From the Dean: Access to Excellence
There was a time in our nation when the road to higher education was paved with family history: Only the sons (and occasionally, daughters) of the wealthy and powerful could even dream of a college degree. Around the mid-19th century, state land-grant universities such as the University of Minnesota began to change all of that. Before long, a more democratic system had made inroads into the old aristocratic ways.
By the mid-20th century, great numbers of students from families with modest incomes were filling college classrooms across America. Strong state support of higher education institutions, federal and state grants, and modest tuition helped ensure that young people from all walks of life would have a shot at a college degree. And Minnesotans were flushed with pride in an educational system that was second to none.
Fast forward to the 21st century: In response to sharp reductions in state support, tuition at public colleges and universities across America has shot up much faster than family income. And the days when students could simply work their way through college are long gone: In 1970, students would have had to work 24 hours a week at minimum wage to cover the cost of tuition and fees; today, they need to work 60 hours per week.
Slippery slope
Photo by Terry Faust
At a time when higher education is more crucial than ever in preparing for a knowledge economy, the gap in access to college between students from low- and moderate-income families and students from wealthier families has grown larger and larger. The result has been a growing class disparity between those who earn college degrees—and are prepared for the knowledge economy—and those who do not.
With the outlook so bleak, many young people from families of modest financial means abandon their dreams and aspirations altogether; they don’t even consider the possibility of higher education. This is a tragedy and a profound waste of human potential.
The trend in Minnesota is especially troubling. Nationally, college participation rates for students from low-income families rose 7.5 percent from 1992 to 2002. In Minnesota, participation rates for such students fell by 17.9 percent. Minnesota once led America in college participation by students from low-income families, but over the past decade, Minnesota has fallen faster than any state in the nation. The “level playing field” that enables economic opportunity in a democratic society has become for many Minnesotans a very slippery slope.
Minnesota can thrive only if we ensure access to higher education. It’s not just a matter of fairness. Minnesota’s cultural and economic vitality depends on the contributions of highly skilled and educated people from all walks of life. We simply cannot prosper as a state or as a nation if we leave great numbers of young people behind.
Finding solutions
Fortunately, there’s some very good news: President Robert Bruininks has announced expansion of the University of Minnesota Founders Opportunity Scholarship, which guarantees that all University of Minnesota students who are Minnesota residents and are eligible for Pell grants will receive grant and scholarship assistance at least equal to tuition and required fees—four years of support to new freshmen, and two years to new transfer students.
The benefits of the program will extend to most students from families with annual incomes of less than $50,000. More than 30 percent of recipients are expected to be students of color.
Nearly 6,000 University of Minnesota students from all income levels are also receiving scholarships from private sources, thanks in part to generous gifts to the $150 million Promise of Tomorrow scholarship drive. Boosted by the President’s Scholarship Match, which doubles the impact of endowed scholarship funds, the drive is well over halfway to its goal of increasing by 50 percent the number of students who receive privately funded scholarships.
These scholarship programs go to the heart of the University’s compact with the people of Minnesota. Scholarships turn young people’s aspirations into real achievement. They enable students from all walks of life to reach their full potential. They help the University cultivate and generate talent for our workforce and our communities.
They allow the University to make good on its land-grant mission while it continues its climb into the top ranks of U.S. public research universities.
The University’s scholarship programs should send a resounding message to young people across our state: If you are from a family of modest financial means, and if you prepare yourself academically for college, there are people at the University of Minnesota and in our community who are committed to ensuring that you will be able to afford to attend your state’s flagship university.
Relationships and access
Access to higher education is central to the strength of our democracy; it is central to tapping the creative energies of all of our people so Minnesota can compete in a knowledge economy; it is central to ensuring social and economic opportunity for all Minnesotans.
Our goal is to open doors to the kinds of life-transforming relationships that this issue of CLA Today celebrates. It is to ensure that, regardless of financial means, all students will be able to avail themselves of the opportunities for learning and creativity that occur in our classrooms, laboratories, studios, and recital halls. Our goal is to ensure the strength and integrity of the great public university in whose future lies the future of Minnesota.
The system for financing education at the University of Minnesota must continue to be a partnership among students and their families, the state of Minnesota, the federal government, donors, and the University itself. Access comes at some cost—but without it, we will all pay a much steeper price. We will fail not only our young people but also our state. With your support, we can continue to mine the genius and talents of all of our people and keep both the University and the state of Minnesota strong.