The Observer, April 20, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 25
Editorial: Cuts to SCG threaten diversity, educational experience
During his campaign for Governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland promised to help bring Cleveland and other major cities back to life. One major problem that Cleveland faces is "brain drain" – after people graduate from local colleges and universities, they move away.
The Ohio Student Choice Grant (SCG) offers $900 to any full-time Ohio resident student seeking a bachelor's degree at an independent, nonprofit college or university in the state. The sole purpose of such a grant is to keep Ohio students in their home state, and so far, it has worked well: about 57 percent of Case's undergraduate population hails from Ohio.
Imagine the effect of cutting the SCG. We currently have trouble retaining students after graduation – what if they didn't even stay for college? It seems obvious that an action of this nature would hurt Cleveland, going completely against Strickland's campaign promise.
Yet in his most recent biennial budget, the governor proposed drastic cuts to funding for the SCG. This would limit the grant to only those students who qualify to receive the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, a state program based on economic need. National figures show that 75.6 percent of all federal Pell Grant recipients who had family incomes between $50,000 and $60,000 would lose their current SCG.
This change will surely create problems beyond Cleveland's struggling economy. Student funding is being cut all over the country while tuition costs rise at an alarming rate. Case is one of many colleges and universities guilty of awarding scholarships that don't adjust for tuition hikes. Soon, higher education will become nearly unattainable – an elite institution that only the wealthy can afford.
A recent study from UCLA revealed a huge gap between the median family income of college freshmen and the national average – a difference of about 60 percent, an increase from 46 percent in 1971. And as this gap continues to widen, diversity within institutions of higher education will decline.
By cutting funding for the SCG, Strickland is breaking his promise to Cleveland and to Ohio. He is jeopardizing the already unstable future of our major cities and showing students that higher education is not a top priority.
Universities have always been hailed as centers of diversity and progressive thinking, but these notions are in peril if we do not continue to support every student seeking higher education. If we want to uphold the ideals of what a university truly should be, then it is our turn to speak up. For more information on the issue and how to send a letter to your representative, go to http://www.case.edu/pubaff/govrel/studentchoice.html.
Yes, we certainly gain a significant amount of knowledge from our professors, but much of what we learn in college comes from our own experiences and interactions with fellow students. If we're shelling out the big bucks to get an education here, we should make sure that we're getting the most out of our college experience, and protect diversity on campus at all costs.
