Six students from Griffin Endowed Chair Bill Ballenger’s spring political science seminar present their proposed changes to the Michigan Merit Scholarship program to members of the state Senate. Seated from left to right are Heather Chiarello of St. Joseph, Kate Finneren of Caseville, Jessica Rieffel of Saginaw, Robert Avers of Smiths Creek, Lauren Kauppi of Howell, and Aaron Yanke of Commerce Township.

Students appear before state Senate

What began as a class project to revise the Michigan Merit Scholarship program developed into an opportunity for several CMU students to bring their ideas before the state Senate.

Political science students from Griffin Endowed Chair Bill Ballenger’s spring “PSC 301: Law and Policy in Michigan State Government” seminar developed a plan to increase the Michigan Merit Scholarship to $5,000 and also increase the number of Michigan residents who earn college degrees.

They believe this plan encompasses the best aspects of both the current merit program and Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s proposed changes — and will cost no more money.

After hearing about their plan, members of the state Senate invited the students to present their proposal during a joint committee session between the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, chaired by Sen. Mike Goschka, R-Brant.

Six of Ballenger’s former students attended the hearing, which took place on June 8 in the Senate Appropriations Room of the Capitol Building.

“We approached the issue from a student’s point of view, but we also took into account a politician’s      perspective,” said CMU senior Kate Finneren of Caseville. “Our solution not only encourages kids to pursue a higher education, but to do so in a way that’s economically realistic for both students and their families, as well as the taxpayers.”

The merit scholarship program now gives $2,500 awards to high school students who do well on a state standardized test. The students can then use the money to help pay for their first two years of college. GOP lawmakers have said they want to keep the program running as is.

Granholm, however, had proposed increasing the amount to $4,000 but delaying awarding it until students complete two years of college or training.

She argued that the state must find a “carrot” to encourage more high school graduates to continue their education. Her administration has said it wants to double the number of college graduates over the next decade.

Breaking their class down into simulated legislative chambers and partisan caucuses and with Ballenger acting in the role of the Democratic governor, the undergraduates hatched a plan that:

• boosts the merit stipend to $5,000 but strings it out over four years to be paid in increments of $1,250 in the fall of each college academic year. The money would be sent directly to the university, college or training school to be attended by any student who passes the merit test.

• requires 50 hours of community service to be completed by Aug. 1 of the summer before the qualifying student would first enter college.

• restricts the scholarship to students who attend in-state colleges, public or private, after they have graduated from secondary school.

• guarantees the student will receive the $2,500 covering the first two years of college, at which point the student must have completed 48 credit hours and maintained a 2.0 grade point average in order to receive the final $2,500, divided equally between the junior and senior years.

Joining Finneren at the Senate hearing were Heather Chiarello of St. Joseph, Robert Avers of Smiths Creek, Lauren Kauppi of Howell, Jessica Rieffel of Saginaw, and Aaron Yanke of Commerce Township. Last year, a similar CMU seminar hammered out a balanced FY 2004-05 state budget.