IT IS probably a fair assumption that you would like to attend school here at the University for free, given the option. What if I said that you could and that no, you don't need a perfect SAT score, fluency in four languages, presidency of 18 clubs/organizations, and a 4.8 GPA to get it? What if all you had to do to receive a free ride was keep a "B" or even "C" average in high school?
Ridiculous, you say. The Commonwealth of Virginia is not going to pay for every average and slightly above average Virginian student's college tuition. The state of California, however, is doing just that. California's newly passed aid program is giving needy students a free ride at state colleges and universities -- a nice idea -- but it sets the standards way too low.
Under this legislation, middle class students, defined as those coming from a family of four earning $64,000 dollars or less, will receive free tuition or, if they choose an in-state private school, $9,700 for tuition.
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The state will even provide full aid for relatively poor students: Students from families earning less than $34,000 and keeping a 2.0 average will receive the same benefits listed above if they attend a state college or university.
This legislation passed through California's State Legislature unanimously. Gov. Gray Davis (D) called it "the most ambitious financial aid program in America," which it certainly is. Another state official gushed, "this reinstates the California dream." Everyone agrees -- or should -- that students should have the opportunity to pursue higher education if they earn it through hard work and diligence in their secondary school career. "Opportunity," though, is different from "entitlement."
Earning a 2.0 GPA should not give one the right to attend college for free, and, let's be honest, a 3.0 isn't exactly breathtaking either. With the state of education in America today, most high school students could sleep through all of their classes and still make Cs; many could sleep through school and still make Bs.
The effort of California is an admirable one in that it devotes significant sums to higher education, but it needs to put more focus on the merit of its high school students by upping the standards a bit. This program simply equates college with grades 13 through 16, and says that if you merely pass high school, you can collect your state-funded tuition and move on.
This program has the potential to lower admissions standards and promote already rampant high school grade inflation. What college will have the heart to turn down students who have been implicitly promised access by the state legislation? How many teachers will withhold a "B" or even a mere "C" if that translates into a free college ticket for their students? College needs to be earned, not just bestowed.
An encouraging aspect of California's new aid program is that it sets apart $118 million to provide scholarships of $2,500 and $1,000 to high scorers on the state math and science exams. This is the kind of merit-based aid that is needed. The aid program would be much more beneficial overall if it would raise the GPA requirements and thus push its students to truly excel.
Despite its flaws, California's program can teach Virginia an important lesson: the importance of devoting financial resources to higher education. In U.S. News and World Report's ranking of universities' financial resources, the University came in 64th, behind five different California state Universities -- including every ranking-obsessed Wahoo's arch nemesis, UC-Berkeley. The gap will only increase with this new program.
The principle behind California's legislation -- providing all worthy students with generous financial benefits in this time of economic prosperity -- is a good one, one the state legislature here should learn from.
Giving students more merit-based -- truly merit-based -- scholarships and aid is something which the University needs to do, and the efforts being made by California should be a spur to make Virginia show how much it values the higher education of its citizens.
(Luke Godwin is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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