fully Repay Uncle Sam

Opinion By Mary Brown Bullock, Carl V. Patton,
and Walter E. Massey
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 20, 2005

A matter of great importance to the people of Georgia — continued federal assistance for college students — is being debated in Congress. The stakes for our state could not possibly be higher.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate made a huge stand to significantly increase student aid, but that position is now being eroded in the appropriations process. Student aid programs are being targeted for level funding, which means they likely will be reduced later in the year for purposes of deficit reduction (the congressional budget earmarks $13 billion from education to reduce the deficit).

And while level funding may not sound so bad, it means students from poor families will go through college with no increase in assistance to keep pace with the cost of living.

Reducing or eroding current federal student aid is unwise. It would do great harm not just to the students and families directly affected, but also to the U.S. economy, the business community, and the finances of every state government in the country, including Georgia's.

The overwhelming majority of all students in the United States — 87 percent according to one study — today need federal aid to attend college. That makes this assistance one of the key engines driving the U.S. economy and something that must be a priority.

College-educated persons generally have higher-paying jobs and, therefore, pay more in taxes than those who don't continue their studies after high school. They vote more often and are more-involved citizens. They also are less likely to commit crimes and so don't place as big a burden on our judicial and prison systems, and they typically don't cost Medicare and Medicaid as much because they tend to be healthier. Higher education is, therefore, a tremendous value for taxpayers. Indeed, compared to almost anything else the federal government does, financial assistance for college students yields perhaps the highest and most long-lasting dividends.

Last year, almost 170,000 Georgia students received help from the Pell Grant program alone. Another 43,000 were assisted by other forms of direct, non-loan, federal aid. The vast majority of these students would not have been able to attend college without the $384 million in support offered through these programs.

Georgia recognizes that higher education is a primary driver of the economy. In fact, Georgia was a pioneer in providing assistance through the HOPE scholarship, a program that has been emulated by the rest of the country.

But Georgia's support is not sufficient to cover the financial needs of its growing number of college-age students, especially those from poor families. That's why continuing — and increasing — federal student aid is essential to huge numbers of students who attend both public and private colleges and universities.

Georgia's congressional delegation repeatedly has shown its support for higher education and our students, and we need their help now. Cutting, or even allowing the erosion of, federal student aid must be avoided. Enabling poor and middle-income citizens to attend college yields too many extraordinary and positive returns — and withdrawing financial support is too disastrous — to do anything else.

Georgia's next generation of civic and business leaders — and literally our state's future — are at stake.

Mary Brown Bullock is president of Agnes Scott College in Decatur. Carl V. Patton is president of Georgia State University and Walter E. Massey is president of Morehouse College.

Copyright 2005 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more information, visit www.ajc.com.

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