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One important (and overdue) accomplishment of this session was the passage of a state-run higher education scholarship program. I believe
it is important for every Alaskan to have the opportunity and ability to take advantage of post-secondary education opportunities like college or technical school. The new program gets us one step closer. Unfortunately, a funding source was not passed along
with the bill, so that question still needs to be answered.
The RCA announced a public hearing in Juneau on the proposed AEL&P rate increase Tuesday June 15 at 6:00 p.m. at Centennial Hall.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email!
It was my pleasure to serve with other members of the Bush Caucus this year to bring awareness of rural issues and work for the interests of rural residents all across Alaska.
Alaska’s New Scholarship Program
Beginning in July of 2011, Alaskan high school graduates with a 2.5 or higher GPA will be eligible for scholarships to attend in-state colleges, universities and technical schools. The scholarships will range from $2,378 to $4,755 per year
depending upon the student’s GPA and performance on a college entrance exam like the SAT. Students must also meet core curriculum requirements that include at least three years of math, four years of language arts, three years of science and four years of
social studies. However, since students who are already in high school can’t possibly have been aware of the curriculum requirements that didn’t exist when they crafted their class schedules, there will be a transition period.
One problem: no funding was passed with the bill. Instead, a task force was established in the same legislation to identify the best approach to providing financial aid for Alaskan students. In addition to deciding the best way to provide
funding for the scholarship program, they will also recommend improvements to Alaska’s financial aid laws (including the scholarship program). The task force will be comprised of fifteen members: five from the Senate, five from the House of Representatives,
the commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development, the President of the University of Alaska, the director of the governor’s Office of Management and Budget, a member of the state Board of Education and Early Development and the executive
director of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education.
Although the scholarship program was first introduced by the governor, the final version was a little different and was included in
SB 221, which rolled in a lot of good bills relating to post-secondary-education. The legislation also included some other good advancements in supporting post-secondary education opportunities:
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Increases maximum financial aid limits from $2,000 to $3,000 per year and maximum lifetime benefits from $8,000 to $12,000;
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Allows five more Alaskan students in the fields of dentistry, optometry or pharmacy to take advantage of the WICHE exchange program; and
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Establishes the Advisory Task Force on Higher Education and Career Readiness to study and make recommendations to improve retention and increase college and technical school graduation rates.
The scholarship program isn’t perfect, but it is a good start. I would like to see some sort of needs-based component and consideration for non-traditional students. Of course, any sort of scholarship program is also only part of the picture.
I’ve had
legislation in the hopper for several years that would reward college graduates for living and working in Alaska by reducing their student loan debt by up to 50% over a five-year period. I was able to take advantage of the old forgiveness plan when I graduated
from college and it really helped me get started and influenced by decision on where to live. This would help reduce the “brain drain” (where there are not enough qualified people to fill the jobs) Alaska is experiencing now as well as help provide some incentive
for Alaskan students to complete their education. I plan on continuing to pursue this legislation.
AEL&P Rate Hearing June 15
When AEL&P filed for a 22% rate increase, the Juneau legislative delegation wrote a
letter requesting that the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) hold a public hearing in Juneau. It only makes sense that the people that will be affected by the rate increase should be able to express their opinion to the RCA in person and it is a little
surprising that this is not standard operating procedure. In response, we received a
letter from the commissioner of the RCA letting us know that there will be a public hearing in Juneau on Tuesday, June 15 starting at 6:00 p.m. at Centennial Hall.
Fish-On with Kids
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